After an uneventful first inning, we were treated to a eventful second. There were no runs. But there were events.
No scoring in the 2nd inning, but no shortage of action
Prince Fielder led off the top of the second, and Madison Bumgarner's third pitch plunked him in the shoulder. Delmon Young came up next, and grounded Bumgarner's second pitch down the third-base line; the ball bounded through the bullpen, then caromed off a jutting wall. Gregor Blanco corralled the ball finally, and hit second baseman Marco Scutaro -- stationed all the way near third base by then -- and Scutaro fired a perfect strike to Buster Posey, who just nipped Fielder on his right foot before his left foot touched the plate.
A couple of years ago, Posey might have actually tried to block the plate, even with Prince Fielder bearing down on him. That's what A.J. Pierzynski, in all his infinite wisdom, said on TV. But instead Posey took his position to the side, then applied the sweep tag with great speed and precision. And so they got Fielder, and instead of the Tigers scoring the game's first run -- or having runners on second and third with nobody out -- they had a runner on second with one out. And Detroit wound up getting nothing at all when Jhonny Peralta popped out and Avisail García struck out.
Posey led off the bottom of the second, and singled. But Doug Fister got the slumping Hunter Pence on an easy fly ball, and struck out Brandon Belt.
And then Gregor Blanco hit a line drive that caught Fister flush on the right side of his head, then bounced high into the air before dropping into center field for a single ...
Somehow, Fister seemed unaffected, and got right back to business after a couple of practice offerings. Fister walked Brandon Crawford to load the bases, but got Bumgarner on a pop to short center field to end the frame.
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