Giants sweep Tigers, take World Series

This necessitated GIFs, of course:

Buster Posey broke out of his World Series slump in Game 4, hitting a Max Scherzer changeup down the left-field line for a home run. When Fox slowed down the replay of the home run, though, there was a curious bit of errata to note: Someone tried to catch the ball with their face.

This did not work out for them because their face is not a mitt. Rob Neyer wrote about it here, and that was the end of that. We would forget about it and move on to the next person getting hit with a projectile.

For Al Beaton of Bless You Boys, being swept in the World Series was a disappointing conclusion to a season that almost lived up to its lofty expectations:

The San Francisco Giants are the 2012 World Series Champions, making it look easy as they swept aside the Detroit Tigers in four games (some might say that Detroit could have used a RUNS bailout because they weren’t good at hitting do you get t?).

The Giants clinched the title with a dramatic Game 4 win Sunday night. After both teams exchanged a couple of leads, Detroit tied the game in the sixth inning. It stayed 3-3 until the top of the 10th, when Marco Scutaro -- of course -- dropped a hit into center to score Ryan Theriot from second. In the bottom of the frame, Sergio Romo set down the side in order, getting Miguel Cabrera to end the game, and start a wild celebration.

During the series, Sandoval set a franchise record for the most postseason hits. After the game, Panda was and presented with a trophy and a 437 Corvette convertible for his MVP effort.

This championship has brought a lifetime of memories for the third baseman. “It’s just an incredible moment you’re never going to forget,” Sandoval said.

DETROIT -- I spent most of the postgame in the Tigers’ clubhouse (more from there tomorrow). But when I stopped over on the Giants’ side over an hour after the game had ended, it seemed as though they were just beginning to party.

Walking down the small hallway, there was a tiny room filled with clubbies and MLB officials counting the number of champagne boxes left, and the ones which were empty. It wasn’t pretty, because it seemed they were running dry soon. Players and their wives were in the cramped dining area, helping themselves to the buffet, and there still was a party on the field going strong.

Scherzer righted himself, though, and that single run was all the Giants would get. For a while.

Coke, who became Jim Leyland’s favorite relief pitcher earlier this month, came out again in the top of the 10th. Leading off: Ryan Theriot, certainly on someone’s list of the unlikeliest Designated Hitters in World Series history. Theriot had gone 0 for 3 in his first-ever appearance as a DH, but in Game 4 the Giants’ luck held as Theriot hit a little flare into short right field for a hit.

Which set up the bottom of the ninth, with Game 4 still tied 3-3.

And so we’re heading to the 10th inning, the score still 3-3. With Worth taking over at second base for Infante.

From SB Nation contributor, Matt Sussman:

Sounds like the first in a series of action movies starring Antonio Banderas, doesn’t it? Or maybe Benicio del Toro?

Oh, and the score’s still 3-3...

Buster Posey hitting a home run that bounces off your forehead if you’re a Tigers fan.

Unless “starring in a .gif!” is some recompense, you gotta figure this guy really needs the Tigers to win Game 4 or this will be a pretty lousy night. But then that’s true of just about everyone else in the ballpark tonight, too.

Buster Posey drilled a changeup into the left-field stands to give the Giants a lead, but it was a short-lived lead. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Matt Cain got Miguel Cabrera on a strikeout and Prince Fielder on a pop-up for two quick outs. All that was left in the inning was Delmon Young. You know, good ol’ hacky Delmon Young.

Well, Delmon took a hanging slider to the opposite field for a solo homer to tie the game. Right field is the field for home runs on Sunday night, in case you were wondering.

... the Tigers’ lead -- their first lead in this entire World Series -- had disappeared with one mighty swing.

Well, it’s not like you’ll ever forget Hunter Pence. But as an offensive contributor, Hunter Pence has been mostly forgotten this postseason. His limited contributions have been broken bats, walks, and bleeders through the infield.

In the top of the second, though, Pence drove a ball into the left-center gap: his best-hit ball of the postseason, and there isn’t much competition. Pence would have had a triple, except the ball bounced over the fence for an automatic double.

So Scherzer’s looking for some help from his mates.

“I just like having them on there,” he said after the Giants’ 2-0 win in Game 3, “it’s just the way I am.”

He had them on his glove wrist, and after he threw 2 1/3 innings in Game 1, officials from Major League Baseball asked him to not wear them. They were a uniform violation; pitchers aren’t allowed to wear anything on their arms, which could distract the hitters.

On Saturday, the Tigers were shut out for the second straight game in the World Series, and there was some early speculation there might be changes afoot in the lineup. Jim Leyland decided to stick with the same group in the same permutation at first, but Alex Avila was scratched from the lineup :

1. Austin Jackson - CF

2. Quintin Berry* - LF

3. Miguel Cabrera - 3B

4. Prince Fielder* - 1B

5. Delmon Young - DH

6. Andy Dirks* - RF

7. Jhonny Peralta - SS

8. Omar Infante - 2B

9. Gerald Laird - C

The Giants had five options to DH in Detroit. For Game 4, they’re using their worst one against Max Scherzer. Let’s give a World Series welcome to Ryan Theriot, designated hitter!

1. Angel Pagan# - CF

2. Marco Scutaro - 2B

3. Pablo Sandoval# - 3B

4. Buster Posey - C

5. Hunter Pence - RF

6. Brandon Belt* - 1B

7. Gregor Blanco* - LF

8. Ryan Theriot - DH

9. Brandon Crawford* - SS

Matt Cain - P

When: Sunday, October 28, 2012, 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox-TV

It’s win or go home for the Detroit Tigers, while the San Francisco Giants are on the cusp of their second World Series championship in the last three seasons.

Let’s let history be our guide again to predict what’s likely to happen in Sunday night’s Game 4 of the World Series, shall we?

Here is a list of all the World Series in which a team has gone up three games to none, 23 times in all: