This was a matchup of Tim Lincecum against Cliff Lee. Lee, of course, looked like the hottest, most effective starting pitcher in the world coming in. So the Giants figured they wouldn't be able to make too many mistakes if they wanted to have a chance. Then they opened by making too many mistakes. McCovey Chronicles runs down the various points at which it would've been reasonable for a Giants fan to give up:
In Game 1 Of The World Series, There Was Ample Time For Cynical Giants Fans To Give Up
It’s hard the pick out the exact moment it was reasonable to lose a little faith. For the weapons-grade cynic, it might have been when the Rangers scored their first run. For the standard pessimist, it might have been when Freddy Sanchez was doubled off second base in the bottom of the first inning.
The author continues before advancing to:
Then the playoffs happened. It was weird, and it was beautiful.
Andres Torres was the run that tied the game at 2-2. Torres was on base because Cliff Lee hit him with a pitch. In over 236 innings this year, Lee had only hit one batter. Cliff Lee hitting a batter is as rare as, oh, an opposite-field home run from Juan Uribe. The playoffs are fun when the weird things happen for your team, and every year, one fanbase out of 30 gets to enjoy a wild, bizarre ride that leaves the weird ledger completely lopsided.
Click through for the whole post. All the Giants need to do is play .500 baseball for six games, and they’ll be crowned world champions.
See More:
