Though it won't draw much attention on the heels of a 9-0 blowout loss in Game 2 of the World Series, it's important to note that Rangers starting pitcher C.J. Wilson was very effective over 6+ innings, doing a great job of bouncing back from a rough previous effort in New York.
World Series Game 2: C.J. Wilson Quietly Effective Despite Loss
Facing a lineup stacked with right-handed hitters, the left-handed Wilson knew he had a tough task. But he was up to the challenge, not letting the Giants get on the board until the bottom of the fifth, and departing with the score still 1-0. Wilson was perfect in the first. He worked around a hit in the second and another hit in the third, and he worked around a walk in the fourth. It was in the fifth that he allowed a solo home run to Edgar Renteria, but he retired the other three hitters he faced in the frame, and he retired all three of the hitters he saw in the sixth as well. He only came out in the seventh following a leadoff walk when the coaching staff noticed a developing blister.
That walk would come around to score, leaving Wilson charged with two runs in six innings. But two runs in six innings in the World Series is a strong effort - especially when combined with just three hits and two walks. Wilson got his job done. He just couldn't match zeroes with Matt Cain the whole way, and it's hard to win when your lineup gives you literally no support at all.
Wilson had good success with his slider. He threw 27 of them - 16 for strikes. The Giants swung at 13, and six of their swings whiffed. That was a key pitch for him as he navigated his way through a bunch of right-handed bats. He was also able to pitch around the edges and avoid solid contact, which, on most other nights, would’ve been good enough to get him a win.
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