World Series Game 3, Giants Vs. Rangers: Colby Lewis Hopes To Save Texas

This is a viewing guide to help prepare you for Game 3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers. Click here for the complete 2010 World Series schedule.

Go back in time a few days. If you told someone that the Giants would end up ahead two games to none in the World Series after winning a pitcher's duel and a barn-burner, I don't think that person would've been surprised. But he might have been surprised to hear about the order. It was Cliff Lee vs. Tim Lincecum that turned into a barn-burner, and it was C.J. Wilson vs. Matt Cain that turned into a pitcher's duel. Not that it wound up that way - the Giants having won 9-0 - but it was a two-run game going into the bottom of the eighth, and most of it was tight.

(2) During the regular season, Colby Lewis threw either a fastball or a slider 89% of the time to right-handed hitters, with fastballs getting the preference. During the playoffs, he's thrown only fastballs and sliders to righties, with sliders making up 53% of the pool. The Giants are going to have a lot of right-handed bats in the lineup against Lewis, and that could be bad news, as Lewis really has his slider working right now. He has enough confidence to throw it in any count, and it's a very difficult pitch to hit. If Lewis has a good feel for that pitch, the Giants' hopes could come down to how well guys like Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres are able to manage. As lefties, they'll get a better look, and they may have to shoulder the load.

(3) Colby Lewis is an effective pitcher, but he's also a somewhat inefficient pitcher, as he tends to get into deep counts and run his pitch total up real fast. In the event that Lewis is able to last six or maybe seven innings, what will be interesting is seeing how Ron Washington handles the bullpen on the heels of the Game 2 disaster. If Game 3 is close in the later innings, will Washington be more prepared to bring Neftali Feliz out of the bullpen, even if it isn't a save situation? Consider this something of a potential test of Washington's mettle. He's drawn a lot of criticism for the way he's handled his bullpen thus far. Will he stick with his plan, or will he reconsider and be willing to give Feliz a bigger responsibility?