After a scoreless first, the Rangers have gone and gotten themselves into a good position.
World Series Game 3, Giants Vs. Rangers: Mitch Moreland Rips Three-Run Home Run
Colby Lewis came out in the top of the second and walked Cody Ross to lead off. He then fell behind Juan Uribe 2-0, suggesting that things might be on the verge of going downhill. But Uribe popped up on the next pitch, and then DH Pablo Sandoval came to the plate and grounded an 0-2 fastball to Ian Kinsler. Kinsler flipped the ball to Elvis Andrus, who threw to Mitch Moreland to complete the 4-6-3 double play. Lewis' inning was over, with his pitch count standing at 34.
That brought Jonathan Sanchez back out to the hill, and he got off to a rocky start when Nelson Cruz jumped on his first pitch and launched it to straightaway center. The ball didn’t leave the yard, but it did hit off the wall, and Cruz slid into second with a leadoff double.
He advanced to third on a grounder by Ian Kinsler, and then had to stay there when Jeff Francoeur hit a grounder to third that threatened to strand the runner. It was left up to Bengie Molina to bring him home, but Molina instead drew a five-pitch walk.
Up came left-handed rookie Mitch Moreland with two down and men on the corners. Moreland got ahead 2-0, and then the count went 2-2 before he fouled off four consecutive pitches. On the ninth pitch of the at bat, Sanchez threw Moreland a low inside fastball, and Moreland went down and got it, drilling it over the right field fence for a three-run home run.
Andrus would ground out to end the inning, but it’s 3-0 Rangers going into the third, and Sanchez’s pitch count stands at 33. More importantly, he looked very wild in the second, and Bruce Bochy cannot have much confidence in the southpaw.
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