Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Colby Lewis pitched into the eighth inning and the Rangers got homers from Mitch Moreland and Josh Hamilton to beat the Giants, 4-2, in Game 3 of the World Series.
Rangers Take World Series Game 3 Over Giants Courtesy Of Colby Lewis Gem, Pair Of Homers
After losing the first two games in San Francisco, the Rangers found themselves under pressure. Lewis (1-0) delivered in a key spot by yielding five hits and two runs while fanning six over 7 2/3 frames. The right-hander moved to 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts this postseason.
Neftali Feliz fanned two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth to get the save.
Moreland belted a three-run homer off Jonathan Sanchez in the second inning and Hamilton cranked a solo shot in the fifth.
Cody Ross and Andres Torres homered for the Giants, who had the potential tying run at the plate in the eighth.
Sanchez (0-1) was removed after giving up six hits and the four runs in 4 2/3 frames.
The Giants, going for their first World Series title since 1954, when the franchise was located in New York, will have Madison Bumgarner on the mound Sunday night. The Rangers, in the World Series for the first time, will counter with Tommy Hunter.
Ross homered for the fifth time this postseason with one out in the seventh, taking a pitch over the wall in left-center.
Torres went deep to right with one out in the eighth. Aubrey Huff was hit by a pitch with two down, but Darren O'Day came in from the bullpen and retired Buster Posey on a slow grounder to shortstop Elvis Andrus.
Nelson Cruz led off the bottom of the second with a double off the wall in center. It was his seventh double of the postseason, tying the major league record. After consecutive groundouts, Bengie Molina walked. Moreland, hitting out of the No. 9 hole, fouled off four straight pitches from Sanchez. The ninth pitch of the at-bat was hammered to right field.
Lewis retired the side in order in the third. Michael Young singled to start the Texas half, but was stranded at second base.
Hamilton homered to right field on a 2-1 pitch just after Young grounded into a double play.
Lewis allowed a two-out double to Huff in the sixth, but Posey was then called out on strikes.
Texas put two men on base in the sixth, but Molina grounded into a double play to send it to the seventh.
Coming off a 9-0 win in Game 2 on Thursday, the Giants threatened in the opening inning by putting two runners on base. Freddy Sanchez singled with one out and Posey drew a walk with two away, but Pat Burrell struck out swinging to end the frame.
Young’s single short-hopped into Burrell’s glove with one out in the bottom of the inning. Burrell, who initially argued that he caught the ball, made a running grab of Vladimir Guerrero’s fly ball at the wall in left to finish the inning.
Ross walked to begin the San Francisco second, but Pablo Sandoval, serving as the designated hitter, grounded into a double play to end the frame.
Moreland became the second player (third time) in World Series history to start a game at first base and bat ninth in the lineup, joining Dave Bergman, who batted ninth as a first baseman in Games 2 and 4 of the 1984 World Series for Detroit against the San Diego Padres. Bergman was a combined 0-for-5 in those two games...Moreland's homer was his first career home run against a left-handed pitcher...Burrell is now 0-for-11 in this World Series with eight strikeouts. For his career, Burrell has gone down on strikes in 13 of his 23 World Series at-bats...Jonathan Sanchez allowed home runs to two left-handed hitters Saturday after permitting just five homers to lefties in 167 total times he faced left-handed batters this season.
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