2012 MLB "Fall Classic" Game 1

On Wednesday, October 24, the MLB kicked off the 2012 World Series. The Detroit Tigers, winners of the American League, were at AT&T Park facing the National League Champions, the San Francisco Giants. This series began with quite an interesting story line, with the Detroit Tigers coming off a complete 4-0 sweep on the New York Yankees, and the San Francisco Giants coming back from being down 3-1 against the St. Louis Cardinals.  It was the Tigers’ dominant swagger against San Francisco’s momentum and in Game 1, momentum won pretty handily. The Giants won 8-3 and it was at least a 5 run differential for the majority of the game.

Reigning AL MVP and and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was pitching again the 2002 Cy Young winner, but slight drop off Barry Zito. Zito was completely in charge of the 5 and 2/3 he pitched, and even got an RBI. The usually dominant Justin Verlander was shaky from the start. 26 minutes into the game, in the bottom of the first with two outs, Pablo Sandoval hit a high fastball straight into the center field crowd. This became a routine when, in the bottom of the 3rd, Sandoval shot another homer into the left field wall, this time with two people on base. He would hit one more home run about 10 from the first one into dead center again.

Everything seemed to be clicking for the San Francisco Giants that evening. Its seemed as though they had taken the attitude that they had had in the NLCS and taken it straight into Game 1, while Detroit had gotten cold with their extra days off with the sweep.

The favorite for 2012 MVP, Miguel Cabrera, tried to help get his team out of an early hole, bringing the first run in for the Tigers in the top of the 6th, but it didn’t spark the comeback they needed. After he made it 6-1, the Giants hit two more runs in before the 9th, but the Tigers got two runs to match them.

Game 2 will be Thursday, October 25th, also in San Francisco. The Tigers will be starting Doug Fister against the Giant’s Madison Bumgarner. Doug Fister has only let up two runs in his two starts this season, with none coming in his last game. Bumgarner has lost his last two postseason games in convincing fasion, 4-6 and 0-9 which is most recent. What he does have going for him is that Detroit does struggle slightly against left handers, which Barry Zito helped show Wednesday.

Let’s see if San Fran’s momentum will continue or if Miguel Cabrera can bring his team back to dominance.

*All Pictures Taken From ESPN