Fansided

Game 2 Loss Could Work in Giants Favor in Chase of Dynasty

By Jeff Weisinger

Oct 22, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (60) is relieved by manager Bruce Bochy (middle) in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game two of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (60) is relieved by manager Bruce Bochy (middle) in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game two of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite blowing Game 2 of the World Series to Kansas City Wednesday night 7-2, San Francisco has a chance to do something they’ve yet to do during their current championship run: Win the World Series at home. That is, if they can execute.

Let’s be honest, it would almost be too unentertaining if the San Francisco Giants swept Kansas City in the Fall Classic. With Wednesday’s 7-2 loss to the Royals in the books — ending their World Series winning streak at seven games tying them for the sixth longest Series streak in history — the Giants have a chance to do something they have yet to do during their current five-year championship run: lift the World Series trophy in San Francisco.

In the 11 World Series games they’ve played since returning to the Fall Classic in 2010, San Francisco is 9-2 during the World Series, and are tied in the Series for the first time. The only other team to beat the Giants in the World Series is the Texas Rangers who won Game 3 in Arlington back in 2010. The Giants swept the Tigers in four straight in 2012. The catch with both is that San Francisco won both World Series clinchers on the road, in Game 5 in Arlington in 2010 and in Detroit in Game 4 of the World Series in 2012.

In a best-of-seven series that started 1-1, the winner of Game 3 is 38-16 all time and since the beginning of divisional play back in 1969, winners of the third game are 16-3.

Advantage Giants.

They will return to AT&T Park for Games 3, 4, and 5 this weekend with a chance to (finally) lift the trophy up in front of their home fans as early as Sunday.

“I think we’re in a positive position,” Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt said.

San Francisco seemed to be in a positive position to take the series 2-0 back to the ballpark by the Bay after Gregor Blanco opened the game with a leadoff home run to give the Giants an early 1-0 lead. Blanco became the 10th player in World Series history to lead off a World Series game with a home run.

However, if the Giants are going to win the pivotal Game 3 in San Francisco on Friday night, they cannot have the lack of offensive production they suffered in Game 2. San Francisco went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on the night and stranded as many as eight.

On the mound, they’ll have to get better production from their veteran starters. While Madison Bumgarner has been dominant this postseason, the rest of the rotation behind him has not.

Tim Hudson has yet to record a win during this postseason, recording a 3.29 ERA in two starts, allowing five runs and a .259 BAA. Jake Peavy, who took the loss Wednesday night, and Ryan Vogelsong each have ERA’s well above three with Peavy the only other Giants starter to get a decision in any of his starts (1-1 in three starts).

The bullpen has to step up as well and finish the job. The Giants bullpen was taken apart Wednesday night as Billy Butler put the Royals ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single off of reliever Jean Machi, then sealed the loss when rookie Hunter Strickland allowed catcher Salvador Perez’s two-run double and Omar Infante’s two-run homer, the fifth home run he’s allowed this October, in a five-run Royals sixth.

The only plus side of the Giants bullpen on Wednesday was Tim Lincecum’s 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief before he left the game to back stiffness. If Lincecum is able to go for Game 3 and beyond, expect manager Bruce Bochy to summon the former Cy Young winner instead of the hard-throwing Strickland with the series in the balance.

“I hope he’ll call on me,” Strickland said. “I’ve given up four previous (home runs) and he’s still called on me and I’ve ben honored by that.”

“He’s got a bullpen mentality,” Affeldt mentioned. “He can seem to let things go. He’s still learning. He was in Double-A and now he’s in the big leagues pitching in the World Series. He’s going to mature. This helped his maturation process. Failure is part of it.”

Failure was the Giants theme in Game 2. If this “Dynasty” is going to take off and be solidified, it cannot be a part of Games 3, 4, and 5.

Time for this decade’s “Team of October” to show up.

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