MLB: Giants shut out Tigers again to close in on World Series victory

San Francisco claimed the first back-to-back World Series shutout since 1966 to move to within touching distance of their second World Series title in three years.

San Francisco Giants players celebrate after victory in the third game of the 2012 World Series
Powered by automated translation

The San Francisco Giants put on a virtuoso pitching performance against the Detroit Tigers to move within one win of their second World Series title in three years.

San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum and Sergio Romo combined to pitch a 2-0 shutout - their second one of the series.

The 2010 World Series now have a 3-0 lead over the Tigers and can claim the championship with a victory at Detroit's Comerica Park tonight.

Since surrendering a two-run homer to Detroit's Jhonny Peralta in the last inning of an 8-3 victory in the opener, Giants pitchers have not allowed a run over 18 innings.

The Tigers, seeking their first World Series title since 1984, stranded nine base runners, seven of them in the first six innings.

Vogelsong threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three with 60 of his 104 tosses for strikes.

The right-hander has surrendered only three runs in more than 24 playoff innings, and has allowed only one run or less in his six consecutive starts.

"It was special before the night even started," he said afterwards."Being able to pitch a game in the World Series... two years ago I never thought this would happen.

"I was pumped up to be out there tonight. It just feels really good to be finally out there in a World Series.

"But it's not over yet - we've got to win one more."

Lincecum, a long-haired 28-year-old right-hander who won the first and last games of the 2010 World Series for the Giants over Texas, replaced Vogelsong on the mound and struck out three in 2.3 scoreless innings.

Right-hander Romo entered in the ninth and retired the bottom of the Tigers' batting line-up in order, striking out Omar Infante to complete the shutout.

The only scoring came in the second inning after Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez, only the third Venezuelan starting pitcher in World Series history, walked Giants outfielder Hunter Pence.

Pence stole second base, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a triple to the right-field wall by Gregor Blanco, who then crossed home plate on a Brandon Crawford single to give the Giants the only runs they would need.

The Tigers stranded runners in scoring position in the first and third, each time by grounding into inning-ending double plays, and left the bases loaded in the fifth when Detroit star slugger Miguel Cabrera popped out to the shortstop.

Venezuela's Cabrera became the first player since 1967 to capture the Triple Crown for hitters when he swept the season titles in batting, home runs and runs batted in, but he went 1-for-4 on Saturday.

A throwing error by Crawford with two outs in the eighth allowed Detroit's Delmon Young to reach first but Lincecum struck out Andy Dirks to end the threat.

sports@thenational.ae

Follow us