By Ron Griffitts
Contributing Columnist
In October 2010, the Texas Rangers (90-72) appearing in their first ever World Series, managed by former player Ron Washington with general manager Jon Daniels, met the San Francisco Giants managed by former catcher Bruce Bochy with general manager Brian Sabean.
The Rangers were led by Amercian League MVP Josh Hamilton (32 HR, 100 RBI, .359 BA, 95 RS), Micheal Young (21 HR, 91 RBI, 99 RS), Vladimir Guerrero (29 HR, 115 RBI, .300 BA), and Nelson Cruz (22 HR, 78 RBI, .318 BA).
Their pitching staff was led by starters C. J. Wilson 15-8 and Tommy Hunter 13-4 and Naftali Feliz in the bullpen with 40 saves and a 2.73 ERA.
The Giants were paced by National League Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey (18 HR, 67 RBI, .305 BA), Aubrey Huff (26 HR, 86 RBI, .290 BA, 100 RS), and Jose Uribe (24 HR, 85 RBI).
Their pitching staff was anchored by starters Matt Cain 13-11 and Tim Lincecum 16-11 and in the bullpen had Brian Wilson (48 SV, 1.81 ERA), Sergio Romo (5-3, 2.18 ERA) and Santiago Casilla (7-2, 1.95 ERA).
The series opened in AT & T Park in San Francisco with Tim Lincecum opposing Cliff Lee for the Rangers. The game was close until the Giants scored six runs in the fifth inning to break the game open and go up 8-2 while on their way to an 11-7 victory. Jose Uribe and Freddie Sanchez each contributed three RBI for San Francisco.
In game two Matt Cain along with two relievers limited the Rangers to only four hits on the way to a 9-0 Giants’ win. Edgar Renteria had a home run and three RBI’s to lead San Francisco as the Giants go up two games to none for the Rangers.
The Rangers, playing in their home ballpark of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, got seven and two-thirds innings of five hit, two run baseball from starter Jonathan Sanchez. Naftali Felix, on for the save went, on to a 4-2 win to pull within one game of the Giants, 2-1.
All the runs in the game were on home runs with the deciding runs being scored in a three run second inning on a three run round tripper by Mitch Moreland. Josh Hamilton added a solo home run for the Rangers and Cody Ross and Andres Torres had solo home runs from the Giants.
Twenty year old Giants’ rookie Madison Baumgardner got the start in game four and held the Rangers to just three hits over eight innings and with Brian Wilson on for the save, San Francisco went up three games to one over the Rangers with a 4-0 win.
Edgar Renteria and Andres Torres each contributed three hits and Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff each had home runs to lead the Giants.
The opening game starters Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum were back in game five and it was a scoreless until the seventh inning in which all of the game’s runs were scored with the big hit being a three run home run by Edgar Renteria off of Cliff Lee, providing all of the runs the Giants needed to win the game 3-1 and the World Series four games to one.
Nelson Cruz had a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh for the Rangers who were back the next year in the fall classic. Edgar Renteria got the series MVP award and San Francisco returned to the World Series in 2012.
For the Giants, it was their first World Series victory since moving to San Francisco. Their last win was as the New York Giants when they swept the Cleveland Indians in 1954.
As the San Francisco Giants, they lost the 1962 series to the Yankees in seven games when only a great play by Yankee’s second baseman Bobby Richardson on a Willie McCovey line drive preserved the Yankee win in Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
Statistics for this article were from baseball-reference.com and baseball-almanac.com
Ron Griffitts a contributing columnist for The Daily Advocate.
