Sports

Nothing doing for Tigers lineup

SAN FRANCISCO — Jim Leyland’s first seven hitters against Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner last night in Game 2 of the World Series were the same as they were in Game 1 against left-hander Barry Zito. Nevertheless, the Tigers manager swapped catcher Gerald Laird for Alex Avila in the eighth spot.

Either way, nothing worked for the Tigers lineup as they managed just two hits in their 2-0 Game 2 loss to the Giants last night at AT&T Park. Now, they trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

The right-handed hitting Laird, who went 0-for-3, usually plays against lefties, but Leyland wanted to use the left-handed hitting Avila in Game 1 because he hadn’t played since Oct. 16 in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees, and he wanted to pair Avila with Justin Verlander.

“Alex would have sat out for 10 days without playing at all,’’ Leyland said. “He had a good rapport with Verlander. It didn’t work out that way but I think it made a lot of sense.’’

Verlander was rocked for five runs and six hits (including two of Pablo Sandoval’s three home runs) in four innings.

“Alex will play when we get home against the right-hander [Ryan] Vogelsong,’’ Leyland said of the Giants’ Game 3 starter.”

Giants manager Bruce Bochy’s first eight against Doug Fister were the same as in Game 1 against Verlander.

* The numbers strongly suggest that now that the Giants have won Game 2, they will be on the way to a second World Series title in three years. Fifty-two teams had won the first two games and 41 (78.8 percent) won the Series. The last eight teams to win the first two won the Series.

* Leyland stuck with Delmon Young, who went 1-for-3, in left and gave no thought to using the lefty hitting Andy Dirks against Bumgarner.

* Asked about the possibility of bringing Verlander back early because of the four-inning stint in which he threw 98 pitches, Leyland said he would not pitch Game 4 on Sunday.

* Leyland admitted Jose Valverde’s Game 1 outing wasn’t much, but did take a few positives out of it.

“I don’t think he was bad, he wasn’t real good,’’ Leyland said of his former closer, who gave up two runs and four hits in one-third of an inning. “He was [throwing] 92, 93 and I saw a couple of 94s [mph], so I think it’s just a matter of locating his fastball and keeping it out of the middle of the plate.” … I thought it was an opportunity to get him back out there, get him back on the mound.’’

* The Giants hit 31 homers at AT&T Park this season and three — all by Sandoval — in Game 1. Is that the result of the climate change helping the ball travel better?

“I think sometimes the weather will play a part in it, especially warmer weather or day games,’’ Bochy said. “It seems to carry better here but those balls Pablo hit, he hit pretty good.’’

* Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon attended Game 2 so he could take part in MLB’s pregame festivities honoring veterans of World War II. In 2008, Wilpon founded a fundraising initiative called “Welcome Back Veterans” which helps veterans returning home from combat.

While Wilpon is still very involved in the Mets’ day-to-day operations, he demurred from commenting on the club’s offseason activity, merely offering support for general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins.

“They’re working very hard,” Wilpon said of the Mets’ brain trust. “I think they have a good plan,” Wilpon said of the Mets’ brain trust. “And they now have to execute that plan.”

Asked how the club was progressing in its effort to sign David Wright to a long-term extension, Wilpon said: “I don’t want to get into that. I know there’s some conversations. If there haven’t been already, there will be some soon.”

Additional reporting by Ken Davidoff

george.king@nypost.com