TRIPLE THREAT: Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval connects for his second of three home runs last night in a Game 1 victory over the Tigers in the World Series. (AP)
TRIPLE THREAT: Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval connects for his second of three home runs last night in a Game 1 victory over the Tigers in the World Series. (AP)
SAN FRANCISCO — Expect the unexpected.
That’s the early message that leaked out of AT&T Park last night after the Giants hung an 8-3 Game 1 World Series beating on Justin Verlander and the Tigers in front of a festive crowd of 42,855.
Barry Zito against Verlander was supposed to be a mismatch bigger than Kate Upton against Roseanne Barr in a beauty contest. Nobody could have predicted Pablo Sandoval would join Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols as one of only four guys to hit three homers in one World Series game.
Well, Zito was far superior to Verlander, and Sandoval crushed three homers — two off Verlander — on the way to a 4-for-4, four-RBI night.
“I still can’t believe it. When you are a little kid you dream of being in the World Series, but I wasn’t thinking of being in this situation,’’ said Sandoval, who reached the center-field seats in the first off a 0-2 fastball at the letters, sent a 2-0 fastball down over the left-field wall for a two-run homer in the third and crushed an Al Alburquerque pitch to center in the fifth. “You don’t have to be too excited The series isn’t over.’’
Game 2 is tonight when Doug Fister tries to get the Tigers even. Madison Bumgarner, the second straight Giants lefty starter, works for the hosts.
Sandoval is correct; the Series isn’t finished. Yet 61.7 percent of the teams that cop Game 1 become world champions. And since 1993 every home team that has won Game 1 has won the World Series.
Plus, don’t underestimate what spanking Verlander means to the Giants. The Tigers were installed as heavy favorites before Verlander gave up five runs and six hits in four innings precisely because of Verlander, whom Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira called “the best pitcher on the planet’’ during the ALCS.
“I didn’t execute tonight. It was a battle from the get-go,’’ said Verlander, who surrendered a home run on a 0-2 pitch for only the fifth time in his career. “I tried to elevate and didn’t get it high enough.’’
Verlander’s inability to find a rhythm caused him location problems.
“I had a lot of run on my fastball. I didn’t like that, especially when I wanted to go into left-handers and it went back down the middle,’’ said the right-hander, who required 98 pitches to record just a dozen outs.
Zito, who wasn’t on the Giants’ postseason roster two years ago, limited the Tigers to one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. It was the second straight strong postseason outing for the lefty.
He wasn’t the only Giant hurler to shine. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum replaced Zito in the sixth with the Giants leading, 6-1, two outs and two on. He fanned Jhonny Peralta to end the threat. None of the seven batters Lincecum faced reached base and he whiffed five.
“To have him in the bullpen it’s ridiculous,’’ Zito said. “It was just really special personally to watch Timmy carve them up and just do what he does. It was great.’’
While Sandoval put on a power show, and Zito and Lincecum pitched well, left fielder Gregor Blanco made two diving catches.
Verlander took the loss in stride, comfortable his poor outing didn’t cost the Tigers a World Series title.
“Is it disappointing? Absolutely,’’ Verlander said of his first postseason clunker in four starts this October. “The three guys behind me are throwing well. It’s not over by any means.’’
Like, Sandoval, Verlander is correct. But if Fister gets punished like Verlander got hurt last night the Tigers are going to flush the biggest edge they had coming into the Series: better starting pitching.