San Francisco Giants win first World Series since 1954
The San Francisco Giants took Game 5 of the World Series from the Texas Rangers Monday night, and with it the franchise’s first World Series Championship since 1954. It was also the first ever World Series
victory for the team since they moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958.
The team relied mostly on starting pitcher, Tim Lincecum, who went eight innings while allowing only one run on three hits in the 3-1 win. Their offense came from just one man, shortstop Edgar Renteria,
who blasted a three-run home run off Cliff Lee in the seventh inning.
"It is pretty crazy, just because he's been around so long," said Lincecum about Renteria. "You can see he's still got it. He comes up clutch in a clutch situation against a big pitcher."
Renteria took Most Valuable Player for the Series honours after finishing the series with a .412 average, two home runs, six RBIs, and six runs scored.
Lincecum, who pitched well through the entire playoffs, came up big in San Francisco’s first opportunity to clinch the series, striking out 10 and improving his postseason record to 4-1. He was 2-0 in
the World Series.
After going 2-0 in last year’s World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cliff Lee was 0-2 against the Giants with a Series ERA of 6.94. The 32-year old has now been to baseball’s championship series
twice, but has yet to capture a World Series ring.
Brian Wilson, the Giants’ closer, came in to pitch the ninth, and didn’t allow a hit or a walk while striking out two to earn the save.
"It's been storybook the whole year," Wilson said. "We had to win this one because of the guys who come in our locker room all the time and never got to experience one -- Willie Mays, McCovey. This one's
for them."
San Francisco’s pitching through the Series was the key factor. The Rangers had the highest average in MLB in the regular season, but their 2-6 hitters were only able to bat .167 against the Giants’ pitching.
The whole line-up hit .179 with runners in scoring position.
"They just outpitched us the whole series," Lee said. "Their pitchers did an unbelievable job."
The Giants’ ended a drought that was the third longest in MLB with the victory. This was their fourth trip to the Series since moving to San Francisco, and their last attempt to end the drought came in
2002.
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