Tune in at 8:07 PM ET as the Tigers take on the Giants in Game One of the World Series. Matthias Koster will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
DET
Jackson
Infante
Cabrera
Fielder
Young
Peralta
Garcia
Avila
Verlander
SF
Pagan
Scutaro
Sandoval
Posey
Pence
Belt
Blanco
Crawford
Zito
Hello everyone. Game 1 of the 2012 World Series starts in 12 mins. I imagine I'll be swamped tonight with comments, so please forgive me if it takes a few seconds to moderate incoming comments.
As always, please avoid infighting or non-related comments. With that out of the way...
Tonights over-under is set at a low 6.5 runs. DET, behind Verlander, are -165 moneyline favs
The Giants are using their 'standard' playoff lineup. The Tigers are shifting Delmon Young out to LF (from DH) and are giving 21 year old rookie Avisail Garcia the start in RF
The Tigers kept fresh during the layoff by playing against their instructional team, practising bunting, etc. The Giants rotation is pushed back due to their 7 game series vs STL. Zito, Bumgarner start game 1 & 2
The Giants earned homefield advantage via the NL's all-star win. Verlander's 5 run 1st inning doomed the AL in the all-star game
@TT - I also think it's imperative that his curve is on. He's been having success with it during most of the playoffs
Giants take the field to thunderous applause
I know it's due to the way the rotation lined up but I doubt anyone predicted Barry Zito would be starting game #1 of the WS back in the off-season
Alright, here we go. The Tigers will send Jackson/Infante/Cabrera to the plate. Berry is out of the lineup tonight with Delmon shifting to LF
Here we go. jackson stepping in. Will the Tigers attack or make Zito come into the strike zone early on?
Zito high and away with the first two pitches. Classic overthrown location
Slider high in the zone. If must have fooled Jackson, as he hit a high pop-up to RF
One down, Omar Infante coming up
Infante spent a large portion of his Tigers stint in the #8/#9 slot of the batting order. He moves up to #2 with Berry out (and the lefty Zito starting)
Outside curveball, on an 0-2 pitch. Infante leans, goes with the pitch and takes it up the middle for a single
Infante on 1st base, 1 out and here comes Cabrera
Zito overthrowing once again. He's stayed away with every pitch thrown tonight
Zito finally comes in, this time with a slider, and it's called a ball. 2-0 to Cabrera
Zito fights back and it's a 3-2 count to Cabrera. Infante could be running on the pitch with 1 down
Curve fouled off. Infante was running on the pitch. He'll head back and we'll do it over again
Low fastball called ball four. It didn’t miss by much.
Cabrera trots down to first. Infante moves up to second. 1 down, Fielder at the dish
1st pitch pop-up to shallow LF. SS Crawford comes out a long way and makes the catch for out #2. This brings up ALCS MVP Delmon Young
Groundout to Sandoval at third. He fields a late hop, fields and takes the short rout to 2nd for the final out of the inning.
I think the Tigers missed out that inning. Zito's control was questionable and most pitches were up. Still, he leaves the inning with a 0 on the scoreboard. Back in 2 with the dominant Justin Verlander taking the hill for DET
