A slow start to Game 2 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants, with no score until the fifth inning. It looked as if the Rangers would score in the top of the fifth when Ian Kinsler smashed a ball straight down the middle. But that ball bounced on the top of the fence and actually bounced into the ballpark giving Kinsler a double and not a home-run.
But the Giants responded getting the first run on the board. After pitching a 91 mile an hour fastball off the plate, Edgar Renteria, was able to hit that pitch from CJ Wilson up into the stands for a home-run. Renteria provided the run with a drive into the left-field seats with one out in the fifth inning.
The eighth-place hitter had gone 53 straight at-bats overall without a home run and had not connected at AT&T Park since July 27. Renteria is no stranger to October heroics. In 1997, his two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning in Game 7 of the World Series lifted Florida over Cleveland. In 2004, he made the final out for St. Louis as Boston finished off a World Series sweep.
The Rangers threatened again in the sixth when Michael Young and Josh Hamilton each singled with one out, the first hits of the Series for both stars, and moved up on a wild pitch. But Cain retired slugger Nelson Cruz on a foul pop and got Kinsler on a routine fly, prompting him to toss his batting helmet.
CJ Wilson left the game in the bottom of the seventh with a blister on his pitching hand. Darren Oliver who didn't even have time to warm up was called to the mound to take over for Wilson. And it wasn't good news for Oliver an RBI single by Juan Uribe allowed Cody Ross to score putting the Giants up by 2 runs.
Dealing with fly balls and popups was problematic, Thursday night. A steady breeze caused the screen attached to the left-field foul pole to sway, and the flags around AT&T Park flapped. A possibility of showers was in the forecast. Texas regularly has trouble in this park anyhow. The Rangers are 0-10 overall at the waterfront stadium.
The Giants were handed run number 3 was handed to the Giants by Rangers pitcher Derek Holland after he loaded the bases with walks and walked Aubrey Huff which allowed Buster Posey to score. And run number 4 came much the same way also in the bottom of the eighth.
Those runs were followed by a line drive single by Edgar Renteria, which allowed runners to score runs 5 and 6. And it didn't stop there a triple by Aaron Rowand allows 2 more runs by the Giants. At the end of the eighth inning the Giants lead by 9 runs.
Texas manager Ron Washington also made two lineup changes before the first pitch, pulling Guerrero and catcher Bengie Molina and instead starting David Murphy and Matt Treanor.
Game 3 of the World Series will happen Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Gametime 5:30pm/central.
