Tigers at Giants: World Series Game 2 preview

What will Pablo do tonight?

After an epic performance in Game 1 of the 108th World Series, in which Pablo Sandoval went 4-for-4 with three home runs, all eyes will be on the Giants third baseman tonight as the Giants look to open a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

In 13 postseason games this year, Sandoval is batting .370/.386/.778 with 6 HR and 13 RBI. Just call him Senor Octubre.

Throw everything I wrote about Game 1 out the window.

Justin WHO?

It was Barry Zito who looked like the established ace. Zeets followed up his remarkable Game 5 LCS start against the Cardinals with an impressive win against Justin Verlander last night. He even ripped an RBI single off the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner.

How could anyone expect the outcome we saw last night? Now when people talk about the legends of the game, they will have to mention the Kung Fu Panda in the same breath as Mr. October, Prince Albert, and The Babe.

As I mentioned in my Game 1 preview yesterday, the managing aspect of this series was key. Last night, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy used his bullpen masterfully. He brought in Tim Lincecum at exactly the right moment last night. And except for a weird 2-run homer off Angel Pagan‘s glove in centerfield that blemished George Kontos‘s pitching line, Bochy’s moves like Jagger kept Jim Leyland‘s Tigers pacing in their cage for most of the night.

I had every intention of writing today’s preview thinking the Giants would be in an 0-1 hole going into Game 2. After last night’s commanding victory, maybe I should be writing about a potential sweep?

Looking at tonight’s match-ups between these two clubs, it would seem the G-men are in a very good position to take a 2-0 lead.

Left-hander Madison Bumagrner gets the start tonight (5:07 p.m., FOX). While it’s true he has struggled during the postseason (0-2, 11.25 ERA, 2.125 WHIP), Bochy was able to skip his last start in the LCS and the extra rest might be just what the doctor ordered for a young hurler who has thrown 216 innings so far this season and has shown signs of a dead arm.

Back in 2010, when MadBum went 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in the postseason, he had thrown just 111 innings during the regular season.

I like his chances tonight against a Tigers team he has had some success with in his career:

Alex Avila — 0-for-3, 2 K
Miguel Cabrera — 1-for-3
Prince Fielder — 3-for-7, 2 BB, K
Omar Infante — 3-for-9, 2 K
Austin Jackson — 2-for-3, K
Jhonny Peralta — 0-for-3, K
Ryan Raburn — 0-for-3, 2 K
Delmon Young — 1-for-1

Meanwhile, the Tigers hope to get a quality start out of Doug Fister tonight. Fister went 10-for-10 with a 3.45 ERA and 1.194 WHIP in 26 starts in 2012. His season started off horribly with the 28-year old losing six of his first seven decisions. He turned it around in the second half of the season, though, going 9-4 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.084 WHIP.

Only one current Giant has faced Fister before and that’s Marco Scutaro who is 1-for-11 with two walks and a strikeout against him.

Scuatro has been the Giants’ spark plug ever since he was traded to San Francisco on July 27 for prospect Charlie Culberson.

In just 61 games with the Giants, Scutaro batted .362/.385/.473 with 16 doubles, a triple, three dongs, and 44 RBI. He’s been even better in the postseason (.365, 10 runs, 7 RBI in 13 games). Last night, Marco went 2-for-4 with two runs and two runs batted in.

Who knows who will be the Giants’ star tonight? Will it be Bumgarner? Scutaro? Panda? Or someone else? The way this team is playing, it surely looks like destiny is calling for another parade down Market Street this fall.

My Game 2 prediction: Giants 3, Tigers 2

2012 World Series schedule:
Game 1, Giants 8, Tigers 3 (SF leads series 1-0)
Game 2, Thu., Oct. 25: DET(Fister, 10-10, 3.45) at SF (Bumgarner, 16-11, 3.37), 5:07 p.m.
Game 3, Sat., Oct. 27: SF (Vogelsong, 14-9, 3.37) at DET (Sanchez, 4-6, 3.74), 5:07 p.m.
Game 4, Sun., Oct. 28: SF (Cain, 16-5, 2.79) at DET (Scherzer, 16-7, 3.74), 5:07 p.m.
*Game 5, Mon., Oct. 29: SF (Zito, 15-8, 4.15) at DET (Verlander, 17-8, 2.64), 5:07 p.m.
*Game 6, Wed., Oct. 31: DET (Fister, 10-10, 3.45) at SF (Bumgarner, 16-11, 3.37), 5:07 p.m.
*Game 7, Thu., Nov. 1: DET (Sanchez, 4-6, 3.74) at SF (Vogelsong, 14-9, 3.37), 5:07 p.m.
* If necessary