After exploding onto the MLB stage by winning back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2008-09, the Freak imploded last season, going 10-15 with a hefty 5.18 ERA.

That has left many of us to ponder the question, “Have we seen the best of Timmy?”

Giants execs have been reluctant to sign Lincecum (2 years, $40.5 million) to the kind of contract given to his sturdy teammate Matt Cain (6 years, $127.5 million). That’s probably because they fear that Timmy’s diminutive size — coupled with the way he throws the ball — is a recipe for disaster. (Granted, he has reportedly gained 10 pounds during the offseason.)

Also, Lincecum has lost 5-7 miles off his fastball over the years and his walks total has steadily increased as well.

Now, Big Time Timmy Jim is entering a big-time contract year. He turns 29 in a couple of months and by then, San Francisco will probably have a good idea upon which Lincecum they’ll need to make a decision.

Sure, Lincecum was effective as a World Series reliever (4.2 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts), but nobody’s going to pay $20 million a year for a reliever, even if closer Sergio Romo flames out as the Giants’ stopper.

I would hope that Giants GM Brian Sabean has learned his lesson about signing 29-year old former Cy Young winners to lengthy and expensive contracts, right Barry Zito?

Quite honestly, San Francisco would be better off investing their money in young stars Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval. Then, take the money they’d normally pay Lincecum, plus the money they’d save by opting out on Zito’s contract in 2014, and hit the winter meetings hard in December.

The 2014 free agent market looks strong right now.

Unless they’re signed to extensions by their current clubs, Cardinals righty Adam Wainwright and the Marlins’ Josh Johnson will be available and command a lot of attention, as will Yankees hurler Phil Hughes. (All of whom, by the way, have had their personal share of time on the DL.)

Sabean could also look to trade for a replacement starter to fill the rotation.

Don’t get me wrong. I loves me some Timmy Lincecum, and the dude’s credentials are rock solid, I just don’t trust his arm anymore. Do you?

- – - – - – -

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That could change, however, when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII this weekend.

The 2012 World Series champion Giants are hoping their cross-sport neighbors dominate the San Francisco sports landscape, as several Giants players took to the Twitterverse after last week’s NFL Playoffs to show their support:

Giants closer Sergio Romo had this to say last week:

What excitement that the @49ers have brought to this city! Congrats to the whole @49ers organization! #onemore #QuestforSix thats whats up!!

— Sergio Romo (@SergioRomo54) January 21, 2013

Meanwhile, shortstop Brandon Crawford kept his enthusiasm short, but sweet:

Niners!!! #SuperBowl #SFWinsChampionships

— Brandon Crawford (@bcraw35) January 20, 2013

Reliever George Kontos knows what’s up:

Well looks like SF is gonna have to have TWO Champions this year! #SFGiants #49ers — George Kontos (@G_Kontos) January 21, 2013

Catcher Buster Posey was his normal, humble self when he tweeted this last week:

Congrats to the 49ers. Looking forward to the Super Bowl!! -Buster — Buster Posey (@BusterPosey) January 21, 2013

Brian Wilson was his “normal” self, too, as evidenced by the tweet he sent out after the Niners beat the Falcons in the NFC Championship game:

Alex, moonwalk your way down Market St. w an SF hat & Lombardi trophy & i’ll take care of the fines you rack up @49ers twitter.com/BrianWilson38/…

— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38) September 20, 2012

Meanwhile, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told a reporter recently via text that he “couldn’t be happier for them, and I’m pulling hard for them to win the championship. Would be great for the fans and city to have another citywide celebration!”

If the Niners do in fact win the Super Bowl, city cleanup crews will once again bust out their brooms to sweep the streets of a new confetti-laden Titletown drunk with championship fever.

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Don’t cry over spilled Melk

Former Giant Melky Cabrera is attracting lots of attention from other teams. Five teams, including the Mets and Phillies, are interested in the Melk Man, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

It worked for Vogey

Former Giants outfielder Fred Lewis has signed with the Hiroshima Carp, according to Patrick Newman of NBP Tracker. F-Dot-Lew has signed a one-year, $400,000 contract with the Japan League team. A stint in Japan could do wonders for Lewis, if Ryan Voeglsong’s career track is any indication.

Comings and goings

San Francisco remains interested in at least three key players from its 2012 world championship roster. Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan, Jeremy Affeldt are all eligible for free agency and according to Jerry Crasnick at ESPN, the team wants them back. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the Giants are close to signing Affeldt to a three-year deal that could net the lefty $15-$20 million.

The same can’t be said for Cabrera, Ryan Theriot, Guillermo Mota, Xavier Nady, Brad Penny or Freddy Sanchez, who are also free agents. There’s been no talk of the Giants signing any of these retreads. That’s not to say any of them won’t show up in the Orange and Black. I’m just saying there’s still a lot of winter left.

Another Giant who won’t be back is Aubrey Huff. The Giants had the choice of exercising Huff’s $10 million option for 2013, or buying him out at $2 million. They chose the latter, wisely. Thanks for all the memories, Huff Daddy. The Rally Thong will never be forgotten!

Another popular figure from the Giants’ 2010 championship team — closer Brian Wilson — has likely seen his last days in San Francisco. Wilson, who’s coming off his second Tommy John surgery, won’t be able to pitch until mid-2013 at the earliest and GM Brian Sabean is probably not going to offer him a contract by Nov. 30, according to Crasnick. That means the Beard may be feared elsewhere.

Minor league comings and goings

Giants infielder Emmanuel Burriss was outrighted to Triple-A Fresno this week and outfielder Justin Christian became a minor league free agent.

The Giants tried to outright reliever Clay Hensley, but the 33-year old righty declined the assignment and decided to become a free agent instead.

Loosening the Belt?

What do you think of the Giants trading first baseman Brandon Belt? According to Heyman (CBS Sports), “lots” of teams have called Sabean asking about the youngster. The Giants own the rights to Belt for at least the next four years.

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Matt Cain

After last night’s convincing 2-0 shutout by Ryan Vogelsong, the Tigers are in a similar situation that the Giants found themselves in during the NLDS and NLCS — backs against the wall, on the brink of elimination.

History is not on Detroit’s side in this one, as none of the other 23 teams in this predicament have ever rallied back to win the World Series after falling behind 3-0.

Will the Tigers claw their way back? Or will they falter like 20 of the 23 previous victims who lost in a sweep?

Detroit will put their faith in Max Scherzer tonight to keep their title hopes alive.

Scherzer (16-7, 3.74 ERA, 1.274 WHIP) came to the Tigers in 2009 as part of a three-team swap between the Tigers, Yankees and Diamondbacks that included Curtis Granderson, Edwin Jackson, Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy, and Austin Jackson.

Don’t be surprised if FOX sportscasters Tim McCarver and Joe Buck bring up a peculiar storyline about Scherzer tonight. Scherzer was born with a condition called heterochromia iridum, which basically means that one of his eyes is a different color than the other. His right eye is blue and his left eye is brown.

No matter how freaky his eyes may be, the 28-year old right-hander is much more of a freak on the mound, having led the American League with 11.078 strikeouts per nine innings in 2012.

Scherzer is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA so far in his two postseason starts this fall.

He has struggled against the Giants, though, going 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA in four career outings against them.

Scherzer has faced eight current Giants players before:

Meanwhile, the Giants will try to sweep the series, going with their No. 1 ace.

How perfect would it be for San Francisco to clinch their second World Series title in three years with the man who threw a perfect game earlier this season?

During his career, Cain (16-5, 2.79 ERA, 1.040 WHIP) is 2-0 in elimination games.

While he struggled a bit during his first two postseason starts (1-2, 4.67 ERA), Shotgun looked like his old dominant self in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series last Monday night, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings to capture the pennant in front of 42,000+ maniacal fans at AT&T Park, most of whom — like me — stuck around the yard for hours afterwards, climbing the Willie Mays statue out front, trying to get on TV while Comcast SportsNet did their post-game wrap, razzing the Cardinals buses as they slipped out of sight down 3rd Street, watching chicks flash their humm babies, while cars along King Street honked like crazy.

Cain has the element of surprise in his favor tonight, having faced just four current Tigers over his career:

San Francisco has won a franchise-record six straight postseason games and have outscored their opponents 32-4 during this incredible span. Giants starters are allowing less than half a run per game (0.48 ERA) during the win streak.

So what does it all mean?

Break out the brooms, Giants fans, and start making plans to spend the day at the Civic Center because the only question that remains now is, “Will I see you at the parade?”

My Game 4 prediction: Giants 9, Tigers 2

2012 World Series schedule:
Game 1: Giants 8, Tigers 3 (SF leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Giants 2, Tigers 0 (SF leads series 2-0)
Game 3: Giants 2, Tigers 0 (SF leads series 3-0)
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

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As Game 3 of the 108th World Series gets underway in the Motor City, Giants fans across the nation will be paying homage to Ryan Vogelsong tonight by serving enchiladas at the dinner table.

It’s become a ritual not only for Vogelsong, who eats the cheesy Mexican dish the night before every start he makes, but for many of us Giants fans, too.

I know at my house, we’ll be sucking on Coronas and chowing down on some yummy, roasted green-chile chicken enchiladas. Extra spicy.

And why not? It seems to work for the 35-year old right-hander, who has been hot himself this postseason.

Vogelsong is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.895 WHIP in three postseason starts. He’s 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 0.889 WHIP in his last six outings (32 innings) overall. In his last start, he struck out a career-high nine batters over seven innings to beat the Cardinals, 6-1, in Game 6 of the NLCS.

Tonight in Detroit, he’ll try to help the Gigantes say adios to the Tigrés.

A San Francisco win would put the G-men up three-games-to-none in the best-of-seven World Series (FOX, 5:07 p.m. PT).

Vogelsong has faced the Tigers just once in his career and allowed two runs in 6.2 innings in the Giants’ 6-3 loss to Detroit on July 3, 2011.

Over the years, nine current Tigers have gone up against Vogelsong:

The Tigers will counter with Anibal Sanchez, who was 9-13 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.267 WHIP between the Tigers and Marlins during the regular season. The 28-year old right-hander is 1-1 with a very tidy 1.35 ERA and 0.975 WHIP in his two postseason appearances this year. He’s allowing less than a run per nine innings (0.94 ERA) over his last four starts overall.

Against the Giants, Sanchez has a lifetime mark of 3-1, 1.98, and 0.881 in five starts. Two of those three starts were complete game victories.

Before he and Omar Infante were traded to Detroit by the Marlins in exchange for three minor leaguers and a 2013 draft pick back in July, Sanchez faced the Giants twice this season, winning 3-2 at AT&T Park on May 3 (7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K) and losing 14-7 at Marlins Park on May 24 (5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 ER, 7 K).

Sanchez has faced his share of Giants players during his career:

Right now, San Francisco seems to be clicking on all cylinders.

The Giants have outscored their opponents 30-4 in their last five postseason games, all victories. Pablo Sandoval is one hit shy of tying the Giants’ all-time record for most hits in a single post-season (J.T. Snow owns the record right now, with 22 hits back in 2002). Marco Scutaro is right behind the Panda with 19 postseason hits so far.

Three of the Giants’ last five playoff wins have come by way of shutout. One more Giant goose egg will tie a postseason record. (The 1905 New York Giants, 1998 New York Yankees, and 2010 Giants all tossed four postseason shutouts.)

Over their last five games, Giants starters are 5-0 with a phenomenal 0.55 ERA. They’ve held their opponents to a .195 batting average, striking out 30 and walking just six in this span.

Will Vogelsong push the Tigers to the brink of elimination tonight?

It won’t be easy, that’s for sure.

Detroit was 50-31 at home this season (the second-best regular season home record in baseball) and is 4-0 in the playoffs. They’ve won five straight postseason games (and eight overall) at Comerica Park, averaging 4.5 runs per game at a .305 clip.

Also, the Tigers won’t be facing a lefty starter tonight.

During the regular season, they batted just .253 against southpaws and .275 against righties. Detroit is 29-28 this season against left-handed starters and 66-50 vs. right-handers.

Even if the Tigers win tonight, the odds are still in San Francisco’s favor to win their second World Series title in three years.

That’s because the Giants have won all five of their best-of-seven series after taking a 2-0 lead (including four World Series titles dating back to 1922).

Detroit has been in this same situation four times, and has been bounced every time, including two World Series losses (1907, 1908).

Plus, 79% of all teams that have won the first two games of the Fall Classic (including 14 of the last 15) have gone on to win the whole enchilada.

Mmmmm, enchiladas…

My Game 3 prediction: Giants 4, Tigers 2

2012 World Series schedule:
Game 1: Giants 8, Tigers 3 (SF leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Giants 2, Tigers 0 (SF leads series 2-0)
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

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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

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Just the same, I’m sure Giants skipper Bruce Bochy would prefer his squad just go ahead and win Game One of the  2012 World Series, which begins Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. PT at AT&T Park and can be seen on the FOX network. Tickets can be found here.

Aside from the two home runs (one of them a grand slam) he jacked against Cincy in the Division series, Posey has been mostly quiet as of late. The 25-year old backstop batted just .154 in the LCS against St. Louis. Many have attributed Posey’s slump to the sensational Cardinals’ pitching staff.

I just think Buster’s tired.

Against a team like the Detroit Tigers (88-74), the Giants (94-68) will certainly need Posey’s bat to reappear. But it won’t be easy. At least on Wednesday.

The Tigers boast arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball in ace Justin Verlander (17-8, 2.64, 1.057). The 29-year old right-hander threw a league-high 238.1 innings in 2012, striking out an AL-best 239 of the 956 batters he faced. To say he’s a workhorse is like saying Gilroy’s Garlic Fries taste garlicky. Understatement!

In his eight-year career, Verlander has been to five All-Star games, has won a Cy Young award, an MVP award, and was the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year.

The Giants will counter with LCS hero Barry Zito (15-8, 4.15, 1.389), whose unlikely and well-timed beauty against the Cardinals (who had a 3-1 series lead) on Friday shifted the momentum back to the Giants.

Zito seems to have found his inner peace.

Perhaps he’s no longer worried about living up to the $126 million dollar contract he was given when he came across the bay in 2007. It seems like the 34-year old lefty is finally OK with not having to be the savior for a Giants team that, at the time, was busy making plans to forsake another savior with the same first name.

The big question, though: Can Zeets match his intensity from Game 5 of the NLCS? No pressure, Barry. Really, no pressure.

While Verlander is certainly a force to be reckoned with, the rest of the Tigers staff is pretty average.

Detroit had the fourth-worst team ERA in the American League.

Sure, Max Scherzer won 16 games and finished second in the AL behind Verlander with 231 strikeouts, but most of that came before he began battling shoulder fatigue in mid-September.

Doug Fister didn’t win a game until June 16, and finished with a 10-10 record.

Anibal Sanchez can be downright nasty one night and downright uncontrollable the next.

San Francisco has set its rotation with Madison Bumgarner — not new bullpen king Tim Lincecum — going in Game 2. Ryan Vogelsong will start Game 3 and Matt Cain (2-0 lifetime in elimination games) gets Game 4. Interestingly, if the World Series goes seven games, Vogey will be the man on the mound for the Giants. What a story that would make!

Where Detroit is most dangerous, of course, is at the plate. The Tigers had the third-highest batting average in the league (.268) and have not one, but two premier sluggers in Miguel Cabrera (.330/.393/.606, 44 HR, 139 RBI) and Prince Fielder (.313/.412/.528, 30 HR, 108 RBI).

However, they’re not a threat on the base paths, finishing with just 59 stolen bases in 2012, one more than Baltimore, which finished with a league-worst 58 steals.

Detroit is a team that relies on getting men on base and using the long ball to get ‘em home.

The Giants, by comparison, also finished third in their league with a .269 batting average (and that’s without the DH). Unlike the Tigers, however, the Giants rely more on their speed, as evidenced by their 118 stolen bases (fourth highest in the NL) and league-best 57 triples. San Francisco was last in the NL with 103 home runs. Small ball at its best.

By now, you’ve probably heard the national pundits. They’re all predicting a Tigers championship.

Seriously? What are they smoking? And more importantly, can they give some of that to Timmy? (Sorry, I digress.)

This series won’t be won on the backs of the starters anyway.

Mark my words. The 2012 World Series will come down to this: managing.

Bochy schooled Dusty Baker in the NLDS and then put an old-fashioned ass-wuppin’ on rookie skipper Mike Matheny in the LCS.

Now, Boch faces some real competition.

Jim Leyland, like Bochy, a catcher by trade, is about as smart as they come. He’s won three Manager of the Year awards (1990, ’92, 2006) and has finished second in voting three other times. He has five division titles under his belt and 1,676 career wins (21 seasons).

In 1997, his Florida Marlins swept the Giants in the NLDS before moving on to a Moises Alou and Edgar Renteria-led World Series title against the Cleveland Indians.

Leyland’s Tigers also won the AL pennant in 2006, but ended up losing to the Cardinals in five games.

Like Leyland, Bochy also has one World Series title (2010) and three pennants (1998, 2010, ’12).

Bochy owns six division titles and was named Manager of the Year in 1996 (San Diego Padres). He has 1,454 career wins in 18 seasons.

I already think Bochy is the best manager in San Francisco Giants history. Another World Series win make him a lock for the Hall of Fame.

On that happy note, I’ll take Bochy and the Giants in seven.

My Game 1 prediction: Tigers 4, Giants 0

Tale of the tape (2012 regular season stats):

HITTING
Batting average — Giants .269, Tigers .268
Runs — Tigers 726, Giants 718
Hits — Giants 1,495, Tigers 1,467
Doubles – Giants 287, Tigers 279
Triples — Giants 57, Tigers 39
Home runs — Tigers 163, Giants 103
LOB — Tigers 1,121, Giants 1,171
On-base percentage — Tigers .335, Giants .327
Slugging percentage — Tigers .422, Giants .397
OPS — Tigers .757, Giants .724
Stolen bases — Giants 118, Tigers 59
Bases on balls — Tigers 511, Giants 483
Strikeouts — Giants 1,097, Tigers 1,103
GIDP — Giants 114, Tigers 156

PITCHING
ERA — Giants 3.68, Tigers 3.75
Wins — Giants 94, Tigers 88
Saves — Giants 53, Tigers 40
Complete games — Tigers 9, Giants 5
Shutouts — Giants 14, Tigers 8
Quality starts — Giants 93, Tigers 90
Bases on balls — Tigers 438, Giants 489
Strikeouts — Tigers 1,318, Giants 1,237
WHIP — Giants 1.27, Tigers 1.29
Home runs allowed — Giants 142, Tigers 151
Hit batsmen — Tigers 42, Giants 51
Balks — Giants 4, Tigers 6
Wild pitches — Tigers 46, Giants 54
Opponents OBP — Giants .313, Tigers .314
Men on base per 9 — Giants 11.8, Tigers 11.9

FIELDING
Errors — Tigers 99, Giants 115
Fielding percentage — Tigers .983, Giants .981
Double plays — Giants 134, Tigers 127
Pickoffs — Giants 14, Tigers 14
Assists — Giants 1,639, Tigers 1,481

2012 World Series schedule:
Game 1, Wed., Oct. 24: DET (Verlander, 17-8, 2.64) at SF (Zito, 15-8, 4.15), 5:07 p.m.
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

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Currently, San Francisco Giants World Series tickets are averaging $1,094 per seat, 42% more expensive than the $773 average for tickets in Detroit. This is mostly due to games 6 and 7 which are averaging a hefty $1,397 each, 67% higher than the $839 average for games 1 and 2.

Prices are actually less expensive than they were two years ago when the Giants beat the Rangers in the 2010 fall classic. Ticket prices for games in San Francisco in 2010 averaged $1,375 per seat, 25% more expensive than this year’s games.

On the the more affordable end, the average get-in price for games in San Francisco is $436, and as low as $316 for Game 1 tickets, which is the lowest get-in price of the series.

Also, contrary to what many would have expected, after punching their World Series ticket yesterday, prices did not start to go up. In fact, over the last week, Game 1 tickets are down 50%, Game 2 tickets are down 40%, and prices for games 6 and 7 are down 20% and 12%, respectively.

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11-0. That’s the combined record of both teams in elimination games dating back to 2010. St. Louis (2011 World Series champs) is 6-0 and San Francisco (2010 World Series champs) is 5-0 in do-or-die contests.

Matt Cain, who is a career 1-0 in elimination games, takes the hill tonight for the Giants, while Kyle Lohse (1-1 in elimination games) starts for the Redbirds.

Cain faced Lohse in Game 3 last Wednesday at Busch Stadium.

Lohse beat the Giants 3-1 in that game, allowing just one run over 5.2 innings. However, he gave up five hits and walked seven batters, as San Francisco went 0-for-7 and stranded 11 runners.

Cain looked better, minus the two-run jack he coughed up to Matt Carpenter in the second inning. He allowed just six hits and one walk on the night.

The key for tonight lies in Cain’s ability to do exactly what Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong did with their backs against the wall in Games 4 and 5: strike quickly and without hesitation!

This game truly has the makings of an action-packed fight to the death.

According to one vampire aficionado website I read, “vampires are great offensive players who can always score, but are pretty crappy defenders.” (Interestingly, both teams have committed four errors in this series). “Vampires’ speed and strength give them a big advantage, but the truth is, vampires are much too accustomed to overpowering their opponent with their offensive capabilities. So much so, that very few have spent much time learning to defend themselves.”

Translation: In tonight’s sudden death match, it’s conceivable that the Giants need only to score once.

Cain’s job, then, will be to pierce a sharp wooden stake in the Cardinals’ heart and send them back to St. Louis in a wooden box.

The blood bath begins at 5:05 p.m. and the game can be seen on FOX. A few tickets can still be had at TiqIQ.

My Game 7 Prediction: Giants 3, Cardinals 2

Game 1: Cardinals 6, Giants 4 (STL leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Giants 7, Cardinals 1 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Cardinals 3, Giants 1 (STL leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Cardinals 7, Giants 1 (STL leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Giants 5, Cardinals 0 (STL leads series 3-2)
Game 6:  Giants 6, Cardinals 1 (Series tied 2-2)
Game 7: Cardinals @ Giants: Mon., Oct. 22, 5:00 p.m.

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The Giants took Game 5 Thursday night in St. Louis, 5-0, behind a brilliant and gutsy performance by Barry Zito.

Sunday, the NL West champs will rely on Ryan Vogelsong to force a deciding Game 7. First pitch is at 4:37 p.m. (FOX) and tickets can still be found at TiqIQ.

San Francisco has been on the brink of elimination four times this postseason — and has staved it off every time. They were down two-games-to-none against the Reds in the NLDS and went on to win the final three contests. Then they found themselves down 3-games-to-1 against the Cardinals before Zito’s gem on Thursday.

If the G-men hope to win the whole (#rally) enchilada, they’ll need to secure the final two games of the series on the shores of McCovey Cove.

Easier said than done. Forty-two thousand crazed fans notwithstanding, AT&T Park hasn’t necessarily been home sweet home field advantage for the Giants this postseason.

An Alaskan cold front and evening showers are supposed to move into the Bay Area Sunday and that could complicate things even more. When the air is cool and moist at Third & King, the ball just doesn’t fly. That’s great for pitchers and all, but Giants hitters may have their work cut out for them. In 81 games away from AT&T Park his season, San Francisco scored 410 runs (5.1 runs per game). Yet, in their 81 games at home, they mustered just 308 runs (3.8 runs per game). The key for Sunday? Clutch hitting with runners in scoring position. The Giants cannot afford to strand 11 runners like they did in Game 3.

Offensive challenges aside, I like the Giants’ chances with Vogelsong on the hill. He has been solid against the Cards since his resurgence in 2011, shutting them out over seven innings in his last regular season start against them — a 15-0 blowout on August 8 — and allowing just one run in five innings in a no-decision on May 31, 2011.

In Game 2 of the NLCS last Monday, Vogey was amazing, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks in seven Vogel-strong innings.

Meanwhile, Chris Carpenter returns to the scene of the crime Sunday.

The Giants pounded him for five runs in four innings on their way to a 7-1 win on Monday. (You might remember that was the game Matt Holliday bowled into Marco Scutaro at second base.)

Prior to that, Carpenter was 4-1 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.321 WHIP in eight lifetime outings (53 IP) against the Giants and had won both of his two starts at AT&T Park (2004, 2009).

Just because the Giants have had some success against Carpenter in the past and hit him hard last week, don’t think for a minute that this game is in the bag. That’s because Carpenter knows a thing or two about clinchers. A year ago, the 37-year-old right-hander won the clinching game of the NLDS against the Phillies (a 3-hit, 1-0 nail biter) and then Game 7 of the World Series against the Rangers, 6-2.

Keep a bottle of Tums nearby, Giants fans.

One thing’s for sure. If the Giants do somehow beat the odds and pull off two more wins, I really like their chances against a Detroit Tigers team that has been sitting idle for the past few days after swiftly sweeping the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Remember what happened to the 2007 Colorado Rockies? They cruised through the NLDS (sweeping the Phillies) and NLCS (sweeping the Diamondbacks) and then had to wait eight long days to play the Boston Red Sox in the Fall Classic. Boston ended up sweeping the Rockies, who had clearly lost their rhythm after the long wait.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Giants need to win Sunday and worry about tomorrow later.

My Game 6 Prediction: Giants 4, Cardinals 2

Game 1: Cardinals 6, Giants 4 (STL leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Giants 7, Cardinals 1 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Cardinals 3, Giants 1 (STL leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Cardinals 7, Giants 1 (STL leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Giants 5, Cardinals 0 (STL leads series 3-2)
Game 6: Cardinals @ Giants: Sun., Oct. 21, 1:30 p.m.
*Game 7: Cardinals @ Giants: Mon., Oct. 22, 5:00 p.m.
*If necessary

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After an 8-3 drubbing at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals last night put them in a 3-1, best-of-seven hole, the G-men must now rely on a pitcher who for most of his six seasons in San Francisco has been the target of jokes and ire.

Zito, whose licks on his guitar are quicker than his best fastball, will take the mound in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series tonight in St. Louis.

FOX will broadcast the game, with the first pitch coming shortly after 5:00 p.m. A few tickets are available at TiqIQ.

Zito, who still has a year left on his 7-year, $126 million contract, has had a very good season (relatively speaking), going 15-8 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.389 WHIP. But most Giants fans still shudder at the sound of his name.

The 34-year old southpaw is a mediocre 4-3 in postseason play during his 13-year career with a 3.45 ERA and 1.255 WHIP. In his only playoff appearance this year, Zeets allowed two runs on four hits and four walks in just 2.2 innings in the Giants’ 8-3 NLDS Game 4 win over the Reds.

In nine career outings against the Cardinals, Zito is 2-6 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.732 WHIP, most recently beating the Redbirds 4-2 back on August 7.

St. Louis will counter with Lance Lynn tonight.

Lynn, who went 18-7 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.318 WHIP this season, lasted just 3.2 innings against the Giants in Game 1 of this series, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks. So he’s definitely hittable.

In his only regular season start against the G-men on Aug. 7, Lance was tagged for four runs on eight hits and three walks in six innings in a 4-2 loss. The 25-year old right-hander is 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA in two regular season starts against San Francisco.

Given Zito’s vulnerability, I’m sure he’ll be on an extremely short leash tonight. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Madison Bumgarner or even Matt Cain dispatched if Zito gets in trouble early.

The key for the Giants tonight as they teeter on the brink of elimination? It’s simple. They need to hit the damn ball. Zito hasn’t tossed a shutout in a seven-plus inning outing since July and it’s pretty much a given that San Francisco will need to score some runs, lots of ‘em. And with Lynn on the hill for St. Louis, this game just might have the makings of a real slug-fest.

My Game 5 Prediction: Giants 10, Cardinals 4

Game 1: Cardinals 6, Giants 4 (STL leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Giants 7, Cardinals 1 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Cardinals 3, Giants 1 (STL leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Cardinals 7, Giants 1 (STL leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Giants @ Cardinals: Fri., Oct. 19, 5:00 p.m.
*Game 6: Cardinals @ Giants: Sun., Oct. 21, 1:30 p.m.
*Game 7: Cardinals @ Giants: Mon., Oct. 22, 5:00 p.m.
*If necessary

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