Blue Jays face critical test with manager options

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has a big decision on his hands.

After failing to hit on John Farrell, Anthopoulos won't get another free pass should his next managerial hire result in another miserable ending.

The Farrell hire came with a lot of positive reviews, yet two years later he skipped town, headed to Boston along with a mediocre 154-170 record in two seasons as Toronto's skipper.

Who should be the Blue Jays' next manager?

During the news conference where he was introduced as the Red Sox' new manager, Farrell revealed that he expressed a desire for the Boston job to Jays president Paul Beeston after Terry Francona was fired in 2011.

Translation: Farrell was managing the Blue Jays with an eye on his "dream job" from the first day he took over in Toronto.

Anthopoulos must now find a manager who can lead the Blue Jays out of the doldrums and into the post-season, and someone who wants to remain in Toronto for the long haul.

There is no shortage of candidates for Anthopolous to choose from. The challenge is picking the right man.

Lead candidates

Sandy Alomar Jr.

The brother of Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar interviewed for the Jays' post in 2010 but the job ultimately went to Farrell. Alomar Jr. carved out an impressive 20-year catching career, so handling a pitching staff is right up his alley. He began his coaching career as a catching instructor in 2008 with the Mets before moving to Cleveland in 2010 to take over the first-base coaching duties. This past season Alomar was the Indians' bench coach and briefly managed the team in late September after Manny Acta was fired. According to Roberto, Sandy is the kind of person that will "put his heart and soul into his team, someone who wants to be here." After two years of Farrell-to-Boston talk, someone who is fully committed to Toronto would be a welcome change.

Tim Wallach

The former Montreal Expos third baseman has been ascending up the coaching ranks since joining the L.A. Dodgers in 2004. Wallach managed the Dodgers' triple-A club in Albuquerque in 2009 and was promoted to third-base coach with L.A. the following year. Anthopoulos thought enough of Wallach's credentials to ask the Dodgers for permission to interview the 55-year-old for the Jays' managerial vacancy in 2010, a request which was denied.

DeMarlo Hale

The former major leaguer has apprenticed for some impressive organizations in the last 20 years, but experienced his biggest success under then-Boston manager Terry Francona. As the third base coach, Hale was part of a Boston staff that won the World Series in 2007. He spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as Francona's bench coach before returning to coaching third base this past season in Baltimore, which made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Hale, who interviewed for the Red Sox position prior to Farrell's hiring last week, has a reputation for connecting with players.

Don Wakamatsu

The 49-year-old was hired to manage the Seattle Mariners in 2009, although he was fired the following year while the team was in the midst of one of the franchise's worst seasons. Wakamatsu has been the Blue Jays' bench coach since 2011 and has made no secret of his desire to be the team's new manager. One aspect to his time in Seattle that may hurt Wakamatsu was the public way he lost the clubhouse during the Mariners' miserable 2010 season that saw them lose 101 games.

Other possibilities

Jim Tracy

The 56-year-old skipper surprised the Colorado Rockies when he resigned on Oct. 7 with a year remaining on his contract. After stops with the Dodgers and Pirates, Tracy found early success with the Rockies in 2009 — his first year as manager — leading Colorado to the post-season and earning the NL's manager of the year award.

Manny Acta

Acta, who was the Montreal Expos' third-base coach before the franchise relocated to Washington, joined the Nationals as their manager in 2006 and oversaw the development of some of their current stars. After being fired in 2009, Acta quickly joined the Cleveland Indians for the same post. The Indians got off to fast starts in the last two seasons but a second straight fade cost Acta his job with six games remaining on Sept. 27. Both Acta and Tracy have managed Jays outfielder Jose Bautista earlier in the slugger's career.

Brad Ausmus

A three-time Gold Glove-winning catcher, the San Diego Padres special assistant is in high demand. Ausmus has reportedly turned down an interview request with Florida and withdrew his name from consideration for the Houston job. A Cheshire, Conn., native, Ausmus lost in his attempt to land his most coveted position with the Boston Red Sox. Veteran Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte has been singing Ausmus's praises as a managerial candidate, saying his former Houston Astros teammate would "do a great job."

Matt Williams

Williams, a four-time Gold Glove winner at third base during a 17-year major league career, has already interviewed for the Colorado Rockies managerial opening. He has been the Arizona Diamondbacks' third base coach the past two seasons after serving as the first base coach in 2010. In describing his managerial style, Williams said he is aggressive in all aspects of the game.

With files from Doug Harrison

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Giants' World Series parade billed as family event on Halloween

Orange-and-black clad hordes began flooding the streets of San Francisco Wednesday for a Halloween Day ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2012 World Series champion Giants.

Television news footage early in the morning showed people sitting and standing in Giants gear behind barriers set up along the parade route on Market Street in downtown, hoping to stake out a prime spot hours before the parade's 11 a.m. PT start.

Fans were also gathered at City Hall, where the team will address the crowd after the parade.

With the victory parade coinciding with the spooky holiday, costumed masses are expected to bring an even more festive feel to what city officials stressed will be a family friendly, alcohol-free event.

"This was such a team effort to win the World Series, so we decided we'd get our city team together to make sure we have a great celebration," Mayor Ed Lee said Tuesday as he stood with police, fire, transportation and other officials at City Hall.

After the Giants won the Series in 2010, hundreds of thousands of revelers — from school-age children to longtime fans who had waited decades for a championship — crammed into downtown to cheer on their heroes.

This year's parade route is different than it was in 2010, when a vehicle carrying the "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays led players and coaches in open-air buses designed to look like cable cars down the same route that Mays's Giants took in 1958 after relocating from New York.

That route started at Montgomery Street in the Financial District and turned onto Market Street. The 2012 edition will begin at the foot of Market near San Francisco Bay and cover about 2.4 kilometres to City Hall.

Each player will have an open-top vehicle, so fans will get a view from all sides.

Rowdy celebration

San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr said the parade will last about two hours. He warned people not to even try to drive into the area during the day.

'This is a family celebration, whether it's the San Francisco family with our champion Giants or bringing the little ones in costume, come have a great time.'— San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr on Wednesday's World Series parade

The city spent Monday cleaning up after a rowdy celebration Sunday night turned violent in some neighborhoods and police arrested three dozen people. Bonfires of trash were lit in several intersections, and a $700,000 US public transit bus was torched.

The World Series victory parade in 2010 occurred with little incident, and officials said they expect a peaceful encore Wednesday.

"The entire day, 24 hours into the nighttime, no alcohol [on the street]," Suhr said. "This is a family celebration, whether it's the San Francisco family with our champion Giants or bringing the little ones in costume, come have a great time."

Given the anticipated flood of people, officials are increasing public transportation during the parade.

Mayor Lee said the city will provide more trains than it did in 2010.

San Francisco's subway will continue to run through all stations along the parade route; Bay Area Rapid Transit commuter trains will run at rush hour levels all day; and ferries will be running special service throughout the festivities.

Officials also said knockoff merchandise will be confiscated.

"We're working with Major League Baseball to make sure all products being sold outside are … authorized products, and arrests will be made," Suhr said.

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Tigers retain manager Leyland after World Series loss

The Detroit Tigers are bringing back manager Jim Leyland.

The team announced Tuesday that Leyland has a contract for next season, and his coaching staff also has been invited to return.

This will be Leyland's 22nd season as a major league manager and his eighth in Detroit. He led the Tigers to the World Series for the second time during his time with the club. Detroit was swept by San Francisco on Sunday.

The 67-year-old Leyland leads all active managers with 1,676 wins, a total that puts him 15th on the career list.

Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski says Leyland has done a fantastic job and the organization is thrilled to have him back. Leyland says he couldn't dream of a better place to be a manager.

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Blue Jays have Matt Williams on radar in managerial search

General manager Alex Anthopoulos's anticipated "short list" of candidates to become the Toronto Blue Jays' 13th field manager appears to be growing.

Arizona on Monday reportedly gave the Blue Jays permission to interview the Diamondbacks third base coach, current manager in the Arizona Fall League and former major leaguer.

Anthopoulos is also believed to have received permission to speak to Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach, while former Cleveland interim manager Sandy Alomar Jr., Baltimore third base coach DeMarlo Hale and Blue Jays coaches Don Wakamatsu and Brian Butterfield are also considered to be in the running.

Williams, a four-time Gold Glove winner at third base during a 17-year major league career, has already interviewed for the Colorado Rockies managerial opening.

"[Managing] is what I want to do," the 46-year-old Williams told FOX Sports Arizona on Monday. "Who knows if it will ever happen, but … you want to be prepared if it does happen."

Williams has been the Diamondbacks' third base coach the past two seasons after serving as the first base coach in 2010.

Previously, he worked with the team's broadcast crew from 2005-09, serving as a colour analyst on select broadcasts.

Most of Williams's 17 years as a major league player were spent with San Francisco. He also had stints in Cleveland and Arizona, where he won a World Series in 2001.

The five-time all-star finished his career in 2003 with 378 home runs.

When asked of his managerial style, Williams said he is aggressive in all aspects of the game.

"Pitching, aggressive within the strike zone, aggressive with fastball command," he said. "On defence, running bunt plays or turning the double play. You need to be aggressive on the field. I think that's important."

The Blue Jays released manager John Farrell from his contract earlier this month after two seasons and subsequently worked out a trade to allow him to join the Boston Red Sox in the same role.

Farrell also believed in an aggressive style of play. He helped instill a more aggressive approach on the basepaths in Toronto, but inconsistent pitching, injuries and repeated mistakes running the bases were constant issues.

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Giants sweep Tigers to win another World Series

Finally pressed in the World Series, the San Francisco Giants finished off a most unexpected and stunning sweep.

Marco Scutaro delivered one more key hit this October, hitting a go-ahead single with two outs in the 10th inning that lifted the Giants over the Tigers 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night in Deetroit.

Nearly eliminated over and over earlier in the playoffs, the Giants sealed their second title in three seasons when Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera looked at strike three right down the middle for the final out.

On a night of biting cold, stiff breezes and some rain, the Giants combined the most important elements of championship baseball — great pitching, timely hitting and sharp defence.

Series MVP Pablo Sandoval and the underdog Giants celebrated in the centre of the diamond at Comerica Park after winning six elimination games this post-season.

"Tonight was a battle," said Giants star Buster Posey, who homered. "And I think tonight was a fitting way for us to end it because those guys played hard. They didn't stop, and it's an unbelievable feeling."

Cabrera delivered the first big hit for Detroit, interrupting San Francisco's run of dominant pitching with a two-run homer that blew over the right-field wall in the third.

Posey put the Giants ahead 3-2 with a two-run homer in the sixth and Delmon Young hit a tying home run in the bottom half.

It then became a matchup of bullpens, and the Giants prevailed.

Ryan Theriot led off the 10th with a single against Phil Coke, moved up on Brandon Crawford's sacrifice and scored on Scutaro's shallow single. Center fielder Austin Jackson made a throw home, to no avail.

Sergio Romo struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th for his third save of the Series.

The Giants finished the month with seven straight wins and their seventh Series championship. They handed the Tigers their seventh straight World Series loss dating to 2006.

NL has won 3 in a row

"Obviously, there was no doubt about it. They swept us," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "So there was certainly no bad breaks, no fluke.

"Simple, they did better than we did."

An NL team won the title for the third straight season, a run that hadn't occurred in 30 years. Some find the streak surprising, considering the AL's recent dominance in interleague play. Yet as every fan knows, the club that pitches best in the post-season usually prevails.

Until the end, the Tigers thought one big hit could shift the momentum. It was an all-too-familiar October lament — Texas felt the same way when the Giants throttled them in 2010, and Tigers knew the feeling when St. Louis wiped them out in 2006.

Howling winds made it feel much colder than the 7 degrees Celsius at gametime. Two wrappers blew across home plate after leadoff man Angel Pagan struck out, and fly balls played tricks in the breeze.

The Giants started with their pregame ritual. They clustered around Hunter Pence in the dugout, quickly turning into a bobbing, whooping, pulsing pack, showering themselves with sunflower seeds. A big league good-luck charm, Little League style.

And once again, San Francisco took an early lead. Pence hit a one-hop drive over the centre-field fence for a double and Brandon Belt tripled on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead in the second.

The next inning, Cabrera gave the Tigers a reason to think this might be their night.

With two outs and a runner on first, Cabrera lofted an opposite-field fly to right — off the bat, it looked like a routine out shy of the warning track. But with winds gusting over 25 mph, the ball kept carrying, Pence kept drifting toward the wall and the crowd kept getting louder.

Just like that, it was gone.

Cabrera's homer gave Detroit its first lead of the Series, ended its 20-inning scoreless streak and reaffirmed a pregame observation by Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline.

"The wind usually blows to right at this time of year," Kaline said.

In the fourth, Max Scherzer and catcher Gerald Laird teamed on a strike 'em out-throw 'em out double play. Scherzer yelled, first baseman Prince Fielder clenched his fist and the Tigers ran off the field on a chilly, windy, rainy evening. At last, it seemed, all the elements were in their favour.

Trailing for the first time since Game 4 of the NL championship series, Posey and the Giants put a dent in Detroit's optimism. Scutaro, the NLCS MVP, led off the sixth with a single and clapped all the way around the bases when Posey sent a shot that sailed just inside the left-field foul pole for a 3-2 lead.

Posey, the only Giants player on the field from the starting lineup in the Game 5 clincher in 2010, almost tripped nearing first base and he watched the ball and began his trot.

Detroit wasn't about to go quietly, however. Young, the ALCS MVP, made it 3-all with another opposite-field homer to right, this one a no-doubt drive.

Fielder finished 1 for 14 (.111) for the Series.

All 24 teams to take a 3-0 lead in the World Series have won it all. In fact, none of those matchups even reached a Game 6. This was the first sweep for an NL team since Cincinnati in 1990.

Working on nine days' rest and trying to extend the Tigers' season, Scherzer kept them close into the seventh. Often recognized for his eyes — one is light blue, the other is brown — he's also known as a solid post-season pitcher.

Ditto-plus for Matt Cain, who was working on a nearly perfect year.

The Giants' ace threw a perfect game in June, was the winning pitcher in the All-Star game in July, beat Cincinnati to clinch the division series and topped St. Louis in Game 7 of the NL championship series.

After they left, the relievers decided it.

Octavio Dotel shouted, "Yeah! Let's go!" toward his dugout after striking out Posey to end the eighth. In the bottom half, winning pitcher Jeremy Affeldt got around a leadoff walk when he struck out Cabrera, a flinching Fielder and Young.

Coke returned the favour in the top of the ninth, fanning the side. With Jose Valverde having lost his closer role during a shaky month, Coke stayed in for the 10th and faltered.

The Giants became the first champion that hit the fewest home runs in the majors since St. Louis in 1982. Sandoval's three drives in Game 1 started San Francisco's romp, and its dominant pitching took over from there.

The parade to a sweep masked the problems San Francisco overcame to get this far.

Faced elimination 6 times

Closer Brian Wilson pitched only two innings before an elbow injury ended his year. All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera was suspended 50 games for a positive testosterone test, and not welcomed back when the ban ended. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum struggled and wound up in the bullpen.

Swept in a three-game set at Arizona to start the season, the Giants were floundering under .500 in mid-May. They soon hit their stride and, boosted by trade deadline deals for Scutaro and Pence, passed the Dodgers in the NL West for good in late August and posted 98 wins.

Getting past Cincinnati and St. Louis in the playoffs presented challenges. Down 2-0 in the best-of-five division series, they rallied for three straight victories in Cincinnati. Trailing the defending champion Cardinals 3-1 in the NLCS, they again took three in a row to advance, clinching in a driving rainstorm.

Six elimination games, six wins. Facing the Tigers, San Francisco proved it could play with a lead, too.

The Giants became the first NL team since the Big Red Machine in the mid-1970s to win two titles in a three-year span. Shut out for 56 years — Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds never won it all — their self-described "misfits" captured that elusive crown in 2010.

While many of the pitchers have remained, the lineup has seen quite a turnover. Posey, the NL batting champion, was the only position player to start Sunday night who also started the Game 5 clincher in 2010 at Texas.

The Tigers' flop finished off a season in which Cabrera became baseball's first Triple Crown winner since 1967. Detroit overtook the White Sox in the final week to win the AL Central and wound up at 88-74, the AL's seventh-best record.

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World Series revellers get rowdy in San Francisco

Thousands of baseball fans took to the streets of San Francisco to celebrate the Giants' World Series victory, with revellers gathering on corners, in parks and at watering holes — and some turning rowdy.

Fans across the city left their televisions and rushed outside, greeting diners, bar patrons and other merrymakers Sunday night after the Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-3 to sweep the Series for their second title in three years.

Some violence and vandalism was reported, with revellers setting a public transit bus on fire, flipping over a vehicle and breaking the windows of several businesses and vehicles, KTVU-TV reported.

Fans also lit bonfires, fuelling them with couches, signs and newspaper racks. Firefighters had to be escorted in by riot police to fight some of the fires.

Police made arrests, although the exact number was unknown. A call to a police spokesman by The Associated Press on Monday morning wasn't immediately returned.

At Polk and Bush streets in the city's Polk Gulch neighbourhood, hundreds of fans sprayed champagne, set of off firecrackers and blocked traffic for at least two hours after the game.

Several blocks away, police clad in riot gear looked on as revellers danced around Civic Center plaza, where they watched the game on the Jumbotron.

The thousands of fans assembled there exploded in a roar with the final out.

Anthony Yos, 10, hugged his brother Luciano Yos, 15 and the two danced in an embrace with their parents.

"This is the greatest thing," Anthony said with a smile that could go no wider. "The Giants are my favourite team."

Someone in the crowd launched fireworks a few minutes after the game and the park was awash with fans, strangers hugging strangers and wine bottles and marijuana cigarettes being freely passed through the crowd, despite a heavy police presence.

"This is San Francisco, "said Laura Chu. "We know how to party."

Sara Vivas brought her 6-year-old daughter Briana Cepeda from Oakland to view the game and join the celebration. They were both clad head-to-toe in Giants garb.

"This is something she will remember forever," Sara said.

Bars of all stripes, from the Castro to Chinatown were packed with supporters of the beloved Giants.

So-called pedicabs whisked fans down roads blocked to traffic and revellers enjoyed a New Year's Eve-like freedom to roam up and down streets usually clogged with traffic.

Mayor Edwin Lee announced the ticker-tape parade would be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. local time down Market Street to Civic Center Plaza.

"The rain in Detroit couldn't dampen the drive, talent and determination of the San Francisco Giants team tonight. Once again, the Giants brought our City together as we all cheered on our hometown heroes to another remarkable World Series victory," he said.

The 2010 parade drew hundreds of thousands fans, who lined the streets of downtown San Francisco. The parade ends at City Hall.

The party started early in Civic Center park, with many showing up hours before the game on a nice Indian Summer day in San Francisco.

The city's ubiquitous food trucks did a brisk business and drummers of all types beat their instruments throughout the game.

"Where else in the world do you want to be tonight," replied Dave Wormald of Toronto.

Wormald and two other colleagues were in town for a business meeting and were watching the game at their hotel when they decided to embark for City Hall.

"This is the place to be," said Jim Vliet, Wormald's colleague.

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Matt Cain gets call as Giants go for World Series sweep

A string of outstanding pitching performances has pushed the San Francisco Giants to the brink of their second World Series title in three years. They'll turn to one of the franchise's best post-season starters to complete that championship run with a sweep.

Matt Cain will try to close out yet another series while adding to his playoff legacy in Sunday night's Game 4 against the Detroit Tigers (8:07 p.m. ET).

Since facing elimination in the NL championship series, the Giants have been nearly untouchable during a franchise-best six consecutive post-season victories. The team's pitchers have allowed four runs over 54 innings (0.67 ERA) and their starters have given up two over 38 2-3 frames (0.47).

Even with the World Series shifting to Detroit's Comerica Park, San Francisco recorded a second straight 2-0 victory Saturday. Ryan Vogelsong, former NL Cy Young winner turned reliever Tim Lincecum and Sergio Romo combined to blank the Tigers on five hits while Gregor Blanco and Brandon Crawford drove in runs during the second inning.

The consecutive shutouts were the first in the World Series since Baltimore recorded three in a row to close out the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1966.

"It's a good situation, but there's nothing been done yet," manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's a number, just like I said about two. Now it's three. But that's not the series. So you have to keep going about your business as usual, and come out tomorrow ready to go."

Having rallied in each of its two previous series, San Francisco will now try to extinguish the Tigers' hopes of a comeback with help from Cain, who has one of the best ERAs among Giants pitchers with at least 40 post-season innings. The right-hander's 1.83 mark in seven playoff starts ranks only behind Hall of Famers Christy Mathewson (1.06) and Carl Hubbell (1.79).

Cain was virtually flawless during his team's 2010 championship march with one unearned run allowed in 21 1-3 innings. He had given up three runs in each of his first three starts of these playoffs, going 1-2 with a 4.67 ERA, before pitching 5 2-3 scoreless innings in Game 7 of the NLCS.

"I think your great players, for the most part, are those types of [clutch] players," Bochy said. "They seem to play better when the club needs them. The higher the stakes, the more they do to elevate their game.

"And I certainly would put Matt Cain in that class."

Clutch performance

Cain will try to deliver another clutch performance in his first start against Detroit and his third postseason outing on the road. He had a significantly higher ERA away from home (3.56) during the regular season than at AT&T Park (2.03), and is 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA in his two road starts this postseason.

The Tigers' slumping lineup, batting .165 with three runs scored over the past three games, will try to take advantage of what little edge they can get.

"You don't really have to tell them anything. They can count," manager Jim Leyland said. "They're big guys, they know what the situation is."

Max Scherzer, meanwhile, will try to add to a superb postseason and help Detroit stave off elimination while snapping a six-game World Series losing streak.

"I absolutely relish it. I mean, this is the start of a lifetime to be able to pitch in the World Series," he said. "You know, every game you pitch in the World Series is a must‑win game, so what better opportunity than the one I have."

The right-hander has yielded two runs, five hits and three walks in two starts while striking out 18. He fanned 10 over 5 2-3 innings on Oct. 18 as the Tigers completed their ALCS sweep of the New York Yankees with an 8-1 win.

Scherzer is 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA in four career matchups with the Giants, the most recent a 15-3 drubbing on July 2, 2011, in Detroit. He gave up nine runs — six earned — over two-plus innings in that game.

NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro is 4 for 9 all-time against Scherzer, and Blanco is 3 for 5. AL triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera, hitting .267 with one home run and six RBIs in this postseason, has one homer in six at-bats versus Cain while fellow former NL players Prince Fielder and Omar Infante are each 5 for 18.

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Giants manager Bochy ponders whom to DH in Game 3

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy has been contemplating who to use as his designated hitter when the World Series shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Saturday (8 p.m. ET).

A pitcher has not been among them. Maybe one should.

Entering Game 2 on Thursday night, San Francisco was the first team to have a pitcher with an RBI in four consecutive games in the same post-season.

'Pitchers can just help themselves in different ways ... find a way to get a bunt down or even drive in a run. I mean, they're part of the offence, too.'— Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who may use a pitcher at DH for Game 3

Barry Zito, who batted .075 with only two runs batted in all season, has a pair during the current streak, including an opposite-field RBI single to left off Justin Verlander in the fourth inning of Game 1.

That streak ended in San Francisco's 2-0 win in Game 2.

"It's been huge," Bochy said. "Pitchers can just help themselves in different ways, whether it's hold runners, fielding their position or find a way to get a bunt down or even drive in a run. I mean, they're part of the offence, too."

Bochy has been leaning toward backup catcher Hector Sanchez to DH for Game 3. He already has said he plans to have all-star Buster Posey catch every game.

Bochy could also have Pablo Sandoval DH and shift slick-fielding Joaquin Arias to third. Aubrey Huff and Ryan Theriot are also options at designated hitter.

Since interleague play began in 1997, the American League has a 2,081-1,883 record against the National League in the regular season. The last time the NL won the season series was in 2003. The AL is 8-7 in the World Series during that same span.

Through Game 1, the NL is 24-19 in its home parks during the World Series since 1997. The AL is 27-11 in its home park in the Series during that time.

Detroit has had to put designated hitter Delmon Young in left field in San Francisco. Andy Dirks and Quintin Berry split time in left most of the season.

"I think it's different for your pitcher not only in that he's pitching a game, but now that those moments that he takes underneath to sit and relax between innings, now he's hitting," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

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Tigers looking to rediscover offence in Game 3 of World Series

Toting his tiny aluminum bat, five-year-old Gage Brookens wandered toward the cage and watched Austin Jackson, Omar Infante and a few other Tigers take batting practice on a chilly afternoon at Comerica Park.

Maybe that's what these slumping Detroit hitters need in this World Series. Metal bats, rather than their weak wood.

"Oh, I don't know if they'd allow that," kidded Gage's grandfather, Tigers first base coach Tom Brookens. "But the hitters definitely wouldn't mind."

Something better change for Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and the Tigers real soon or their year is going to end real shortly. They totalled only three runs and 10 hits in San Francisco while falling into a 2-0 deficit against the Giants.

Game 3 is Saturday night, with Anibal Sanchez starting for Detroit against Ryan Vogelsong.

The Tigers are hoping that a switch in scenery — the ivy hanging on the centre-field backdrop at Comerica has turned to autumn colours since the AL championship series — and a flip in pitchers might help.

Throttled by left-handed starters Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner at AT&T Park, the Tigers are eager to see a right-hander. Any right-hander, in fact: Detroit batted .275 against righties, .253 vs. lefties.

"Sometimes you can't explain it," Tigers catcher Alex Avila said before a workout Friday. "In our case, we've had trouble all year with left-handed pitching, which is strange because we have a lot of good hitters on the team."

"It'll be a nice change, obviously, to face a right-hander because we've had more success."

The Tigers will see Vogelsong, followed by fellow right-hander Matt Cain in Game 4.

"We've gone through spurts this whole season where we've thrown the ball like this as a staff," Vogelsong said. "We obviously had our downtime there in the middle of September and at the end of August."

"And we're just all kind of hitting our stride here at the same time. It's up to me and Matt now to keep it going over here in Detroit."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland plans to insert speedy rookie Quintin Berry and Andy Dirks in his outfield.

A few big hits would certainly energize the Tigers. So might a few breaks, they believe.

"The ball just hasn't rolled our way yet," Berry said. "They got a hit off the third-base bag. They had a bunt that wouldn't go foul. They made great catches in left field.

"But no excuses. We're back at home, this is our chance."

Chillier in Detroit

No mistaking that the Series has shifted from California to Michigan.

In San Francisco, it was downright balmy in the 60s, and made for a pair of picture-perfect settings to play ball.

At Comerica, it was in the mid-40s and the lights were turned on while the Tigers worked out. The forecast was for Game 3 was for temperatures to drop into the upper 30s in the later innings.

"We have got heaters in the dugout for both teams, obviously. Ours is going to be a little warmer than theirs, I think, tomorrow night," Leyland said. "But that's all right. We're not going to tell them that. I'm just kidding."

"You know what? It's cold, but I mean this is the World Series. It's cold for everybody. It's cold for the fans, the beer is cold, everything is cold. It's great. Enjoy it."

While the Tigers have lost five straight World Series games dating to 2006 against St. Louis, they've also won five post-season home games in a row. Detroit began that string last year in the ALCS, took two against Oakland this year in the division series and then finished off an ALCS sweep of the Yankees.

Overall, the Tigers have taken eight straight at home.

"I think a lot of teams, your really good teams, they dominate at home. That's what they do — the Cardinals, the Reds, they were really tough at home," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

"We ended up having a pretty good home record, despite having some struggles there in September or late August. But it's a team that feeds on probably their home crowd, and they're more comfortable at home, and that's usually the case in baseball. But this certainly is a club that we know is playing very well here."

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Ratings for Game 1 of World Series drop to record low

The Giants' 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers set a record low television rating for a World Series opener.

Fox said Wednesday night's game received a 7.6 rating and 12 share, and that it was seen by 12.2 million viewers, according to fast national ratings by Nielsen Media Research.

The rating dropped 13 per cent from the 8.7/14 for St. Louis' 3-2 victory over Texas in Game 1 last year, which averaged 14.2 million viewers. That broke the low set the previous year when the Giants' 11-7 win over the Rangers received an 8.9.

Fox said this year's opener had a higher rating at 9 p.m. ET (8.8 to 8.7). But viewership fell after San Francisco took a 6-0 lead behind Pablo Sandoval, who wound up tying the Series record with three home runs.

Still, Fox was the highest-rated network in prime time and had its highest-rated prime-time program since May's season finale of "American Idol."

"When you consider what they peaked at, before the blowout, it was fabulous," Fox senior executive vice-president David Hill said. "Won the night. What can you say? It was the most popular thing on American television last night."

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a program, and the share is the percentage of homes watching among those with TVs on at the time.

Detroit topped markets with a 33.2/46, followed by San Francisco (32.3/58). The game earned a 7.3/11 in New York, 7.0/13 in Los Angeles and 6.9-11 in Chicago.

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Giants edge Tigers to take 2-0 World Series lead

Long ball one night, a Giant dose of small ball the next.

Two wins in two games and suddenly San Francisco doesn't need to dig itself out of a post-season hole for a change.

Madison Bumgarner shut down the Detroit Tigers for seven innings, then the Giants took advantage of a bunt that stayed fair to eke out the go-ahead run in a 2-0 win Thursday night for a 2-0 edge in the World Series.

Gregor Blanco's single trickled to a stop inches fair on the infield dirt, setting up Brandon Crawford's run-scoring double-play grounder in the seventh. Hunter Pence added a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and that was plenty for these masters of the October comeback.

"It definitely feels a whole lot better than having our backs against the wall," Bumgarner said. "But you can't relax. We've got to keep pushing."

Game 3 will be Saturday night in Detroit and for once, the Giants aren't playing from behind. They overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Cincinnati in the best-of-five division series and escaped a 3-1 hole against St. Louis in the NLCS.

Will the Tigers come back to win?

A day after Pablo Sandoval homered three times, the favoured Tigers wondered what other way they could lose. Prince Fielder was thrown out at the plate by a hair and moments later pitcher Doug Fister was struck squarely in the head by Blanco's line drive, a ball hit so hard that it caromed into shallow centre field.

"They asked me the typical concussion questions," Fister said. "I'm not concerned. I have a minor bump. According to my dad, my whole life his saying has always been if I got hit in the head I'd be OK. That's how I take it."

The 6-foot-8 Fister managed to stay on the mound, and even excelled. Bumgarner more than matched him, however, allowing just two hits before the San Francisco bullpen closed it out before another pulsating crowd.

Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect eighth and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for a save in the combined two-hitter, leaving Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and his team in a huge hole heading back to Comerica Park. Anibal Sanchez will start for the Tigers against Ryan Vogelsong in Detroit.

"That's the way baseball is. When things are going well, things are bouncing your way," Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro said. "If things aren't going well, you just keep battling and playing hard. No one is taking anything for granted."

Even so, several dozen members of the Giants family came onto the field at AT&T Park well after the final out to pose for pictures, wanting to savour what they hope is the Giants' last home game of the year.

Blanco, meanwhile, was able to celebrate a single that rolled 45 feet, if that.

"I was joking with [coach] Roberto Kelly when I got to first base, 'We practiced that today,"' Blanco said. "That was a perfect bunt. I wasn't really trying to do that. I think it was just meant to be and I'm thankful that I did it."

The Tigers looked rusty at the plate, maybe still lost following a five-day layoff after an ALCS sweep of the Yankees. Cabrera hopped up in frustration after Sandoval snared his line drive to third.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We got two hits tonight. I'm certainly not going to sit up here and rip my offence because last night I thought we had some pretty good swings. Cabrera hit a bullet tonight."

Bumgarner had something to do with the Tigers' troubles, too.

Bumped from the NLCS rotation after two poor post-season starts, he returned with a flourish. The left-hander struck out eight and looked as sharp as he did in the 2010 World Series when, as a 21-year-old rookie, he stopped Texas in Game 4 on the way to a championship.

"Just able to make pitches," Bumgarner said. "I hadn't done a very good job of making pitches this post-season so far and this is a team that you're not going to be able to afford to miss with.

"They hit some balls hard, but luckily we were in the right spot," he said.

Along with his bunt, Blanco might have hit the hardest ball of the game — the liner that nailed Fister in the second inning. The ball struck the right side of his head and deflected on the fly to shallow centre field.

Fister showed no visible effect from the blow — in fact, some in the crowd wondered whether the ball perhaps glanced off his glove because Fister stayed on his feet. Only when fans saw replays did groans echo around the ballpark.

Leyland, pitching coach Jeff Jones and a trainer went to the mound, and Fister insisted on staying in the game. He walked the next batter to load the bases with two outs, but retired Bumgarner on a popup, starting a streak of 12 straight hitters set down by Fister.

"Well, if you'd have been out there, it was something to see," Leyland said. "Because the trainer was saying, 'Where are you?' 'San Francisco.' 'What game is it?' 'Game No. 2.'

"I don't want to make light of it, but it was kind of comical really because Doug was right on with everything. But I was scared to death when it happened."

The game remained scoreless until the seventh, right after actor Tom Hanks — a former peanut vendor at the nearby Oakland Coliseum — sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on the field.

Pence led off with a single and Fister departed, getting lots of hugs in the dugout. Rookie reliever Drew Smyly walked Brandon Belt on a full-count pitch and Blanco's bunt loaded the bases with no outs.

Play at the plate

The Tigers kept their infield back up the middle, and had no play at the plate on Crawford's bouncer.

"We felt like we played double-play depth because we felt like we couldn't give them two runs. That's why we did that, and we got the double play," Leyland said.

"To be honest with you, we were absolutely thrilled to come out of that inning with one run. Absolutely thrilled. I mean, we had to score anyway."

Pence added the insurance run the next inning with his flyball off Octavio Dotel.

"We played good small ball today," Pence said. "We played a great game of baseball, had outstanding pitching and great defence and we found a way to get it done."

Of the 52 teams to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series, 41 have gone on to win the title. That includes 14 of the last 15 teams with that advantage.

"I'm not sure, and I haven't done any studies on it," Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt said, "but statisically it's always better to be 2-0 than 1-1 or 0-2. I'm just guessing."

Fielder and the Tigers came up inches short of taking an early lead, the result of yet another alert play by Scutaro and a dubious decision by third base coach Gene Lamont.

Fielder was hit by a pitch to lead off the second, Delmon Young followed with a double and when the ball rattled around in left field, Lamont waved the burly slugger home. Even with no outs, Lamont sent him.

"I think Gene just got a little overaggressive," Leyland said.

Scutaro, in the middle of every big play for the Giants this month, dashed across the diamond, caught Blanco's relay and unleashed a strong throw to the plate. All-Star catcher Buster Posey made a swipe tag to Fielder's backside, just as the Tigers star slid home. Umpire Dan Iassogna had a clear look and made a demonstrative call — out!

Fielder immediately popped up from his slide and pleaded his case with two hands, saying he didn't feel the tag. Leyland rushed out and pointed to the plate. At second base, Young yelled, "No!"

But even if there was replay review, it wouldn't have helped the Tigers. Because TV replays showed Iassogna, working his first plate job in a World Series, got it right.

"Any time those kind of freak plays happen that don't go your way," Fielder said. "It takes away a little momentum but you've got to be aggressive. They made a perfect play."

There was no dispute that Fister somehow avoided a serious injury moments later.

Among those who winced was Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who sustained a skull fracture and brain contusion after being hit by a line drive last month.

"I'm not watching but did just see the replay. Certainly hope he's ok," McCarthy tweeted.

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Pablo Sandoval hits 3 HRs as Giants win World Series opener

With three mighty swings, Pablo Sandoval put the San Francisco Giants ahead in this World Series and put himself in a class with Mr. October.

Sandoval hit three home runs and joined Reggie Jackson, Babe Ruth and Albert Pujols as the only sluggers to do it in the Series, and the Giants jolted Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Wednesday night in Game 1.

A rollicking AT&T Park crowd — a sea of black and orange outfits — roared as Sandoval connected in his first three at-bats. Popular in the Bay Area as the Kung Fu Panda for his roly-poly shape, he went 4 for 4 and drove in four runs. A Giant panda for sure.

From start to finish, it was basically a perfect game by the Giants. Coming off a Game 7 win over St. Louis on Monday night, they looked totally fresh.

"We played our last game only two days ago," Sandoval said. "We're still hot. We just came here and played our game."

'There goes the third! Pablo makes history.'—Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez tweets about native son Sandoval

Verlander, the reigning Cy Young winner so dominant in this postseason, looked uncomfortable from the get-go and constantly pawed at the mound.

As fans filed out singing along with Tony Bennett's standard "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," the final score raised a nagging question for manager Jim Leyland and his favored Tigers: Did too much rest after a playoff sweep of the Yankees mean too much rust?

Tagged by Sandoval for a solo shot in the first inning, Verlander could only mouth `Wow!' when the Giants star launched a two-run drive in the third that set off another blast of fog horns. Sandoval reprised his power show from this year's All-Star game, when his bases-loaded triple highlighted a five-run first inning against Verlander.

And if there was any doubt that Verlander was shaky, the best sign came in the fourth. That's when pitcher Barry Zito, a career .099 hitter, sliced an RBI single with two outs off the current AL MVP for a 5-0 lead.

The festive crowd stood and applauded when it was announced that Verlander was being pulled for a pinch hitter in the fifth. Sandoval gave them another reason to get up moments later when he hit a solo homer off reliever Al Alburquerque in the fifth, answering the cheers by waving his batting helmet in a curtain call.

The Tigers seemed out of sorts in their first game following a five-day layoff. That was an issue in 2006, too, when Verlander and his teammates had nearly a week off before getting wiped out by the Cardinals.

"I'm one that's been around long enough to know that a lot of things happen in this game. This was a big-hyped game with Justin, probably a lot of pressure on him," Leyland said.

"But I don't think it had anything to do with the pressure. His fastball command was not good. He got out of sync. He got on fast forward. He just did not pitch well tonight. It's that simple," he said.

Pujols homered three times last year, Jackson accomplished the feat in 1977 and Ruth did it in 1926 and again in 1928.

For good measure, Sandoval lined a single his last time up. He donated the bat he used for the first two homers to the Hall of Fame — no need for it anymore, he broke on the backswing of his second shot.

Sandoval is one of a record nine Venezuelans on the Series rosters, and his power performance attracted attention way beyond the ballpark.

"There goes the third! Pablo makes history," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tweeted in Spanish.

Left off the 2010 World Series roster by the champion Giants, Zito shut out the Tigers until Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera hit an RBI single in the sixth. The Giants won for the 14th straight time with Zito starting.

"Just the opportunity alone was mind-blowing. Me and my wife were dancing around when I heard," Zito said of getting the Game 1 start. "And then the boys came out swinging and played great defense."

NL championship series MVP Marco Scutaro hit RBI singles after doubles by Angel Pagan. NL batting champion Buster Posey contributed two hits, left fielder Gregor Blanco made diving catches to rob Cabrera and Prince Fielder, and Tim Lincecum came out of the bullpen to prevent further damage.

Game 2 is Thursday night, with Doug Fister starting for the Tigers against Madison Bumgarner.

Verlander now 0-3 in World Series

The Giants kept getting good bounces, with Pagan hitting a double that hopped off the third-base bag. ALCS MVP Delmon Young, meanwhile, failed to run after a tapper in front of the plate that the Giants turned into a double play.

Pitching in San Francisco for the first time since 2008, Verlander scuffed at the rubber while warming up for the first inning, pulled off his glove after badly overthrowing a curve and kept taking deep breaths. He hardly resembled the guy who was 3-0 with an 0.74 ERA in three playoff starts this year.

Ever since two poor outings in the 2006 Series against St. Louis — punctuated by two throwing errors — Verlander has worked hard to harness his emotions and 100 mph heat in the early going.

Verlander was trying to settle in when Sandoval tagged him, pouncing on an 0-2 fastball and lining it into the front row over the center-field wall. Quite a start for the team that finished last in the majors in home runs.

Get this: It was the first three-homer game at the stadium originally known as Pac Bell Park since the very first one, when Kevin Elster did it for the Dodgers in 2000. Nope, not even home run king Barry Bonds had done this.

It was certainly a moment of retribution of Sandoval. He was benched during the 2010 World Series, his production and confidence down, his weight up. In the stands on this night, fans wearing furry panda hats celebrated with him.

Verlander got into trouble again the third, and pitching coach Jeff Jones strolled to the mound when the count went to 2-0 on Sandoval. Verlander stared at Jones and shook his head. On the next pitch, Verlander could do little but watch the ball sail into the front row in left.

To some, this looked somewhat similar to the 2010 Series opener. That day, the Giants beat up the supposedly unhittable Cliff Lee on their way to a five-game romp over Texas.

This is how bad it got for the Tigers: Former closer Jose Valverde made his first appearance in 11 days. Leyland still isn't sure what he'll get from the struggling reliever.

Lincecum, meanwhile, retired seven straight batters and struck out five of them. The two-time Cy Young winner has embraced his new role in the bullpen.

Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer for the Tigers in the ninth off mop-up reliever George Kontos.

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Giants go for encore effort in Game 2 of World Series

While Pablo Sandoval didn't play a big part in the San Francisco Giants' World Series run two years ago, he's already left his mark on this one.

After becoming the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game, all eyes will be on Sandoval as the Giants host the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 on Thursday night.

Sandoval took Justin Verlander deep twice before belting a solo shot off Al Alburquerque, leading San Francisco to an 8-3 win Wednesday in Game 1. The two-time all-star joined Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols as the only players with three-homer games in the Series, finishing the night 4 for 4 with four runs batted in.

"Man, I still can't believe it," said Sandoval, who was benched in four of five games during the Giants' 2010 World Series win over Texas.

"You have to keep focused, keep focused and playing your game. You don't have to be too excited.

"The Series is not over. You have to keep playing your game.

"I didn't get a chance to play too much (in 2010). I'm enjoying this World Series, I'm enjoying all my moments."

Sandoval will look to stay hot against Doug Fister, who hasn't received a decision, despite compiling a 1.35 earned-run average in two post-season starts. In his most recent outing, the right-hander allowed six hits and four walks over 6 1/3 scoreless innings of a 6-4, 12-inning road win over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS.

A native of Merced, Calif., Fister has never faced the Giants. Marco Scutaro, batting .432 during an 11-game hitting streak, is San Francisco's only active player with any experience against Fister, going 1 for 11 in their matchups.

"Growing up, don't tell anybody, I was a Giants fan and being able to come to a couple games when I was little, it's always been a dream and a goal for me and now it's happening," Fister, 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA over four career playoff starts, said of playing in a World Series by the Bay.

"It's definitely special being able to come into the ballpark and play in a World Series is something that, obviously, is a moment that will never be forgotten."

"We've got it fixed'

The Giants counter with Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 11.25 ERA), who's struggled this post-season.

After giving up four runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-0 loss to Cincinnati in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the left-hander was tagged for six runs and eight hits over 3 2/3 innings of a 6-4 loss to St. Louis in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series.

"I think we were going through some mechanical issues," he said. "Just some small things that might have affected my arm and made it more difficult to throw and I think that's really all it was."

"I think we've got it fixed. Like I said before, there's no way to tell 100 per cent until you get out there and get going game speed.

"But hopefully, that's all it was. But regardless, whether the velocity is up or down or whatever, I still got to find a way to make pitches and compete, keep us in the game."

'Momentum is your next day's pitcher'

Bumgarner was, in contrast, very sharp during the 2010 post-season, going 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA over four games, including three starts. He threw eight innings of three-hit ball during a 4-0 win at Texas in Game 4 of that World Series.

In his only career appearance against Detroit, Bumgarner gave up one run, five hits and struck out nine over 7 1/3 innings, but didn't factor in the decision of a 4-3 road win July 1, 2011.

The Giants, who trailed St. Louis 3-1 before storming back to win the pennant, have won their last four games by a 28-4 margin. San Francisco is hitting .316 with runners in scoring position during that stretch after going 4 for 6 Wednesday.

"I'm a guy that doesn't believe in momentum in baseball," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I think momentum is your next day's pitcher."

Detroit had outscored opponents 25-6 during a five-game run prior to Wednesday's defeat. Jhonny Peralta connected on a two-run homer and Triple Crown-winner Miguel Cabrera went 1 for 3 with an RBI.

The winner in Game 1 of the World Series has gone on to win the championship 66 of 107 times.

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World Series Preview: No-quit Giants vs. rested Tigers

The never-say-die San Francisco Giants will still be on a high from their NL Championship Series triumph when the World Series begins Wednesday evening. While they have some magical playoff mojo working for them, the Giants might have to face Detroit ace Justin Verlander three times.

The San Francisco Giants are the comeback kids of the 2012 post-season.

In their unlikely run to the World Series, the Giants have won six elimination games, most recently knocking out the reigning defending champion St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Monday night.

So the question now becomes, can their October magic continue against a rested Detroit Tigers squad that could send ace Justin Verlander to the mound three times in a best-of-seven series?

We'll find out starting on Wednesday (5 p.m. PT) when the Fall Classic begins at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

After clawing back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Cardinals, the never-say-die Giants will still be on a high from their NLCS triumph when the first pitch is thrown.

The Tigers, on the other hand, completed their American League Championship Series sweep of the New York Yankees on Oct. 18 and by the time the Series begins, they will have had almost six days on the sidelines. To stay sharp, manager Jim Leyland has had his club scrimmaging against minor leaguers.

The Tigers and Giants have never faced off in the World Series, but they have competed against each other in four interleague series since 1997. Most recently, the Giants took two of three from the hometown Tigers at Comerica Park in July 2011.

Because the NL prevailed in the all-star game, the Giants, who have 11 players remaining on their roster from their 2010 World Series-winning club, will have home field advantage.

That 2010 championship is the only one the Giants have secured in San Francisco, while the Tigers have captured four Fall Classic titles, their last one coming 28 years ago.

Here's an extensive breakdown of the Tigers (88-74 during the regular season) and the Giants (94-68) and how they stack up against each other:

Starting Pitching

With the luxury of six days off before the World Series, the Tigers were able to align their rotation so that Verlander, who's 3-0 with a 0.74 earned-run average this post-season, can potentially start Games 1, 4 and 7. The rest of the rotation - which includes right-handers Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer - has also been superb. Just how good have they been? Well, none of them fashion a post-season ERA higher than 1.35.

Three potential members of the Giants' World Series rotation - Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner - also pitched for their 2010 championship squad. But Cain, who aside from his Game 7 NLCS victory has been less than ace-like this October, won't be available until Game 3.

Bumgarner has been lit up for 10 runs in eight innings in his two playoff starts, while Lincecum, who thanks to a 5.18 ERA during the regular season was relegated to bullpen duty in the NLDS, was hit hard in his NLCS start. Possible Game 2 starter Ryan Vogelsong (2-0, 1.42 ERA in the playoffs) has been their best starter, while veteran southpaw Barry Zito, who hurled 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Cardinals, is the favourite to start the opener.

Advantage: Tigers

Relief Pitching

Tigers closer Jose Valverde has been rocked for seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings this October. Generally employed as a left-handed specialist, Phil Coke has stepped up during Valverde's struggles and finished the Tigers' final three ALCS contests. Right-handers Octavio Dotel and Al Alburquerque have also been reliable, but set-up man Joaquin Benoit (4.91 ERA in four post-season games) hasn't performed well.

The Giants have employed a patchwork bullpen ever since closer Brian Wilson was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in April. Left-handers Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez have yet to yield a run in 13 playoff appearances combined, while Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla and George Kontos are a key reason the Giants have advanced this far.

Advantage: Giants

Offence

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder provide the Tigers with the best one-two, middle-of-the-order punch in baseball. During the regular season, the Tigers relied almost exclusively on these two sluggers and leadoff man Austin Jackson for their offence. Fortunately, the bats of Jhonny Peralta (.343, two homers in the playoffs) and Delmon Young (.353 in the ALCS) have come alive this October.

While the Giants tallied 20 runs in the final three games of the NLCS, this team isn't likely to beat the Tigers unless Buster Posey (.178 in these playoffs) starts hitting. But Posey isn't the only Giant struggling at the plate this October. Angel Pagan (.208) and Hunter Pence (.188) have contributed little to an offence that has been led by Pablo Sandoval (.320, three homers) and former Toronto Blue Jay Marco Scutaro (14 hits, .500 in NLCS).

Advantage: Tigers

Defence

With their infield boasting three plodding infielders in Cabrera, Peralta and Fielder, the Tigers now plan to start the defensively inept Young in left field in Game 1. Fortunately, Jackson is a Gold Glove-worthy centre-fielder that will help compensate for Young's lack of range. Alex Avila is also an elite defensive catcher.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has been a revelation at shortstop this post-season and Pagan has been similarly stellar in centre. Posey is also a capable catcher and Belt is sure-handed at first base. The Giants are far from perfect defensively, but they're better in the field than the Tigers.

Advantage: Giants

Prediction

The resilient Giants have experience and some magical playoff mojo working for them, but unless Posey snaps out of his slump and Cain and Bumgarner pitch like they did during the regular season, their chances of beating the Tigers are slim. Tigers in 6.

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Fans remember Blue Jays' 1992 World Series win

Twenty years ago today in Atlanta, the Toronto Blue Jays sealed the first-ever World Series title win for a team north of the 49th parallel.

After Joe Carter caught the ball at first base for the last out of the season, the burly first baseman and his teammates weren't the only ones jumping up and down for joy, according to some of the stories you've shared with us.

We asked fans what for some of their favourite and long-lasting memories from Oct. 24, 1992, and here are a few of your responses:

Rod Rod Rod: Watched it with one other Canadian in an empty TV lounge of a university dormitory in Scotland. Then walked out onto the streets ... total silence. The following year, I was back in Canada ... different story

Lynn HD: I remember it like it was yesterday. Sitting on the edge of my couch waiting to see Joe Carter catch that ball on first base! Jumped off the couch screaming and jumping up and down like I was on that field with them. Great memories!

Matthew Mountney: kelly grubers raspberry chin was awesome and the blown triple play call and the big pitch hit homerun by ed sprague went along way in the jays comeback

Arnold Schwartz: Will never forget that announcer saying for the first time the championship is headed north of the border!! Bursted with pride!! Then watching Albert St. In Regina,shut down as everyone drove up and down celebrating,honking,cheering till 3am! One nation truly united that night:)

Randy Fedorchuk: The dramatic pinch hit homer in game 2 by Ed Sprague. The carrying upside down of the Canadian flag in Atlanta. Their annoying tomahawk chop chant.

Robert Singer: Ruined my moms place!!! what a party then she came home, screaming at the top of her lungs!!! We're number 1!!! So we kept the party going. Got to love how Cater was the last person to touch the ball last in BOTH world series.

Feel free to add some of your favourite memories below in the comment section.

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World Series Preview: No-quit Giants vs. rested Tigers

The never-say-die San Francisco Giants will still be on a high from their NL Championship Series triumph when the World Series begins Wednesday evening. While they have some magical playoff mojo working for them, the Giants might have to face Detroit ace Justin Verlander three times.

The San Francisco Giants are the comeback kids of the 2012 post-season.

In their unlikely run to the World Series, the Giants have won six elimination games, most recently knocking out the reigning defending champion St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Monday night.

So the question now becomes, can their October magic continue against a rested Detroit Tigers squad that could send ace Justin Verlander to the mound three times in a best-of-seven series?

We'll find out starting on Wednesday (5 p.m. PT) when the Fall Classic begins at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

After clawing back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Cardinals, the never-say-die Giants will still be on a high from their NLCS triumph when the first pitch is thrown.

The Tigers, on the other hand, completed their American League Championship Series sweep of the New York Yankees on Oct. 18 and by the time the Series begins, they will have had almost six days on the sidelines. To stay sharp, manager Jim Leyland has had his club scrimmaging against minor leaguers.

The Tigers and Giants have never faced off in the World Series, but they have competed against each other in four interleague series since 1997. Most recently, the Giants took two of three from the hometown Tigers at Comerica Park in July 2011.

Because the NL prevailed in the all-star game, the Giants, who have 11 players remaining on their roster from their 2010 World Series-winning club, will have home field advantage.

That 2010 championship is the only one the Giants have secured in San Francisco, while the Tigers have captured four Fall Classic titles, their last one coming 28 years ago.

Here's an extensive breakdown of the Tigers (88-74 during the regular season) and the Giants (94-68) and how they stack up against each other:

Starting Pitching

With the luxury of six days off before the World Series, the Tigers were able to align their rotation so that Verlander, who's 3-0 with a 0.74 earned-run average this post-season, can potentially start Games 1, 4 and 7. The rest of the rotation - which includes right-handers Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer - has also been superb. Just how good have they been? Well, none of them fashion a post-season ERA higher than 1.35.

Three potential members of the Giants' World Series rotation - Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner - also pitched for their 2010 championship squad. But Cain, who aside from his Game 7 NLCS victory has been less than ace-like this October, won't be available until Game 3.

Bumgarner has been lit up for 10 runs in eight innings in his two playoff starts, while Lincecum, who thanks to a 5.18 ERA during the regular season was relegated to bullpen duty in the NLDS, was hit hard in his NLCS start. Possible Game 2 starter Ryan Vogelsong (2-0, 1.42 ERA in the playoffs) has been their best starter, while veteran southpaw Barry Zito, who hurled 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Cardinals, is the favourite to start the opener.

Advantage: Tigers

Relief Pitching

Tigers closer Jose Valverde has been rocked for seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings this October. Generally employed as a left-handed specialist, Phil Coke has stepped up during Valverde's struggles and finished the Tigers' final three ALCS contests. Right-handers Octavio Dotel and Al Alburquerque have also been reliable, but set-up man Joaquin Benoit (4.91 ERA in four post-season games) hasn't performed well.

The Giants have employed a patchwork bullpen ever since closer Brian Wilson was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in April. Left-handers Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez have yet to yield a run in 13 playoff appearances combined, while Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla and George Kontos are a key reason the Giants have advanced this far.

Advantage: Giants

Offence

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder provide the Tigers with the best one-two, middle-of-the-order punch in baseball. During the regular season, the Tigers relied almost exclusively on these two sluggers and leadoff man Austin Jackson for their offence. Fortunately, the bats of Jhonny Peralta (.343, two homers in the playoffs) and Delmon Young (.353 in the ALCS) have come alive this October.

While the Giants tallied 20 runs in the final three games of the NLCS, this team isn't likely to beat the Tigers unless Buster Posey (.178 in these playoffs) starts hitting. But Posey isn't the only Giant struggling at the plate this October. Angel Pagan (.208) and Hunter Pence (.188) have contributed little to an offence that has been led by Pablo Sandoval (.320, three homers) and former Toronto Blue Jay Marco Scutaro (14 hits, .500 in NLCS).

Advantage: Tigers

Defence

With their infield boasting three plodding infielders in Cabrera, Peralta and Fielder, the Tigers now plan to start the defensively inept Young in left field in Game 1. Fortunately, Jackson is a Gold Glove-worthy centre-fielder that will help compensate for Young's lack of range. Alex Avila is also an elite defensive catcher.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has been a revelation at shortstop this post-season and Pagan has been similarly stellar in centre. Posey is also a capable catcher and Belt is sure-handed at first base. The Giants are far from perfect defensively, but they're better in the field than the Tigers.

Advantage: Giants

Prediction

The resilient Giants have experience and some magical playoff mojo working for them, but unless Posey snaps out of his slump and Cain and Bumgarner pitch like they did during the regular season, their chances of beating the Tigers are slim. Tigers in 6.

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Giants cruise to World Series with Game 7 rout of Cardinals

In a postseason full of twists and turns, the San Francisco Giants are headed back to the World Series after a big comeback against the defending champs.

Hunter Pence got the Giants going with a weird double, Matt Cain pitched his second clincher of October and San Francisco closed out Game 7 of the NL championship series in a driving rainstorm, routing the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 Monday night.

San Francisco won its record-tying sixth elimination game of the postseason, completing a lopsided rally from a 3-1 deficit.

"These guys never quit," Manager Bruce Bochy said. "They just kept believing and they got it done."

The Giants, who won it all in 2010, will host Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Verlander is set to pitch Wednesday's opener. Bochy insisted before Monday's game he had not planned any further in advance.

Series MVP Marco Scutaro produced his sixth multihit game of the series and matched an LCS record with 14 hits and Pablo Sandoval drove in a run for his fifth straight game.

After falling behind 3-1 in the series at Busch Stadium, the Giants outscored the wild-card Cardinals 20-1 over the final three games behind stellar starting pitching from Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong and Cain.

They also benefited from some strange bounces.

On Pence's double that highlighted a five-run third, his bat broke at the label on impact, then the broken barrel hit the ball twice more. That put a rolling, slicing spin on the ball and caused it to change directions — leaving shortstop Pete Kozma little chance to make the play. Kozma broke to his right, figuring that's where the ball would go, but it instead curved to left-center.

Injured closer Brian Wilson, with that out-of-control bushy black beard, danced in the dugout and fans in the sellout crowd of 43,056 kept twirling their orange rally towels even through rain in the late innings — a downright downpour when Sergio Romo retired Matt Holliday on a popup to Scutaro to end it.

"This rain never felt so good," Scutaro said.

Romo embraced catcher Buster Posey as fireworks went off over McCovey Cove beyond right field.

The NL West champion Giants won their first postseason clincher at home since the 2002 NLCS, also against the Cardinals.

These 2012 Giants have a couple of pretty talented castoffs of their own not so different from that winning combination of 2010 "castoffs and misfits" as Bochy referred to his bunch — with Scutaro right there at the top of the list this time around.

Acquired July 27 from the division rival Colorado Rockies, Scutaro hit .500 (14 for 28) with four RBIs in the NLCS. The 36-year-old journeyman infielder, playing in his second postseason and first since 2006 with Oakland, became the first player in major league history with six multihit games in an LCS.

Now, he's headed to his first World Series.

The Giants have All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera to thank for helping his teammates secure home-field advantage in the postseason — while Cain was the winning pitcher the National League's 8-0 victory in July. Cabrera was suspended 50 games Aug. 15 for a positive testosterone test, then wasn't added to the roster by the Giants after his suspension ended.

After rain fell on the Cardinals during batting practice, the skies turned blue and the weather cooperated. Anxious players on both sides hung over the dugout rails as the game began.

Cain joined St. Louis' Chris Carpenter as the only pitchers with victories in two winner-take-all games in the same postseason. Carpenter, who lost Games 2 and 6 in this series, did it last year.

Cain also pitched the Giants' Game 5 division series clincher at Cincinnati, when San Francisco became the first team in major league history to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a five-game series by winning three consecutive road games.

"I think to do it, the guys actually have to believe it can happen," Posey said.

He delivered on an even bigger stage Monday as San Francisco saved its season once again. The Giants won their 20th NL pennant and reached their 19th World Series.

Cain walked off the mound to a standing ovation when Jeremy Affeldt entered with two outs in the sixth. Affeldt then got Daniel Descalso to pop out with two runners on.

Yadier Molina had four hits but got little help from the rest of the Cardinals, who went 1 for 21 with runners in scoring position over their final three games.

Cain added an RBI single to his cause and got some sparkling defense behind him.

The play of the game went to shortstop Brandon Crawford, who made a leaping catch of Kyle Lohse's liner to end the second inning with runners on second and third that would have been a run-scoring hit.

In the third, Scutaro, the second baseman, made a tough stop on a short hop by Carlos Beltran, and left fielder Gregor Blanco ran down a hard-hit ball by Allen Craig in left-center to end the inning.

Cain's second-inning single made San Francisco the first team in major league postseason history to have a starting pitcher drive in a run in three straight games.

Brandon Belt hit a solo homer in the eighth for his first clout of the postseason.

It took production from everybody, even the pitchers, for these scrappy Giants to rally back from the brink one more time.

Cain certainly did his part to keep the staff rolling.

The 16-game winner, who didn't surrender an earned run during his team's title run two years ago, reached 46 pitches through two innings but settled in nicely the rest of the way to avenge a loss to Lohse in Game 3.

Cain even got to repay Holliday for his hard slide into Scutaro at second base in Game 2 here a week earlier. Cain plunked Holliday in the upper left arm leading off the sixth, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The right-hander escaped trouble in the second with runners on second and third when Crawford made his catch.

Holliday returned to the lineup after missing Game 6 a night earlier with tightness in his lower back. He received loud boos when he stepped in to hit in the first from a fan base still angry about his slide that injured Scutaro's hip.

Beltran is still left 0-fer the World Series, winless in three Game 7s during his 15-year career. And to think just last fall he was on the other side with the Giants as they missed the playoffs a year after winning the club's first World Series since moving West in 1958.

The Cardinals went an NL-best 12-4 from Sept. 16 to the end of the season to earn the NL's second wild card on the second-to-last day of the season, then won 6-3 in a winner-take-all playoff at Atlanta to reach the division series. The Cardinals then rallied from a 6-0 deficit with a four-run ninth inning to stun the Washington Nationals 9-7 in Game 5.

Scutaro joined Hideki Matsui (2004 Yankees), Albert Pujols (2004 Cardinals) and Kevin Youkilis (2007 Red Sox) with 14 hits in a league championship series.

Sandoval's run-scoring groundout in the first that put his team ahead gave him at least one RBI in five straight postseason games, matching home run king Barry Bonds' franchise record set in 2002.

The Giants snapped an 0-5 skid in deciding Game 7s.

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Ryan Vogelsong, Giants force Game 7 in NLCS

Ryan Vogelsong and the San Francisco Giants saved their season once more, pushing St. Louis to a winner-take-all Game 7 in the NL championship series.

Turns out the defending champion Cardinals aren't the only team that's tough to put away in October.

Vogelsong struck out a career-best nine batters in another postseason gem, and the Giants avoided elimination for a second straight game by beating St. Louis 6-1 on Sunday night.

Marco Scutaro delivered a two-run double and Buster Posey drove in his first run of the series with a groundout in the first inning as San Francisco struck early to support Vogelsong.

San Francisco's Matt Cain and St. Louis' Kyle Lohse are set to pitch in a rematch of Game 3, won by the Cardinals. There's a forecast of rain in the Bay Area during the day.

"It's kind of a joke in the clubhouse. About 60 per cent of my games have rain in the forecast," Lohse said. "I know these guys, I've seen them for six games. I know what I need to do. … It's time to get it done."

These wild-card Cardinals sure seem to like the all-or-nothing route in October, while San Francisco thrives playing from behind.

Do or die for both clubs

Five games with their year on the line, five wins for these gutsy Giants this postseason. Now, it comes down to one game for the past two World Series champions to get back, with the Detroit Tigers waiting.

Pitching to chants of "Vogey! Vogey!" from the sellout crowd of 43,070 at AT&T Park, the right-hander didn't allow a hit until Daniel Descalso's broken-bat single to center with two outs in the fifth. Vogelsong struck out the side in the first and had already fanned five through two innings.

"This place is going to be loud, I can tell you that," Vogelsong said of Monday night.

Scutaro had no chance for a collision with Matt Holliday this time. In their first game back at AT&T Park since Holliday took out the second baseman with a hard slide in Game 2, Holliday was scratched about an hour before first pitch because of tightness in his lower back, and Allen Craig replaced him in left field.

It hardly mattered the way Vogelsong pitched.

The Cardinals managed their only run on Craig's two-out single in the sixth. St. Louis had gone 15 innings without scoring after left-hander Barry Zito won 5-0 on Friday in Game 5.

"I just tried to do really the same thing he did, come out and set the tone early for us," Vogelsong said.

Vogelsong had his second stellar seven-inning outing against the Cardinals in a week, allowing four hits and one run. He walked one in a 102-pitch performance and lowered his postseason ERA - all this year - to 1.42.

"I just believe that it's my time," Vogelsong said.

'Make some adjustments'

After taking a 3-1 lead back home at Busch Stadium, Mike Matheny's Cardinals will have to find some offence in a hurry if they want to get back to the World Series.

"We've got to make some adjustments but our team's done that all season," Matheny said. "One thing I know is these guys take these to heart."

These Cards might just prefer close calls. Just like last year.

They won the NL's second wild card on the second-to-last day of the regular season, then won at Atlanta to reach the division series. The Cardinals rallied from a 6-0 deficit with a four-run ninth inning to stun the Washington Nationals 9-7 in Game 5 of the division series.

The Giants got to St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter again. The Cardinals winningest postseason pitcher with 10 victories looked out of sync for the second straight start - and he left with a nearly identical line as in his 7-1 Game 2 loss here last Monday, down to the hits, earned runs, unearned runs and innings.

Carpenter was done in by one big inning this time, too. He allowed six hits and five runs, two earned, in four innings.

Vogelsong reached on shortstop Pete Kozma's fielding error in the second, scoring Brandon Belt after he led off the inning with a triple. Scutaro came up two batters later and doubled home two more runs.

The 10 unearned runs allowed by the Cardinals are the most in an NLCS, according to STATS, LLC - topping the nine given up by the Braves in 2001 and Dodgers in 1985.

San Francisco never faced an elimination game in 2010 on the way to winning the World Series, but has had to go the distance in each of its first two postseason series this year. They became the first team in major league history to come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five series by winning three straight on the road as they did at Cincinnati.

'On top of his game'

They have Vogelsong for this year's run.

"He was on top of his game again," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's probably been as consistent as any starter this year."

The Giants put pressure on Carpenter right away.

Scutaro drew a one-out walk and Pablo Sandoval doubled off the wall in center on a ball that eluded Jon Jay. Posey followed with a groundout to third to score Scutaro for a 1-0 lead.

Scutaro is batting .458 (11 for 24) during the NLCS.

"I don't really know, man," Scutaro said when asked to explain it. "Just excited to come to the field every day. ... Being in this opportunity, just being in the playoffs, is amazing."

While the Giants have won five straight games facing elimination this postseason, the Cardinals have won their last six dating to last year.

Who will win Game 7?

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Cardinals, Giants pumped up to play Game 7

The San Francisco Giants have made a habit of winning elimination games this year, but that's a situation the St. Louis Cardinals excel in as well.

The Giants are 5-0 while facing elimination this post-season and once again will have Matt Cain on the mound in a decisive contest Monday night when they host the Cardinals in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

San Francisco rallied to win its division series over the Cincinnati Reds after losing the first two games at home. The Giants trailed 3-1 in this series against the defending World Series champions before winning 5-0 in Friday's Game 5 on the road Friday and 6-1 in Sunday's Game 6.

Who will make the greatest impact in Monday's Game 7?

The 2010 World Series champions seemingly have all the momentum now.

"There are two teams in the same boat right now," Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt said. "You'll see two teams go out and give it everything they've got.

"This is what we play all year for and we'll put it all on the line. This is Game 7.

"There's only one better Game 7. They are no more what-if scenarios."

The Cardinals went 4-0 in elimination games in last year's post-season and are 2-0 in such contests in 2012. To keep that trend going, they'll have to revive an offence that has totalled 12 hits and 19 strikeouts in the club's back-to-back defeats.

"We've got to make some adjustments, but our team's done that all season," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "One thing I know is these guys take these to heart."

Cain (1-2, 4.67 ERA) will try to duplicate what he did in the previous round, when he bounced back from losing his first outing to capture his second one. He yielded three runs over 5 2/3 innings to earn a 6-4 victory over the Reds in Game 5.

"I wouldn't say we like it, but it seems like guys are playing really well when we get in this situation," Cain said. "Guys are just kind of letting it all hang out and it seems to be working out really well."

The right-hander gave up three runs over 6 2/3 innings Wednesday in a 3-1 loss at St. Louis in Game 3. Including that outing, he's 1-2 with a 5.89 earned-run average in three starts against the Cardinals this year.

The St. Louis hitters that have given Cain the most trouble this year are Matt Carpenter (5 for 6, including a home run in Game 3) and Jon Jay (4 for 5).

Cain will again face fellow 16-game winner Kyle Lohse (2-0, 1.96), who allowed only one run despite yielding seven hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings last Wednesday.

'Time to get it done'

Lohse has been much better in the post-season than he was last year when he went 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA in three starts. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA in four career starts at San Francisco.

There's a forecast of rain in the Bay Area during the day, but Lohse isn't surprised by that.

"It's kind of a joke in the clubhouse," he said. "About 60 per cent of my games have rain in the forecast.

"I know these guys. I've seen them for six games.

"I know what I need to do. It's time to get it done."

Lohse will try to successfully follow up what Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong have done to St. Louis the last two games. Zito pitched 7 2/3 innings in Game 5 and Vogelsong struck out nine over seven innings Sunday.

Marco Scutaro went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in Game 6. Scutaro has hit safely in nine straight playoff games and is batting .458 (11 for 24) during the NLCS.

"I don't really know, man," Scutaro said, when asked to explain it.

"Just excited to come to the field every day. Being in this opportunity, just being in the playoffs, is amazing."

Scutaro has helped pick up the slack with NLCS MVP candidate Buster Posey going 3 for 22 in the series and Hunter Pence 3 for 23.

'His back tightened up'

It's unclear if St. Louis left-fielder Matt Holliday will be available after he was scratched from the lineup just before Game 6 because of lower back tightness.

"Right now, his back tightened up, even a little bit more as we went through the game," Matheny said. "We'll see."

Allen Craig shifted from first base to left field, with Carpenter playing first.

The Giants have lost all three Game 7s in their history since moving to San Francisco, falling to Anaheim in the 2002 World Series, the Cardinals in the 1987 NLCS and the Yankees in the 1962 World Series.

The Cardinals have captured their last three Game 7s since losing to Atlanta in the 1996 NLCS. That's the only other time St. Louis led 3-1 in the NLCS.

The winner will host AL champion Detroit in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday.

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Giants hope to force Game 7 in NLCS

The Giants sure are tough to eliminate this postseason.

Barry Zito and the Giants gave themself at least one more game in the NL championship series with a 5-0 victory Friday in St. Louis that forced Sunday's Game 6 back at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Just where the NL West winners want to be with their season on the line.

"It's great to be back in San Francisco. There is no tomorrow," Giants right fielder Hunter Pence said. "It's a unique feeling. It has brought the best out of us."

The wild-card Cardinals traveled out West again for a trip they certainly hoped they wouldn't have to make. Defending champion St. Louis leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, needing one more win to return to the World Series.

The Cardinals know how hard winning the last one can be considering what this Giants team already did during these playoffs: winning three straight on the road at Cincinnati in the division series after falling behind 2-0.

Game 2 winner Ryan Vogelsong starts for the Giants for the second time this series against Chris Carpenter, who lost that matchup at AT&T Park last Monday.

"No question, we want to win it as soon as we can. We wanted to do it last night," Carpenter said Saturday. "But, again, we have to get one win before they get two. We'll do whatever we can. If it's not tomorrow night we'll come in and do it again."

While the Cardinals regulars all took the day off — Carpenter and a couple of pitchers played catch — Pence and most of his team showed up at the ballpark in late afternoon to work even though manager Bruce Bochy gave his players a break completely.

The Giants have to like their chances to push the series to a decisive Game 7 with Vogelsong on the mound.

Vogelsong became the first Giants starter to make it through six innings this postseason when he went seven strong innings in a 7-1 Game 2 victory. He allowed four hits and one run for his first career postseason win.

"We all kind of feel like we've been in this situation before with Cincinnati," Vogelsong said. "And it's not over until the last out. I think both teams that are playing right now have proved that in the first round."

Giants general manager Brian Sabean said he wasn't surprised to see his team on the field Saturday for an optional practice - realizing they didn't want to lose any momentum from the night before.

"Sometimes you wonder how much at this stage that there is a home-field advantage," Sabean said. "In some cases, because of the bullpens, it's probably as much as whoever gets the lead and can hold off the other ballclub from scoring will win the ballgame. We know what's at stake. We know that they're going to put a game against us. I'm sure Vogey will be ready."

St. Louis postseason ace Carpenter sure is looking forward to another chance, too.

He has been plenty reliable this time of year for the Cardinals, with his 10 victories the most in franchise history. His stuff never felt right the last time out against the Giants, when he allowed two earned runs, five in all, and six hits in four innings.

The 37-year-old Carpenter pitched two postseason clinchers last fall and went 4-0. He won the division series clincher and did it again in the decisive Game 7 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers.

So, why not add that NLCS distinction to his impressive October resume?

It's already been a memorable month for Carpenter, who came back to make three starts - throwing just 17 innings - late in the regular season after undergoing a complicated operation this summer that removed a rib and two neck muscles to relieve numbness on his right side.

He is counting on commanding his fastball better this time out. His postseason ERA in two outings this year is still an impressive 1.86.

"The last time out my stuff went backwards a little bit," Carpenter said. "I was trying everything I could to get outs but unfortunately it didn't work. I had some nice work in between that start and this start, I feel good and I'm looking forward to getting back out there."

The Giants flew home overnight, landing at 2:30 a.m., but the Cardinals still had to go home after Friday's game and pack their bags. They slept in their own beds and took off from St. Louis at midday Central time.

San Francisco, which made an improbable run to the 2010 World Series title, still has a chance to win two games here and go for another championship — after the Giants defeated the Cardinals at home in the 2002 NLCS.

The Detroit Tigers are waiting on their opponent.

"I don't necessarily see them as pesky as much as just talented," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of the Giants. "And the same kind of makeup that we have, they aren't going to go away and neither are we. And we knew that going into this thing. As soon as we won a couple of games at home there was nobody in there for a second under the belief that this was going to be a team that was going to just roll over. So we know that this team has the ability to do what they did, once again, in Cincinnati, running in there and doing something that hasn't been done all season. … It's just a matter of execution, and they executed better than us yesterday."

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Red Sox reach agreement with Blue Jays' John Farrell: source

A baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations says the Boston Red Sox are preparing to announce that John Farrell will be their new manager.

The announcement is being held up by the unusual logistics of hiring a manager under contract with another team, the official said on the condition of anonymity because the final procedural steps had not been cleared. But the official said a multi-year deal had been agreed to and could be announced Sunday.

Farrell had one year remaining on his contract with Toronto, where he went 154-170 (.475 winning percentage) over the past two seasons. The Red Sox have agreed to send the Blue Jays compensation for letting him leave.

Red Sox spokeswoman Pam Kenn said the team had no announcement to make. Blue Jays spokesman Jay Stenhouse did not immediately respond to a voice mail seeking comment.

Comcast SportsNet New England was first to report the deal.

The Red Sox fired manager Bobby Valentine the day after finishing in last place in the American League East with a 69-93 record that was the franchise's worst since 1965.

Farrell was the Red Sox pitching coach for four seasons before Toronto hired him as manager two years ago. He was Boston's top target when Terry Francona was fired after the team's September collapse in 2011, but the Blue Jays would not allow him to leave.

But the Red Sox found themselves looking for a manager again just one season later, after Valentine led the team to a last-place finish and a 69-93 record that was the franchise's worst since 1965. And, after Toronto went 73-89 in 2012, the Blue Jays were willing to part with him.

Disappointing season

The Blue Jays' disappointing season gave them a fourth-place finish in the AL East. It was a step back from the team's performance in 2011, when Toronto finished 81-81 in Farrell's first season as manager.

He helped instill a more aggressive approach on the basepaths but inconsistent pitching has been an issue since he was hired. Major injuries to several starters wore down the staff in 2012 and ace Ricky Romero had an off-year.

When Boston fired Valentine reports quickly surfaced that the Red Sox were interested in seeking permission from the Blue Jays to speak to Farrell about the vacancy.

The 50-year-old native of Monmouth Beach, N.J., has a pitching background. He broke in with the Indians in 1987 and made 109 starts over eight seasons with Cleveland, California and Detroit.

He moved into the coaching ranks in 1997 with Oklahoma State University as an assistant coach and pitching/recruiting co-ordinator. He joined the Indians as director of player development in 2001.

He spent five years with Cleveland before joining the Red Sox as pitching coach in November 2006. Boston won a World Series the next year.

Farrell was named the 12th manager in Blue Jays history in October 2010.

The Red Sox also interviewed San Diego Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus, New York Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach and Baltimore Orioles third base coach DeMarlo Hale.

Farrell is familiar with Red Sox management from his time here and has worked with many Boston pitchers, including starters Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.

Even before the announcement, news of the deal trickled out over Twitter, where Blue Jays reliever Casey Janssen wrote: "Want to wish our skipper the best in Boston, good luck!"

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Red Sox approach Blue Jays about John Farrell: source

A baseball official familiar with the discussions says the Red Sox have asked the Toronto Blue Jays for permission to talk with manager John Farrell about the opening in Boston.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing, confirmed the request to The Associated Press on Friday night.

The official also said the teams are discussing compensation if Farrell, who has one year left on his contract, is eventually hired.

ESPN first reported the talks.

Farrell was the Red Sox pitching coach for four years before he left for Toronto after 2010. Boston expressed interest in having Farrell take over for Terry Francona after the team's September collapse in 2011 but the Blue Jays would not allow him to leave then.

The Red Sox have also interviewed San Diego Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus, New York Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach and Baltimore Orioles third base coach DeMarlo Hale to replace Bobby Valentine, who was fired after one dismal season.

General manager Ben Cherington has said he wants a shorter search this year than the one that resulted in Valentine replacing Francona last Dec. 1. That was 64 days after Boston's last game and 62 after Francona was let go.

The Red Sox finished in last place in the AL East this year with a 69-93 record, their worst in nearly 50 years. They were four games behind Farrell's fourth-place Blue Jays, who were 73-89. In Farrell's other season with Toronto, his first as a major league manager, he posted an 81-81 record and another fourth-place finish.

The Red Sox starters had subpar seasons, especially Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, who was traded to the Dodgers on Aug. 25. Beckett was 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA at the time of the trade. Lester finished the season at 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA, both the worst in his seven-year career.

Farrell helped Lester and Clay Buchholz become productive pitchers and is familiar with several Red Sox veterans and minor leaguers.

He also has worked with members of Boston's front office. As Cleveland's director of player development from November 2001 to the end of the 2006 season, he worked with current Boston assistant general manager Mike Hazen, who held scouting and player development positions with the Indians from 2001-05.

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