While losing in just five games in the 2010 Fall Classic, the Texas Rangers averaged exactly 9 K's per 9! The San Francisco Giants gladly swung and missed, as long as it got them the World Series trophy.
The Giants won a wild first game, right at home, 11-7. The game wasn't even as close as four runs. San Fran led 8-2 after five and 11-4 after eight. The problem was all those K's. For every run they scored, they struck out. Oh, they actually had one more strikeout than runs scored. Pat Burrell and Juan Uribe combined for seven at-bats and six strikeouts! The Rangers fanned a total of five times.
But who cares if you got the win and the opener? The Giants made game two a laugher to go up 2-0 in the 2010 World Series. Texas couldn't score or strikeout, but San Francisco sure could. They collected nine strikeouts, eight hits and six walks. The only two batters to stick out like a sore thumb were Freddy Sanchez and Buster Possey, who K'd twice. Texas, as a team, fanned twice. But things were looking up for the Giants as they headed to Texas.
But in game three, the Rangers did the job wherever you asked it. The won this crucial game, 4-2, to get right back in it. There pitching was superb, there were eight strikeouts, and only two walks. Colby Lewis ran his postseason win-loss record to an undefeated 3-0 with the win, fanning six batter in seven and two-thirds inning. The Giants, by comparison, got four K's out of their pitching, and four walks. The game was actually a rout, 4-0, until the Giants got solo home runs by Cody Ross in the top of the seventh and another by Andres Torres the next inning. But that was as close as it got.
Still, the Giants pitching was better, and it was proven in game four. A 4-0 win put them one win away. Four runs allowed in three games. That was the good news. The bad news? You guessed it, the strikeouts. Actually, it wasn't that bad this game. San Fran went down on strikes only six times. It was Texas who were handcuffed by the pitching of Madison Bumgarner (Three-hitter, six strikeouts through eight) and Brian Wilson (1-2-3 ninth on 11 pitches, 2 K's of his own).
The Giants won it all as they eked out a 3-1 win in game five. For the second straight game, they had amazing pitching. Another combined three-hitter. And the strikeouts? How about twelve for the victorious Giants. But Cliff Lee and Netfali Felix weren't pitchers who were strangers to strikeouts for Texas. They fanned eight of their own.
But all that, 43 K's in 43 innings, was not enough. The Giants had gotten through this with little trouble in three games. The had the big sticks, and Madison Bumgarner (Who has continued to this day to come up with great performances in the clutch) passing his first Fall Classic test, and turning the strikeout tide. Strikeouts are not always a bad thing. They are better than hitting into a double However, even when you win it all, there has to be some negativity, is what I'm trying to say, O-K?
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.
The Giants won a wild first game, right at home, 11-7. The game wasn't even as close as four runs. San Fran led 8-2 after five and 11-4 after eight. The problem was all those K's. For every run they scored, they struck out. Oh, they actually had one more strikeout than runs scored. Pat Burrell and Juan Uribe combined for seven at-bats and six strikeouts! The Rangers fanned a total of five times.
But who cares if you got the win and the opener? The Giants made game two a laugher to go up 2-0 in the 2010 World Series. Texas couldn't score or strikeout, but San Francisco sure could. They collected nine strikeouts, eight hits and six walks. The only two batters to stick out like a sore thumb were Freddy Sanchez and Buster Possey, who K'd twice. Texas, as a team, fanned twice. But things were looking up for the Giants as they headed to Texas.
But in game three, the Rangers did the job wherever you asked it. The won this crucial game, 4-2, to get right back in it. There pitching was superb, there were eight strikeouts, and only two walks. Colby Lewis ran his postseason win-loss record to an undefeated 3-0 with the win, fanning six batter in seven and two-thirds inning. The Giants, by comparison, got four K's out of their pitching, and four walks. The game was actually a rout, 4-0, until the Giants got solo home runs by Cody Ross in the top of the seventh and another by Andres Torres the next inning. But that was as close as it got.
Still, the Giants pitching was better, and it was proven in game four. A 4-0 win put them one win away. Four runs allowed in three games. That was the good news. The bad news? You guessed it, the strikeouts. Actually, it wasn't that bad this game. San Fran went down on strikes only six times. It was Texas who were handcuffed by the pitching of Madison Bumgarner (Three-hitter, six strikeouts through eight) and Brian Wilson (1-2-3 ninth on 11 pitches, 2 K's of his own).
The Giants won it all as they eked out a 3-1 win in game five. For the second straight game, they had amazing pitching. Another combined three-hitter. And the strikeouts? How about twelve for the victorious Giants. But Cliff Lee and Netfali Felix weren't pitchers who were strangers to strikeouts for Texas. They fanned eight of their own.
But all that, 43 K's in 43 innings, was not enough. The Giants had gotten through this with little trouble in three games. The had the big sticks, and Madison Bumgarner (Who has continued to this day to come up with great performances in the clutch) passing his first Fall Classic test, and turning the strikeout tide. Strikeouts are not always a bad thing. They are better than hitting into a double However, even when you win it all, there has to be some negativity, is what I'm trying to say, O-K?
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.
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