World Series Game 2: Inning by inning

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Giants, Rangers scoreless after first inning

After a combined 18 runs in the opener, World Series Game 2 got off to a much quieter start Thursday night with the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers scoreless after the first inning.

Texas starter C.J. Wilson retired Andres Torres, Freddy Sanchez and Buster Posey in order, with Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler making a nice play on Sanchez’s grounder to just beat him with the throw at first base.

San Francisco starter Matt Cain, meanwhile, also sailed through his opening frame by retiring Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and Josh Hamilton in order.

The Giants won the first game, 11-7, on Wednesday night.

Giants, Rangers still scoreless after second inning

San Francisco’s Cody Ross got the first hit of World Series Game 2, a double down the left-field line, but was left stranded as the Giants and Texas Rangers remained scoreless after two innings on a blustery Thursday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Ross got the one-out hit off Texas left-hander C.J. Wilson, then moved to third base when Aubrey Huff grounded out. But Wilson got Juan Uribe to fly out to center field to end the threat.

Cain, extending his sterling postseason record this season, has retired the first six Rangers he’s faced. The right-hander entered the game with a stingy 1.82 earned-run average in his last six starts, including two playoff starts against the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

Giants, Rangers still scoreless after three innings

The Giants’ Matt Cain and the Texas Rangers’ C.J. Wilson were locked in an early pitcher’s duel after three scoreless innings in World Series Game 2 on Thursday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Cain tried to help his own cause in the third inning with one-out single off Wilson, but Andres Torres flied out and Freddy Sanchez grounded out.

After Cain retired the first seven Rangers he faced, Texas first baseman Mitch Moreland finally got the Rangers’ first hit in the top of the third inning, a single to right field.

Moreland reached second base on Wilson’s sacrifice bunt but Elvis Andrus flied out to shallow center field.

With the Giants winning Wednesday night, 11-7, the Rangers need a win to avoid dropping the first two games in the best-of-seven series.

Rangers, Giants scoreless through four innings

The pitchers’ duel predicted in the opener of this year’s World Series arrived a day late in World Series Game 2 on Thursday night, with the Giants’ Matt Cain and the Texas Rangers’ C.J. Wilson both throwing four scoreless innings at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Wilson, the left-hander with the long sideburns, gave up a one-out walk to Pat Burrell in the fourth inning. But Wilson got Cody Ross and Aubrey Huff to fly out, and Wilson has given up only two hits.

Cain, who has allowed only one hit, also continued to frustrate Texas hitters and retired the side in order again in the fourth inning. David Murphy grounded out, Josh Hamilton flied deep to left field and Nelson Cruz struck out.

The Giants won the first game of the series, 11-7, on Wednesday night.

Renteria homer gives Giants 1-0 lead over Rangers after five innings

World Series Game 2 again proved the adage: It’s a game of inches.

After the Texas Rangers’ Ian Kinsler missed a home run by an inch or two in the top of the fifth inning, 34-year-old Edgar Renteria slugged a no-doubt homer into the left-field stands to give the Giants a 1-0 lead at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Renteria’s blast off Texas starter C.J. Wilson came after Kinslerslammed a ball to the center-field wall off San Francisco starter Matt Cain to open the fifth inning. The ball hit the top of the wall but bounced back into play.

So instead of a solo home run, Kinsler had a double. To add insult to injury for the Rangers, Kinsler was left stranded at second base when Cain got three outs before Kinsler could score.

Texas is trying to avoid losing the first two games of the best-of-seven series.

Giants still lead Rangers, 1-0, through six innings

The Texas Rangers finally mounted a threat against Matt Cain but the Giants’ right-hander shut it down to protect the Giants’ 1-0 lead through six innings in World Series Game 2 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Cain gave up one-out singles to Michael Young and Josh Hamilton in the sixth inning, then threw a wild pitch to Nelson Cruz that allowed the runners to reach second and third base.

But Cruz then popped out in foul ground near first base after the right-handed Cain jammed him with a fastball, and Ian Kinsler flied out to end the inning.

Cain, making his third start in the playoffs, still has yet to allow an earned run in the postseason.

Texas starter C.J. Wilson was doing his best to keep the Rangers in the game -- and to keep the Rangers from losing the first two games of the best-of-seven Fall Classic -- by retiring the side in the sixth inning.

Wilson has given up only three hits himself. But one of those hits was Edgar Renteria’s solo home run to left field in the fifth inning that gave San Francisco its lead.

Kinsler narrowly missed a homer of his own in the top of the fifth inning when he hit a ball that landed on the top of the center-field wall but bounced back into play for a double. Cain then shut down Texas to strand Kinsler at second base.

Uribe single gives Giants 2-0 lead over Rangers in seventh inning

The Giants’ Juan Uribe singled home a run and starter Matt Cain kept throwing scoreless ball as the Giants led the Texas Rangers, 2-0, through seven innings in World Series Game 2 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Texas starter C.J. Wilson also pitched well, but not well enough because the left-hander gave up a fifth-inning home run to 34-year-old Edgar Renteria that gave San Francisco its first run.

Then, after he walked Cody Ross to start the seventh inning, Wilson came out of the game because of a blister on his pitching hand. Reliever Darren Oliver took over and gave up a bloop single to Uribe, with Ross scoring as the ball landed beyond second baseman Ian Kinsler in shallow center field.

Cain has given up only four hits in the game, and now has gone more than 20 innings in the postseason without allowing an earned run.

The Giants, who have not won a World Series since they played in New York in 1954, are trying to gain a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series before it moves to Rangers Park in Arlington on Saturday.

Giants rout Rangers, 9-0, to take a 2-0 lead

The Rangers are in Texas-size trouble after World Series Game 2 on Thursday night.

Giants reliever and former Dodger Guillermo Mota threw a scoreless ninth inning and San Francisco routed the Rangers, 9-0, to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.

San Francisco won with Matt Cain’s brilliant pitching, key hits by Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand and with a meltdown in the Texas bullpen that led to a seven-run eighth inning for the Giants.

The Giants hope to win their first World Series since the team played in New York in 1954.

Game 3 of the series is Saturday in Arlington, Texas, at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time.

Related: Giants rout Rangers, 9-0, to take 2-0 lead in World Series