The 2012 baseball season was one that won’t soon be forgotten. By winning their seventh World Series championship, the San Francisco Giants etched their name in baseball history.
The 2012 World Series saw the Detroit Tigers face off against the San Francisco Giants. Both teams had very different paths to the Fall Classic. The Tigers played well in the first two rounds, defeating the Oakland Athletics three games to two in the Division Series then made quick work of the New York Yankees, sweeping them four games to none in the League Championship Series. The Giants on the other hand had a very tough path to the World Series. They quickly found themselves down two games to none in the Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds before storming back to win three games to two. Things again looked bleak in the League Championship Series as they fell down three games to one before improbably coming back again to win the series four games to three and advance to the World Series.
Giants’ third baseman Pablo Sandoval set the tone for the World Series in Game 1 by blasting three home runs, two off of Justin Verlander, the 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young winner. “I thought Sandoval had the single greatest World Series performance of all time,” said Chris Peterson, a Marywood sophomore. San Francisco took Game 1 by a score of 8-3.
In Game 2, Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who had struggled previously in the playoffs, dominated the Tigers high-profile offense and the Giants won 2-0. Game 3 saw a similar result as Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong shut down the Tigers with the Giants again winning 2-0. The Giants completed the sweep by defeating the Tigers 4-3 in extra innings in the fourth and final game of the World Series.
The series saw a fitting ending, with Serigio Romo, the Giants’ all-star closer, striking out Miguel Cabrera, the first Triple Crown winner (league leader in average, home runs, and runs batted in) since 1967.
Tigers fan and Marywood student Steve Gaylets said, “The Tigers were at a disadvantage because they had a long layoff between series after dominating the Yankees. The Tigers great pitching just didn’t show up in the World Series.”
Marywood senior Jon Woytach said, “It was a fun World Series even though one team swept. It was cool to see great pitching shut down a great offensive team.”
Pablo Sandoval was awarded World Series MVP for his performance. This was San Francisco’s second World Series in the past three seasons and their seventh title overall.
