SAN FRANCISCO -- Many thought the Tigers had the better starting pitching. It was unanimous that they had the better bats. Apparently, they had most of the pundits fooled. The Tigers mauled their way through the best of the American League, but apparently pawed too hard on their scratching posts during five days of scrimmages as they awaited their National League opponent. In San Francisco the savage bite of their bats was muzzled. They were swinging, swiping, trying, but they were simply declawed by the Giants starting pitchers.Detroit managed just two hits and no runs against Madison Bumgarner in Game Two. They only scored a single run against Barry Zito in Game One. The Tigers are now in a 2-0 hole that only one team in the last 15 chances has been able to scratch and claw it's way out of.RELATED: Bagg's Instant Replay -- Giants ride Bumgarner to 2-0 win
"They've been excellent," Prince Fielder said of the Giants pitchers. "They hit their spots, they play good defense, they don't make mistakes. It's part of the game. If they didn't do that, they wouldn't be here." The Giants recorded the 113th shutout in World Series history and the first since Game Four of last year. Bumgarner led the way with a career postseason-high eight strikeouts. The Tigers had two big chances to get on the board but the Giants defense robbed them. The first scoring opportunity was stopped when Fielder was thrown out at home in the second inning after a Delmon Young double. The second was when Pablo Sandoval made a leaping catch to snare a liner that could have been an RBI double for Miguel Cabrera.
"That's why you don't bat 1,000 in the season," Young said. "Leather is going to catch the ball the majority of the time." Giants pitchers have eaten the Tigers' bats alive, but inside the Detroit clubhouse they feel they only have themselves to blame. "The player executes pitches," Young said. "Not the coaches, not the front office, not the scouts, not the video on TV. Bumgarner executed it." The Tigers will get a day off to try and bury the visions of Zito's knee-buckling curve, and Bumgarner's surreal slider. They simply have to tip their caps, and move on.RATTO: Giants follow big win with small win for 2-0 lead"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Leyland said. "I don't have any perspective. We got two hits tonight. I'm certainly not going to sit here and rip my offense, because last night I thought we had some pretty good swings." Next, they get a look at Ryan Vogelsong, who is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA this postseason. It's certainly not going to get any easier. "It's going to take some work for us to come back but we have been fighting all year," Fister said. "We've had our backs against the wall before so we don't lack any confidence." If the Tigers have any reason to remain confident, it's because Anibal Sanchez, who takes the mound in Game Three in Detroit, is 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA in his career against San Francisco. Maybe a return home will bring that familiar roar back to the Tigers. Right now, it sounds more like a kittens meow.
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