It’s the World Series match-up few predicted at the start of the play-offs, never mind the Major League Baseball regular season, with the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants set to go head-to-head.
The Rangers overcame online betting favourites the New York Yankees 4-2 in their seven-game series last week to book the franchise’s first ever appearance in the Fall Classic.
The Giants prevailed by a similar scoreline against the Philadelphia Phillies as they look for a first World Series success since the 1950s.
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It’s fair to say that this World Series is a battle between two underdogs and two teams which have improved dramatically since losing seasons back in 2008.
This will be a match-up of pitching against hitting with the Rangers one of the most potent forces in all of Major League Baseball against one of the meanest rotations in the Giants.
Texas scored 787 runs in the regular season with the big bats of Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero responsible for most of the damage.
Conversely San Francisco are the first team in 20 years to advance to a World Series without either a 30-homer or 90-RBI hitter in their ranks as they are most definitely driven by the razor-sharp pitching of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.
“They are a very solid team,” explained Rangers manager Ron Washington. “They can certainly pitch, and when you get to this point, pitching is the most important thing. They showed they can stay in ballgames and get timely hits. That’s what they do.”
Meanwhile, Washington has reacted with surprise at his side being installed as slight online betting favourites.
“We’re the favourites?” he said. “Well, the game is played between the lines. The team that plays the best that night will win. We may be favourites but if we don’t win, it won’t matter.”
Game one on Wednesday in San Francisco is likely to be a nip and tuck affair with both clubs set to send out their ace pitchers.
Lincecum for the Giants and Cliff Lee for the Rangers will be involved in a pitching duel at AT and T Park.
In a National League ballpark Lee will have to bat as there is no designated hitter.
However, he batted .184 with an RBI last season for the Phillies and Indians before joining Texas, so swinging the ash will not be as alien to him as it could be for some of the rotation in what promises to be an intriguing series.
