Giants and Tigers Game 1: New Narratives Needed

The clicking you heard throughout the evening were narratives that had to be rewritten as the first game of the 108th World Series got underway in San Francisco. We were supposed to marvel and salivate over Justin Verlander, or Mr. Kate Upton as he may be known in some corners, and his wafer-thin 0.74 ERA in three games this postseason.

Instead Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval powered Verlander out of the picture as he etched his name into World Series lore. Now he, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols are the only four players to have three-home run games in the World Series. And with that the Giants won the first game of the series handily 8-3.

But before we talk about the particulars of this game and the series, I need to get something off of my chest. After the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the NLCS, the supposed "best fans in baseball" came out on Twitter to express their sentiments both during and after the game. With such a moniker as they have earned over the years, you would expect the class and grace that came out of every word.

A Twitter account @BestFansStLouis popped up right after the game to capture the reactions by the supposed best fans in all of baseball.

I wanted to wait a couple of days before I wrote about this because, as those who know me well, I tend to be a hothead and talk a whole lot of shit. I wanted to make sure that what I had to say was clear-headed and concise.

These people are the reason I hope the Giants win it all. I can't wait until the superfaggy gay cum from San Francisco coats everything across the country with a rainbow film of fabulousness that will instant make every guy buy a pair of kneepads and lose their gag reflexes and every gal to start wearing either a flannel shirt or a Chanel power suit with Prada power heels and have a alarming ability to read maps.

People wonder why I have no faith in the politics, the electoral system or the common person. The fact this sort of attitude still pervades the septic trough known as the "Heartland" despite an out MMA fighter and an out boxer.

Now back to the game.

Prior to this season Justin Verlander had a 5.57 ERA in eight postseason games. I suppose it was time to make his regression toward the mean, and it really was an unfortunate time for it to happen.

In the first inning with no one on and two outs, Verlander worked Sandoval to a quick 0-2 count: a fastball down and away that was called a strike and a changeup almost ankle high that was fouled off. Verlander wanted to work the ladder to Sandoval and tossed a letter-high fastball hoping he would chase.

It work. Sandoval chased the bad pitch. However unfortunately for Verlander and the Tigers, Sandoval lined the ball to nearly the deepest part of centerfield over the wall for the game's first score.

But on Verlander went on with his business, the Sandoval homer seemingly a mere hiccup. In the bottom of the third inning and with two outs, the top of the order came back around. Angel Pagan fouled of five pitches, and on the eighth pitch he grounded a double that bounced off the third base bag and dribbled into left field. Making matters worse Marco Scutaro singled to center field that scored Pagan and paved the way for Sandoval.

This time Verlander fell behind 2-0 and three a fastball away. Left-handed hitters usually don't hit that ball, but Sandoval isn't just anybody. Sandoval went opposite field with that homer to give the Giants the 4-0 lead.

Sandoval proved it wasn't only Verlander he was out to destroy. He also burned Al Alburquerque with a solo shot in the fifth inning to make it a 6-0 Giants lead, this time on an ankle-high slider.

This 8-3 beatdown was a continued rewriting of the same narrative that lingered through the steroids era. With the designated hitter, the American League had the more offense, the more dynamic baseball, the better teams. The National League, especially the stupid NL West, had to rely on their pitching to win games 1-0.

But here we are, the National League winning the last two World Series and the last three All Star Games. The Giants were the team that exploded all over last year's American League Cy Young and MVP winner. And they were the team that trotted a former Cy Young winner in Barry Zito whose career was dead two years ago — Zito wasn't on any of the postseason rosters when the Giants won the World Series in 2010. They trotted out another former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum to relieve Zito in the sixth inning who was known more for being lost on the mound this season.

Lincecum became the first former Cy Young winner to relieve another former Cy Young winner in the World Series since Jim Palmer relieved Mike Flanagan for the Baltimore Orioles in the 1983 World Series.

So this might not be the best thing to watch for a Los Angeles sports fan, but at least it's better and more meaningful than a preseason Lakers-Clippers game without Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul where the Lakers are still trying to figure out their modified Princeton offense. Is hockey back yet?