SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Eleven batters stepped to the plate and four pitchers toed the rubber during a record-setting bottom of the eighth inning.
It was Texas manager Ron Washington’s decision not to use All-Star closer Neftali Feliz in that fateful inning in Game 2 of the World Series that might have been the most important decision.
With Feliz watching, the Rangers’ relievers walked four straight batters and forced in the first two runs in a seven-run inning that helped the San Francisco Giants beat Texas 9-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series.
The inning started innocently enough when Darren O’Day struck out Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez. Buster Posey then reached on an infield single and Washington called on lefty Derek Holland to face left-handed Nate Schierholtz. That’s when things took a bad turn for Texas as Holland walked Schierholtz on four pitches.
Washington stuck with Holland against the right-handed Cody Ross, and Holland threw four more consecutive balls to load the bases.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything at all,” Holland said. “I was just trying to make pitches. It’s one of those things that happens. I’m not going to worry about it. I’m just going to try to be a little bit better next time.”
Holland stayed in against lefty Aubrey Huff and threw three more balls before getting his first strike of the night. Another ball followed to give the Giants a 3-0 lead. He finished the night with one strike in his 13 pitches.
Holland became just the third pitcher ever to walk at least three batters in a World Series outing without recording a single out.
“In the bullpen I was hitting all my spots and feeling good,” Holland said. “I just wasn’t controlling my fastball very well and I have to work off my fastball.”
Mark Lowe came in and walked Juan Uribe to force in another run, marking the first time a team has walked four straight batters in a World Series game.
“Any way you can get on base it helps, and if it’s walks we’ll take it,” Schierholtz said.
Lowe then allowed a two-run single to Edgar Renteria that made it 6-0.
Michael Kirkman relieved Lowe and allowed a two-run triple to pinch-hitter Aaron Rowand and an RBI double to Andres Torres before finally escaping the inning.
“You take all the runs you can get, and these guys did a great job of finding a way to get on base either through walks or big hits,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Washington said he never even considered going to the All-Star Feliz, who had 40 saves during his rookie season.
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URIBE’S RIBBIES: Juan Uribe once again made a hit count in the postseason.
Uribe hit an RBI single in the seventh inning and walked with the bases loaded in the eighth to help the Giants win Game 2. Uribe has just six hits this postseason but has driven in nine runs.
Uribe came up with one out in the seventh with Cody Ross on second base and the Giants on top 1-0. Uribe hit a soft single to center off Darren Oliver to score Ross and extend the Giants’ lead. This hit came a night after Uribe hit a three-run homer to break open Game 1.
Uribe, who won the World Series in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox, also came through in some big moments in the NL championship series against Philadelphia.
He hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in Game 4 to give the Giants a 3-1 series lead and then hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning of the pennant-clinching Game 6 victory.
Uribe became just the seventh player to have two game-winning RBIs in the eighth inning or later in the same postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last was Joe Crede for the White Sox in 2005.
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DH OPTIONS: The lack of a designated hitter in the first two games of the World Series already has wreaked havoc with the Texas Rangers’ lineup, with cleanup hitter Vladimir Guerrero not starting Game 2.
When the World Series moves to Texas this weekend, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will be the one with decisions to make.
Bochy said he will talk with his coaches about his designated hitter options on the flight to Texas. While left fielder Pat Burrell would appear to be a prime option because he is one of San Francisco’s best hitters and often is removed for defense late in games, Bochy said he’s not inclined to go that direction because of his struggles as a DH in Tampa Bay.
“If a guy is not comfortable doing something, you don’t want him in that position,” Bochy said. “That’s part of our job putting a player in that position where he’s comfortable and can succeed.”
Burrell has a .209 career average in 160 games as a designated hitter, leading to his release by the Rays earlier this season. Burrell has said he’s willing to do whatever he’s asked but it’s clear he is more comfortable in the outfield.
Other options include playing Travis Ishikawa at first base and moving Aubrey Huff to designated hitter or using Pablo Sandoval as his DH. Ishikawa also could just DH, based on his success as a pinch hitter. Bochy said he likely would use multiple options for the three games in Texas.
Huff has extensive DH experience from his time in the American League, having batted .278 with 69 homers and 240 RBIs in 401 games.
“That’s up to Boch,” Huff said. “He’s nailed the lineups all postseason. Every time he’s put something together it’s worked out. Obviously I’m comfortable DHing. I’ve done it for a long time. … I don’t care where I am. We have one goal as a team and that’s to win the World Series.”
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AROUND THE HORN: The last seven teams to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series have gone on to win it. The Yankees were the last team to overcome that deficit in 1996 against Atlanta. Overall, teams that go up 2-0 have won 40 of 51 World Series. … The 20 runs allowed by Texas are the most in a franchise’s first two World Series games. … Among the celebrities on hand were Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky and former Journey singer Steve Perry. … The Giants had lost four straight Game 2s since beating St. Louis in the 2002 NLCS. … Giants reliever got Josh Hamilton to fly out to end the eighth. Lopez has limited lefties to one hit in 13 ABs this postseason.