Giants Take 3-0 World Series Lead After Shutting Out Tigers 2-0 in Game 3

DETROIT — Nothing is stopping them — not even the Triple Crown winner at the plate with the bases loaded.

Armed and accelerating, the San
Francisco Giants became the first team to throw consecutive World Series
shutouts in nearly a half-century, blanking Miguel Cabrera and the
Detroit Tigers 2-0 on a chilly Saturday night for a commanding 3-0 lead.

No team has ever blown such a
huge margin in the World Series. And with the way Ryan Vogelsong, Tim
Lincecum and the Giants are pitching, it seemed unlikely the Tigers
would even score a run, yet alone win a game.

Gregor Blanco hit an RBI triple
and trotted home on Brandon Crawford's single in the second inning, and
that was enough for the Giants. Timely hits, combined with another
dominant effort on the mound and sharp defense, put them close to their
second title in three years.

After playing a nearly perfect
Game 3, the Giants will turn to Mr. Perfect Game himself — ace Matt Cain
— to try for a sweep Sunday against Max Scherzer.

At this rate, it appeared only a
bailout by the San Francisco staff could help the Motor City. Nothing
seems to be stopping the Giants — not a switch to an AL park, not cold
weather, not playing in front of a crowd ready to rock.

Vogelsong, a career journeyman
whose path to the World Series took a detour to Japan, improved to 3-0
with a 1.09 ERA in four starts this postseason. He induced two early
double plays, then faced his stiffest test in the fifth.

The bases were loaded with one
out when Vogelsong fanned rookie Quintin Berry. That brought up Cabrera,
honored on the field before the game with an actual blue-and-gold crown
for his Triple Crown accomplishments.

With the fans chanting "M-V-P!"
and likely sensing the whole Series was riding on this at-bat, Vogelsong
seemed completely calm while chewing gum. He won the matchup, too,
getting an easy popup that prompted Cabrera to slam his bat to the
ground and elicited cheers in the San Francisco dugout.

Lincecum took over with two outs
in the sixth, and the two-time reliever looked as if he had been coming
out of the bullpen his whole life and shut down the Tigers.

Closer Sergio Romo finished off the combined five-hitter with his second save of the series.