Rangers Beat Giants, 5-0
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP) -- Craig Gentry had a career-high five hits and drove in two runs, Matt Harrison pitched his third career shutout and the Texas Rangers beat the short-handed San Francisco Giants 5-0 on Friday night in a rematch of the 2010 World Series.
Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler homered as Texas earned its first victory in San Francisco's waterfront ballpark after an 0-11 start, including two during the memorable Fall Classic that went to the Giants.
Harrison allowed five hits, struck out four and walked none to outlast Barry Zito (5-3) in a matchup of left-handers. Harrison (8-3) also tied Tampa Bay's David Price for the most wins in the American League.
The Giants were shut out for the first time since a 3-0 home loss to the Dodgers on Sept. 10.
Zito gave up four runs, nine hits and two walk in six innings. Zito, who was left off the postseason roster two years ago, struck out two and was touched for a pair of home runs for only the second time this season.
The Giants beat the Rangers in five games—including the finale in Texas—in 2010 to capture the franchise's first World Series since moving from New York in 1958.
So much has changed in San Francisco since.
The only player in the Giants' starting lineup Friday night that
was on that World Series roster was Nate Schierholtz, and he was filling in while Melky Cabrera rested his strained right hamstring. Catcher Buster Posey also had the day off to rest, and so many of those other postseason stars—not counting the core pitching trio of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner—are gone or injured.
Texas is still the two-time defending AL champion and boasts one of baseball's best lineups.
While ace C.J. Wilson is gone, the hitting had never slowed until lately. The Rangers had lost seven of the last nine games, including three of four this week across the bay to the Oakland Athletics, and scored a total of four runs in those losses at the Coliseum.
The short trip over the Bay Bridge made all the difference.
Kinsler pulled the second pitch of the game over the wall in
left for the first of 14 hits by Texas. It was his second leadoff home run this season and No. 22 for his career, a Rangers franchise record.
Hamilton hammered a hanging curveball from Zito in the fifth into the fifth row in center for his 22nd homer of the season. The 2010 AL MVP hadn't gone deep since May 29 against Seattle.
Gentry doubled home a run in the fourth and had an RBI single in the ninth to push the Rangers ahead 5-0. He had never had more than three hits in a game.
The Rangers had dropped seven straight in the regular season to San Francisco since a 2-0 home win on July, 16, 2001. It was the franchise's longest active losing streak to one opponent.
NOTES: Giants manager Bruce Bochy said his goal is to have 3B Pablo Sandoval back for Tuesday's series opener against Houston. The switch-hitting Sandoval is rehabbing from surgery to remove a broken hamate bone in his left hand. ... Further tests on Rangers LHP Derek Holland, placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a fatigued left shoulder, showed no structural damage. Holland will not throw for at least a week and his focus will be on strength training after a stomach virus caused him to lose 10-15 pounds. ... Combined with Monday's off day, the Rangers will give RHP Yu Darvish an extra two days off before making his next start Friday at home against Houston.
