Like the early Halloween revelers who filtered from the bars around Comerica Park and into the stands Saturday night, the San Francisco Giants have undergone a dramatic autumn costume change, from wide-eyed underdogs to ruthless front-runners, Andrew Keh writes in the New York Times.
Earlier this month, they fell to a two-games-to-none deficit before winning their National League division series and a three-games-to-one deficit before emerging from the championship series. But now, after navigating expertly to a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers, they carry an authoritative three-games-to-none advantage in the World Series.
“I think with where we were at in the N.L.D.S. and obviously the C.S., it just gave us the momentum and the drive that we needed to know that we can do anything if our backs are against the wall,” said Tim Lincecum, who has made a personal transformation, from Cy Young-winning starter to bullpen stopper. “When we’re in the driver’s seat, and we’re up three-nothing, we’re looking to make a statement there, and that’s what we’re looking for tomorrow.”
After teetering ingloriously through one elimination game after another, the Giants have now won six straight games in the postseason and have not trailed a single inning during one of those games. They will seek to clinch their second championship in three years on Sunday, sending Matt Cain to face Max Scherzer of the Tigers at Comerica Park.
