Cain helps Giants shut out Texas

2010 World Series, Game 2 of 7:
San Francisco Giants 9-0 Texas Rangers (Giants lead series 2-0)
Dates: 27 October - 4 November
Coverage: Live commentary of all games on BBC 5 live sports extra and BBC Sport website (UK users only). Also live on ESPN America. Reports of each game on BBC Sport website & Ceefax
Listen to BBC commentary of Games 1 & 2 on BBC iPlayer (UK users only)

Cain continued his remarkable post-season record

San Francisco Giants hammered Texas Rangers 9-0 at AT&T Park on Thursday evening to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven World Series.

Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain kept the Rangers bats silent for seven and two-thirds innings, before his team-mates smashed seven runs in the eighth.

Cain, who gave up four hits, has not allowed an earned run in more than 21 post-season innings pitched.

The series now moves to Texas, with the third match on Saturday evening.

In contrast to San Francisco's 11-7 victory in the opening match, game two looked set to be a closely fought pitching duel between right-hander Cain and Texas left-hander C.J. Wilson.

606: DEBATE The last 11 teams to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series have gone on to win it BBC Sport's Mark Mitchener

By the time Wilson had left the game with a blister on his left middle finger early in the seventh inning, the only run on the board had come from shortstop Edgar Renteria's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Juan Uribe drove in Cody Ross in the seventh to double San Francisco's lead, but when Texas reliever Darren O'Day struck out the first two Giants batters in the bottom of the eighth, the Rangers might have legitimately expected to be heading into their final inning at the plate within reach of their opponents.

After Buster Posey singled, O'Day was replaced by leftie Derek Holland, who promptly walked the first three batters he faced, walking in a run.

It got no better for the Rangers as Holland's replacement Mark Lowe gave up a walk and a single, yielding three more runs.

Lowe was pulled for Michael Kirkman, the fourth pitcher of the inning, but he fared no better as pinch-hitter Aaron Rowand hit a triple, scoring two baserunners, and centre fielder Andres Torres smacked a double to drive in Rowand.

Hollywood actor and comedian Rob Schneider cheers on the Giants

But while Giants fans left the stadium dreaming of a "4-0 sweep", first baseman Aubrey Huff warned them that the wounded Rangers will seek to bounce back in Saturday's third game in Arlington.

"We're going to their place and they're going to be fired up," said Huff.

"Their fans have been waiting a long time for this, and they're going to be loud. So we have to go in there, take the first one and worry about the next one.

"All they have to do is win the next one and they're right back in it."

Rangers third baseman Michael Young had similar sentiments, adding: "There's no need for us to change anything. We just need to produce different results.

"We'll keep the same mentality and play our best baseball heading back home to Texas. This team is the most mentally tough group I've ever been around."

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