2012 World Series
The 2012 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2012 season. The 108th edition of the World Series, the series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League champion San Francisco Giants and the American League champion Detroit Tigers; the Giants won in a four-game sweep. This marked the Giants' seventh World Series title in franchise history, their second in San Francisco, and their second in a three-year period. Their World Series sweep was the first by an NL team since the Cincinnati Reds swept the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 series and the first NL sweep not by the Reds since 1963, when the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the New York Yankees. This was also the first World Series since 1988 to feature both of that year's League MVPs. The Giants' Pablo Sandoval, who in Game 1 tied a record by hitting three home runs in one World Series game — two off Tigers' ace pitcher Justin Verlander — was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.
The San Francisco Giants held home field advantage for the World Series due to the NL winning the 2012 MLB All-Star Game: San Francisco hosted Games 1 and 2, and would have hosted Games 6 and 7 if these had been necessary to decide the Series. The 2012 series began on Wednesday, October 24, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California and ended on Sunday, October 28, at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, with the conclusion of the fourth game.
The Tigers advanced to the World Series after sweeping the Yankees in four games during the American League Championship Series. The Giants advanced to the World Series after winning the National League Championship Series four games to three over the St. Louis Cardinals, the 2011 World Series winners.
, this is the most recent World Series to end in a sweep; 13 World Series have been played in this span.
Background
2012 All Star Game
In accordance with the standard since 2003, the outcome of the All-Star Game decided whether the American or National League would hold home field advantage in the World Series. The National League All-Star Team won the 2012 All-Star Game, played on July 10 in Kansas City, Missouri, by a score of 8–0. Representatives of both the Giants and the Tigers played key roles in the outcome. Giant players scored and/or drove in seven of the NL All-Star team's eight runs. The NL scored five runs in the first, all yielded by a Tiger, ace Justin Verlander. Pablo Sandoval would hit a triple, and Melky Cabrera—who would wind up the All-Star Game MVP—hit a home run during the game.San Francisco Giants
The Giants finished the regular season atop the National League West with a 94–68 record, eight games ahead of the second place Los Angeles Dodgers and good enough to secure the #3 seed in the NL. They defeated the second-seeded Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, a best-of-five series, in five games. They then defeated the defending 2011 World Series champions, the fifth-seeded St. Louis Cardinals, in a seven-game series to capture the National League pennant. The manner in which the Giants defeated the Reds and then the Cardinals created some historical firsts.Because of the addition of a wildcard game, the National League Division Series between the Giants and Reds began with two games in San Francisco. Cincinnati, who posted a better won-lost record than the Giants, hosted the final three games. The Giants lost the first two games at home in San Francisco, yet won the last three on the road. The Giants became the first major league team to win three straight road games in a best-of-five playoff series after losing the first two games at home. In the second round of the playoffs, the National League Championship Series, they came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals. Through this playoff course, the 2012 Giants became the first National League team and the second team in American major league baseball history to win six consecutive playoff games in which they had faced elimination. This was the Giants' 22nd NL pennant overall, their fifth as the San Francisco Giants. Their World Series berth was their second in three years. This was the fifth World Series in which the Giants faced a team from the American League Central Division.
San Francisco's notable preseason acquisitions were outfielders Melky Cabrera and Ángel Pagán. Cabrera set the Giants' franchise record for hits in the month of May, with 51, and Pagán set the San Francisco Giants record for triples in a season, with 15. On August 15, Major League Baseball meted a 50-game suspension upon Cabrera for his use of a banned substance. At the time, his 159 hits led both leagues, his.346 batting average measured second in the NL, and he had received the 2012 All-Star Game MVP. The suspension expired after the NLDS, but the Giants opted not to add him to the team's NLCS or World Series rosters.
All-Star Buster Posey finished the regular season with a.336 batting average to win the 2012 NL batting championship. In the World Series, he would go on to catch every inning, including the shutouts in Game 2 and Game 3. He would homer in Game 4. He would, in the World Series, not allow any baserunners to advance by either passed ball, stolen base, or wild pitch. He would begin a double play in Game 1 and execute an important tag play in Game 2.
Earlier in the regular season, starting pitcher Matt Cain threw the first perfect game in Giants history, and the 22nd in American major league history, on June 13. He would start Game 4 of the World Series, which the Giants would win to clinch.
Relief pitcher Sergio Romo contributed to team success by converting 14 out of 15 save opportunities after an injury sidelined closer Brian Wilson a few days after the season began. Romo converted three saves in the World Series, including the Game 4 clincher, which ended with Romo striking out the 2012 American League MVP.
Midseason addition Marco Scutaro ended the regular season with a.306 batting average and a 20-game hitting streak. In October, Scutaro tied a League Championship Series record with 14 hits against the Cardinals, and he received the NLCS MVP. In the World Series, his Game 4 tenth-inning single drove home a run that gave the Giants a lead the team would not relinquish.
Bruce Bochy made his third World Series appearance as a manager, his second with the Giants. Bochy led San Francisco to the 2010 title. Before that, he led the 1998 San Diego Padres to the World Series, where the New York Yankees swept. Bochy would win his second World Series title.
Bochy's starting rotation for the 2012 World Series: Barry Zito in Game 1, Madison Bumgarner in Game 2, Ryan Vogelsong in Game 3 and Matt Cain in Game 4.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers finished the regular season atop the American League Central, with 88 wins and 74 losses. The Tigers repeated as champions of this division, having also won it in 2011. This was their first repeat title in the divisional-play era. The last time, before 2011–2012, that the Tigers franchise had made consecutive playoff appearances was 1934–1935.The Tigers entered the postseason as the third seed in the AL, and defeated the second-seeded Oakland Athletics in the American League Division Series three games to two. The Tigers then captured their 11th American League pennant, sweeping the top-seeded New York Yankees four games to none in the American League Championship Series. This World Series berth was their first since, when the St. Louis Cardinals defeated them four games to one. The Tigers entered the World Series as heavy favorites to win the title, despite the Giants having home-field advantage and the better regular season record.
The 2012 Tigers became the fourth team to accomplish a four-game sweep in an ALCS. The three other teams to do so did not win the World Series, and the 2012 Tigers would, in the 2012 World Series, continue this trend.
Pitcher Justin Verlander led the American League in strikeouts with 239. Max Scherzer finished second in the AL with 231 strikeouts. During the 2012 season, pitcher Doug Fister set an AL record by striking out nine consecutive batters.
Miguel Cabrera became the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown. Miguel Cabrera compiled a.330 average, hit 44 home runs, and had 139 RBIs, all of which led the American League. In the 2012 ALCS, Cabrera extended his hitting streak in LCS games to 17, a major league LCS record. Including this season, Miguel Cabrera has played in exactly 17 LCS games. Miguel Cabrera would compile a.231 batting average for, and make the last out of, the 2012 World Series.
In January 2012, prior to the start of the season, the Tigers signed first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million contract. In the 2012 World Series, Prince Fielder would manage only one hit, a single, in 14 at-bats.
Manager Jim Leyland made his third trip to the World Series, and his second with the Tigers. He managed the 1997 Florida Marlins to a seven-game victory in the World Series.
Leyland's starting rotation for the 2012 World Series: Verlander in Game 1, Doug Fister in Game 2, Aníbal Sánchez in Game 3, and Scherzer in Game 4. In Game 1 of the World Series, Verlander would not fare much better against Giant bats than he had in the All-Star Game; allowing five earned runs in four innings.
Summary
The Giants' Pablo Sandoval was named the MVP of the series after hitting.500 with three home runs.Umpiring crew
, as senior umpire, served as crew chief for the six-man crew. With his work in this Series, Davis set a new record for postseason games umpired in American major league history, with 115.Fellow regular-season crew chiefs Brian Gorman and Joe West assisted Davis, along with Fieldin Culbreth, Dan Iassogna and Brian O'Nora.
Matchups
Game 1
The Giants jumped out to a 6–0 lead, scoring in four of the first five innings of Game 1, en route to an 8–3 victory. Pablo Sandoval went four-for-four, driving in four runs on three home runs. He joined Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols as the only players to ever hit three home runs in one World Series game. Sandoval became the first to hit three homers in Game 1 of a World Series and homer in his first three plate appearances. Tigers ace pitcher Justin Verlander lasted only four innings, giving up five Giant runs. Sandoval's first two homers came off Verlander, a two-out home run in the first and two-run home run in the third after Angel Pagan doubled with two outs and scored on Marco Scutaro's single. Sandoval's third home run came in the fifth off Al Alburquerque. San Francisco starting pitcher Barry Zito allowed only one run in innings, and drove in a run with a fourth-inning single. The one run came in the sixth when Austin Jackson doubled to lead off and scored on Miguel Cabrera's single. The Giants scored their final two runs in the seventh inning off Tiger relief pitcher José Valverde, who failed to convert saves in previous stages of the postseason. Pagan doubled with one out, then scored on Scutaro's single. After Sandoval singled, Scutaro scored on Buster Posey's single. In the top of the ninth, Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run home run off George Kontos to cut the lead to 8–3, but Jeremy Affeldt came in relief of Kontos and got Ramon Santiago to ground out for the final out of the game to give the Giants a 1–0 series lead.After Zito allowed a run on three hits in the sixth inning, Tim Lincecum relieved him. Lincecum pitched perfect innings, striking out five. Three Cy Young Award winners pitched in Game 1, the first time this has happened since Game 3 of the 1983 World Series, when Jim Palmer relieved Mike Flanagan, in a contest against Steve Carlton.