Giants take 2-0 series lead on Bumgarner’s gem
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are halfway to a World Series title after shutting down the Detroit Tigers 2-0 for a two games-to-none series lead.
Madison Bumgarner outdueled Detroit’s Doug Fister in a classic pitchers’ duel. Bumgarner and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout. Bumgarner struck out eight in his seven innings. Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo finished the gem.
The Tigers were shut out just twice in the 162-game regular season. They now have been blanked twice in the postseason.
In their opening game win, the Giants used three homers by Pablo Sandoval to bash the Tigers. In Game 2, the Giants used small ball to win their fifth straight postseason game.
They broke a scoreless tie with a run in the seventh inning without an RBI. Hunter Pence scored on a double-play groundout by Brandon Crawford. The Giants added an insurance run in the eighth without a hit, scoring on a Pence sacrifice fly.
Fourteen of the last 15 teams that have won the first two games have gone onto win the World Series.
Today is a travel day. The series resumes Saturday night in Detroit. The Giants send out 14-game winner Ryan Vogelsong against Anibel Sanchez.
Commissioner to step aside
NEW YORK (AP) — David Stern spent nearly 30 years growing the NBA, turning a league that couldn’t even get its championship series on live prime-time TV into a projected $5 billion a year industry.
Confident the NBA is in good shape and certain he has found someone who can make it even better, the 70-year-old Stern is ready to end one of the most successful careers in sports history.
Stern will retire as commissioner Feb. 1, 2014, 30 years to the day after taking charge of the league. He’ll be replaced by Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver.
At the news conference Silver said Stern will “be remembered as the best of all-time.”
The Board of Directors also approved the sale of the Memphis Grizzlies to a group headed up by a California technology entrepreneur. The sale still must be finalized, and the Grizzlies say that is expected soon.
Lakers’ Bryant iffy for opener
UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers are not sure if Kobe Bryant is going to play in Tuesday’s opener against the Dallas Mavericks.
Bryant is nursing a bruised and strained right foot.
Upset in the Metrodome
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have posted their most impressive victory under rookie coach Greg Schiano.
Rookie Doug Martin racked up 214 total yards and two touchdowns, and the Bucs routed Minnesota 36-17 to hand the Vikings their first home loss of the season in the Metrodome.
Martin ran 29 times for 135 yards. He also caught a screen pass 64 yards for a score, one of three touchdowns thrown by Josh Freeman. Adrian Peterson had a season-long 64-yard run for a score that brought the Vikings to 30-17, but his lost fumble in Minnesota territory in the second quarter led directly to a touchdown by the Buccaneers.
The Bucs improved to 3-5 while Minnesota fell to 5-3, in second place in the NFC North behind Chicago.
“Honey Badger,” 3 other LSU players arrested
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Police say they arrested four former LSU football players, including one-time Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu, after finding them with marijuana at Mathieu’s apartment. Baton Rouge police say they also arrested ex-LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, and former defensive backs Derrick Bryant and Karnell Hatcher.
Mathieu is a cornerback known as the “Honey Badger.” He was dismissed from the Tigers in August for failing a drug test.