San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Freddy Sanchez's third double of the game drove in the go-ahead run and Juan Uribe's towering three-run home run capped a six-run fifth, as San Francisco rallied to chase Cliff Lee early and down Texas, 11-7, in Game 1 of the 106th World Series.
Sanchez became the first player in Major League history to record three consecutive doubles in his first three at-bats of the World Series, finishing with four hits and three runs batted in overall. Aubrey Huff had three hits and Uribe's moon shot off relief pitcher Darren O'Day broke open a tie game.
Tim Lincecum (1-0) was the beneficiary of the offensive onslaught despite a subpar outing by his standards. The right-hander gave up four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 5 2/3 frames. The Giants have not won the World Series in 56 years and reached the Fall Classic by way of a six-game series victory over the defending National League-champion Philadelphia Phillies.
While Lincecum struggled, the Rangers' ace fared even worse. Lee (0-1) was wild in the strike zone, missing over the middle of the plate far too often, while giving up seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over just 4 2/3 frames. He entered the game with a 0.75 earned run average in three starts this postseason and a 1.26 ERA in his postseason career.
Bengie Molina finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Rangers, who are looking for their first World Series crown. Texas advanced thanks to a six-game series victory over the defending World Series-champion New York Yankees.
The bottom of the fifth started with a 2-2 score, but ended with 11 Giants coming to the plate in a flurry that opened a large lead and ended Lee's night prematurely. Andres Torres, who also ended the inning, doubled with one out and scored on Sanchez's double that rolled to the base of the wall in left- center. After a strikeout, Pat Burrell walked in front of Cody Ross, who knocked a run-scoring single to center. Huff also used the center of the diamond with a single to center, scoring Burrell for a 5-2 game. That ended Lee's night, and O'Day was greeted by Uribe's three-run homer into the left-center-field stands for an 8-2 game.
Lincecum, staked to a six-run lead, didn't make it through the sixth. After two quick strikeouts, he walked Ian Kinsler and Molina brought him home with a double. Back-to-back singles my Mitch Moreland and David Murphy plated Molina to chase Lincecum. Santiago Casilla struck out Elvis Andrus to end the threat.
The Giants added three runs in the eighth on Travis Ishikawa's run-scoring double, Sanchez's run-scoring single to right and Nate Schierholtz's RBI single to center. Vladimir Guerrero helped the Giants offense with a pair of errors in the inning.
Texas made it interesting and forced the Giants to use closer Brian Wilson in the ninth. Julio Borbon singled and moved to second on a throwing error by Ishikawa at first, then Andrus walked. After Young flied out, a wild pitch from Jeremy Affeldt moved both runners into scoring position. Hamilton worked a walk to load the bases, bringing Wilson into the game. Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly to right, and Nelson Cruz drove in two runners with a double to right- center before Kinsler hit a weak fly ball to right to end the game.
San Francisco's fifth-inning rally came after the Rangers applied nearly all of the offensive pressure early. Andrus, who has now hit safely in all 12 postseason games, singled to ignite a first-frame scoring chance.
Michael Young walked in front of ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton, who moved both runners up a base on a slow roller to first.
Then came three at-bats of kicks, caroms and momentum swings. Guerrero hit a sharp grounder destined for center field, but it kicked off Lincecum's left leg and caromed to the right of Huff at first, scoring one run and putting the two runners on the corners.
Cruz followed with a dribbler down the third-base line, Lincecum fielded it cleanly and appeared to have Young in a rundown. However, he ran Young back to third and never threw the ball to Uribe, leaving the bases loaded. Despite the miscue, Lincecum bared down and induced a Kinsler double play grounder to end the frame.
The Giants tried to strike back in the home half with Sanchez's one-out double, but he slipped when Kinsler made a nice over the shoulder grab on a fly ball to right by Buster Posey and was doubled off second to end the frame.
Texas added another run in the second with the aid of an unexpected source. Molina led off with a base hit, and with one out, Lee showed bunt before pulling the bat back and shooting a liner into the gap in left-center, putting two runners in scoring position. Molina then came home on Andrus' sacrifice fly.
The Giants struck back in the home third with the help of a rare occurrence, as Lee, who hit only one batter in the regular season, plunked Torres to put runners at first and second with one out. Sanchez followed by ripping a down- and-in offering to left for a double, scoring Edgar Renteria, who started the frame by reaching on Young's fielding error.
Posey then ripped a run-scoring single to center, bringing home Torres with the tying run. Ross ended the frame by striking out with runners at the corners.
Lee is the first American League pitcher to record an extra-base hit in the World Series since Cleveland's Chad Ogea in the 1997 Fall Classic. He is the first pitcher to accomplish the feat since Philadelphia's Joe Blanton hit a home run in Game 4 of the 2008 Fall Classic...Texas is 0-10 at AT&T Park...This is the Giants' 18th World Series appearance...Texas is the fourth team in the last six seasons to make its first World Series appearance.