San Francisco Giants sweep Detroit Tigers to win World Series

DETROIT — The Giants do things a little bit differently.

Their brand of play is not particularly exciting. Their roster isn't stocked with many big-name stars. Their style from the top down is to not attract a lot of attention.

But what they do is win.

And for the second time in three years, they were the last team standing — and hugging and jumping and spraying champagne — celebrating a World Series championship after their 4-3 sweep-completing 10-inning win over the Tigers on Sunday night.

Credit the individual players. Credit manager Bruce Bochy. Credit Eckerd College-schooled general manager Brian Sabean. Credit an old-school emphasis on pitching and defense that should look familiar to Rays fans. And credit the complete product, a team that truly plays like a team.

"It's so hard in sports; it's so competitive," team president Larry Baer said amid the clubhouse craziness. "They don't assume anything. And that's one of the reasons we have a chance to win, because they don't assume anything."

The Giants' winning rally started with a leadoff single by Ryan Theriot, their unexpected designated hitter, off Tigers reliever Phil Coke. He moved to second on a Brandon Crawford bunt, then scored on a two-out single by Marco Scutaro, the National League Championship Series MVP.

"Those are our slingshots and rocks," third base coach said Tim Flannery said. "That's what we fight with."

Closer Sergio Romo came on to get the final three outs, the last on fittingly a strikeout of Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers' Triple Crown winner whose Series-long struggles were a big part of Detroit's problem.

The Giants became the 21st of the 24 teams that took 3-0 Series leads to finish a sweep. That was after they came back from a 0-2 deficit in the division series and 1-3 in the championship series.

"For us to play like we did against this great club, I couldn't be prouder of these guys," Bochy said. "For us to be world champions two out of the last three years is amazing. Believe me, I know how difficult it is to get here.

"This group of guys wouldn't be denied. You look at this club — team work, team play, play as a team, those are all used loosely. These guys truly did. They set aside their own agenda and asked what's best for the club."

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval — the Panda — was named Series MVP after hitting .500 (8-for-16) with three homers (all in Game 1).

"I'm very, very happy," he said. "I learned a lot from my last World Series (in 2010 with the Giants). I grew up; I matured."

For the Tigers, a season of grand expectation ended in massive disappointment, if not embarrassment — and in pain, as they lost second baseman Omar Infante, who had to leave in the ninth after having his left hand broken by a Santiago Casilla fastball.

"I'm a little bit flabbergasted," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Obviously, there was no doubt about it, they swept us. No bad breaks, no flukes. It's simple. They did better than us."

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The game, tied 3-3 from the sixth on, was played on a raw night, with a first-pitch temperature of 44 degrees (and a feels-like in the high 30s), gusty winds and a light rain. "Candlestickian," Baer said, referring to the Giants' former home, Candlestick Park.

The Giants, 10-1 this postseason when scoring first, broke on top first again, Hunter Pence doubling and Brandon Belt tripling for a 1-0 second inning lead.

The Tigers finally showed signs of life in the third, taking their first lead of the Series — in their 30th inning — on a two-run home run by Cabrera off Matt Cain, snapping a 20-inning scoreless streak.

Cabrera, who caused a stir by leaving without talking to the media after a poor Game 3 outing, made a statement with a drive that, taking advantage of the gusting winds, carried over the rightfield fence, scoring Austin Jackson, who walked with one out.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Giants catcher Buster Posey, a former FSU star, hit a looping two-run homer just inside the leftfield foul pole, scoring Scutaro.

The Tigers weren't quite done. Former Ray Delmon Young, homered to right with two outs in the sixth. It was Young's eighth homer in two postseasons with Detroit, most in their storied franchise history.

"It just seemed like the pieces all fit together,'' starter Matt Cain said. "A lot of us had kind of same mentality about the game. Nobody really stood out and wanted to steal the spotlight. And I think that's what helped us.''

"You know, it's a team,'' Sandoval said. "It's a team.''

World Series

Giants 4, Tigers 0

Game 1: Giants 8, Tigers 3

Game 2: Giants 2, Tigers 0

Game 3: Giants 2, Tigers 0

Sunday: Giants 4, Tigers 3, 10 innings