Simulated Series: Giants tame wild Tigers in Game 2

A patient San Francisco Giants offense scored the tying and go-ahead runs on bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the eighth inning and closer Sergio Romo survived a scare in the ninth as the homestanding Giants pulled out a 4-2 victory in Game 2 of USA TODAY's Simulated World Series.

The win gives the Giants a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with the action shifting to Detroit.

San Francisco got on the board first with an unearned run in the fourth when Tigers outfielder Delmon Young misplayed Marco Scutaro's fly ball and Game 1 hero Pablo Sandoval drove him home with a single past a drawn-in infield.

Thanks to another solid pitching performance from a left-hander -- this time Madison Bumgarner, who allowed one run in seven innings -- the Giants kept the Tigers scoreless until Andy Dirks hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the top of the eighth to put Detroit up 2-1.

But then the Giants went to work on Tigers reliever Al Alburquerque. Ryan Theriot drew a one-out walk and after a strikeout of Angel Pagan, Alburquerque suddenly couldn't find the plate. He forced home the tying run on a walk to Buster Posey, the go-ahead run with a free pass to Hunter Pence and an insurance run with a walk to Brandon Belt before Phil Coke finally came in to end the threat.

Sergio Romo worked out of trouble in the ninth inning, getting Dirks to fly out to deep right field with runners on the corners to end the game.

The Giants' rally spoiled a fantastic performance by Tigers starter Doug Fister, who allowed only three hits and an unearned run in his seven innings of work. He struck out eight and didn't walk a batter.

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This is the fourth season that USA TODAY has teamed up with Dynasty League Baseball to pre-play the World Series using the simulation game's online engine. While the simulated game isn't meant to be a prediction of the actual outcome, it can help reveal some of the strategies and important things to watch in the actual World Series. For example in Game 2:

-- The Tigers' lack of team speed cost them in the top of the second inning when they loaded the bases on singles by Prince Fielder, Jhonny Peralta and Avasail Garcia, but couldn't push a run across when Gerald Laird grounded into a double play.

-- The Tigers' struggles with the Giants' left-handed starters continued. Both Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner allowed just one run in seven innings of work. Lefty reliever Jeremy Affeldt has blown leads in both games, but the Giants have come back on the Tigers' bullpen to win twice.

Dynasty League Baseball, from the designer of Pursue the Pennant, is available in both the original Board version and a new Online version featuring "Series," Greatest Team bracket tournaments and continuous draft leagues.

This season, you can have your own 2012 World Series pre-play by signing up at Dynasty League Baseball.com and selecting "Series."

Special thanks to Baseball Info Solutions for their statistical analysis