Giants blank Tigers to take 2-0 World Series lead

• The Giants take a 2-0 World Series lead
• Teams that take a 2-0 series lead win 79% of the time
• The Tigers were shutout just twice during the regular season

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Detroit Tigers entered the World Series with their rotation perfectly set up and rested. They return home down 2-0, and now it's the San Francisco Giants who have their stud starters lined up.

After getting outstanding starts from their two left-handers – including a two-hit gem over seven innings from Madison Bumgarner in Thursday's 2-0 victory – the Giants are in prime position to claim their second World Series championship in three years.

BOX SCORE:Giants 2, Tigers 0

Their staff has thrown three shutouts in the last five games, holding opponents to a total of four runs in that span. Ryan Vogelsong, who has posted a 1.42 ERA in three postseason starts, and ace right-hander Matt Cain will take the ball Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at Comerica Park.

"We're undoubtedly in a good position, but baseball is difficult to predict,'' second baseman Marco Scutaro said. "Our chances looked pretty bad when we went to Cincinnati, and look what happened.''

The Giants came back from two games down to beat the Cincinnati Reds in the Division Series, then climbed out of a 3-1 hole against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

Thursday, a critical play involving Scutaro showed that not only is the rotation now aligned in the Giants' favor, but possibly the stars as well.

The Tigers came within inches of scoring the game's first run in the second inning, but Prince Fielder was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Delmon Young double with no outs.

The double sent left fielder Gregor Blanco scrambling to retrieve the ball past the bullpen area, prompting third-base coach Gene Lamont to gamble and send the 275-pound Fielder to the plate.

Blanco's throw overshot shortstop Brandon Crawford, but Scutaro caught it and his perfect peg allowed catcher Buster Posey to apply a swipe tag to nab Fielder.

Instead of runners on second and third with no outs, the Tigers had Young at second with one out, and Bumgarner retired the next two batters easily.

"That was huge,'' said Bumgarner, who had allowed 10 runs in two playoff starts covering eight innings. "I think that might have been a momentum-shifter for me because I had some trouble in the second, third, fourth innings the last couple of starts, and defense bailed me out there.''

Except, depending on whom you talked to, Scutaro should not have been in position to make that play.

"I didn't think Scutaro had to be there,'' Blanco said. "I don't know what he was doing there, but it was great to have him there. He made a perfect throw to Posey.''

Scutaro said he was in the correct spot and pointed out he worked on that play in spring training, which he actually spent with the Colorado Rockies, who sent him to San Francisco in a July 27 trade.

With Detroit starter Doug Fister nearly as sharp as Bumgarner, the game remained scoreless until the seventh, when another break helped the Giants scratch out a run.

With runners on first and second and nobody out, Blanco laid down a bunt attempting to sacrifice. The ball rolled alongside the third-base line but refused to go foul as the Tigers expected, allowing Blanco to reach base.

Crawford followed with a double-play grounder that put San Francisco ahead. It was the first time in a World Series game that a ground ball gave a team a lead in the seventh inning or later.

"I never was one to say that luck has a lot to do with this game. I felt like you created your own luck,'' Vogelsong said, recalling the Angel Pagan double off third base that ignited a Game 1 rally. "But we've definitely had some stuff go our way in the last few days.''

San Francisco tacked on an insurance run in the eighth without the benefit of a hit, as three walks preceded a sacrifice fly by slumping Hunter Pence.

That was more than enough for Bumgarner and two relievers, with Sergio Romo getting the save.

Bumgarner followed his eight shutout innings in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series with nearly as masterful an outing, holding the Tigers to two hits.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first pitcher to begin his World Series career with 15-plus scoreless innings since Bruce Hurst of the Red Sox in 1986. He also became the first Giant since Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson in 1905 to not allow a run in his first two career World Series starts.

Fielder said the Giants deserve credit for taking advantage of opportunities.

"We definitely haven't lost. We've just been getting beat,'' said Fielder, who argued the call at the plate, which replays showed to be correct. "Losing is when you're not playing good baseball at all. When you get beat, the other team does more things to win."

And sometimes also get the breaks to go its way.