Ryan Vogelsong, 2012 World Series, Game 3, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

source: Lance Iversen, San Francisco Chronicle

Tonight, Ryan Vogelsong won his first World Series game. It was his second consecutive start where he failed to yield a run. It wasn't one of his best starts, but as he's done in the past, he got himself out of trouble 3 times.

Vogelsong's won 3 of his 4 post-season starts. The only start where he didn't get a decision was his first post-season start in Game 3 in the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds. His pitching effort is pivotal because he allowed only 1 run and left the game with the score tied 1-1. The Giants go on to win the game 2-1, and save themselves from being eliminated. From there, the Giants win the remaining 2 games in the series to advance to the League Championship Series.

Back to tonight's game. The San Francisco Giants defense (led by left fielder Gregor Blanco, 2nd baseman Marco Scutaro and shortstop Brandon Crawford) played a huge role in maintaining the shutout, winning 2-0 to the Detroit Tigers, the same score as it was in Game 2.

Here is a recap of the Tigers' scoring threats:

Jam I: Bottom 1st inning:
Tigers center field Austin Jackson grounds out. Left fielder Quintin Berry walks after a full count. 2012 American League Triple Crown King 3rd baseman Miguel Cabrera then hits a single. 1 out, 2 on base, 1st baseman Prince Fielder hits into a 4-6-3 (Scutaro-Crawford-Belt) double play to end the inning.

Jam II: Bottom 3rd inning;
Tigers catcher Alex Avila strikes out. 2nd baseman Omar Infante singles. Center fielder Austin Jackson gets an infield hit. 1 out, 2 on base. Berry ends the inning by hitting into another 4-6-3 double play.

Jam III (Vogelsong's biggest jam) Bottom 5th inning:
Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta lines out to Giants 3rd baseman Pablo Sandoval. Avila and Infante both hit singles to right field. Austin Jackson walks after a full count. With the bases loaded, Quintin Berry strikes out and Cabrera pops out to Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford to end the inning.

Relief pitching by 2-time Cy Young Winner Tim Lincecum (2 1/3 innings) and Sergio Romo (1 inning) close out to end the game. Giants are now up in the World Series 3-0 to the Tigers.

All of this information can be read from a gazillion news sources, but I'm writing it for my blog because I don't want to forget what happened tonight. I don't want to forget Ryan Vogelsong's incredible story and what his pitching has done for the San Francisco Giants. It's the tale I want to tell to wide-eyed kids 10, 20, and 30 years from now.

Game 4 begins tomorrow. As it was in 2010, apologies to the rest of the baseball world for making the games look so one-sided. The Giants will approach this as they did when they were down 0-2 to the Cincinnati Reds and 1-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals, one game at a time. There's still work to do. Maintain the great pitching and defense. Stay tuned.