By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer
A position-by-position look at the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants going into the World Series, starting tonight at AT&T Park:
First Base
• Tigers: Prince Fielder. The son of former Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder was still sitting out there on the free-agent market last winter when Detroit DH Victor Martinez sustained a season-ending knee injury. So the Tigers made a bold move and quickly signed Fielder to a $214 million, nine-year contract. Durable and disciplined at the plate, the hefty bopper provides excellent lineup protection for Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Fielder, however, batted only .211 with a homer and three RBIs during the AL playoffs.
• Giants: Brandon Belt. A highly regarded prospect when he reached the majors in 2011, the 24-year-old Belt has made steady progress and emerged as the team’s regular first baseman this season. He hit only seven home runs but showed some pop late in the NL championship series against St. Louis.
Edge: Tigers.
Second Base
• Tigers: Omar Infante. Acquired from Miami in July to plug a hole at second base, the 2010 NL All-Star is a versatile veteran who can handle the bat. Infante is back for his second stint with the Tigers, but he had only one plate appearance when Detroit lost the 2006 World Series to the Cardinals in five games.
• Giants: Marco Scutaro. Like his counterpart, Scutaro was obtained days before the trade deadline and has proved to be a nice upgrade at second base. A pesky player for years, he took his game to a new level after quietly arriving from Colorado in an overlooked deal for Charlie Culberson. Scutaro batted .362 with 44 RBIs and 40 runs in 61 games for the Giants. Then he hit .500 in the NLCS to earn MVP honors, matching an LCS record with 14 hits. No wonder his new teammates nicknamed him “The Blockbuster.” With his bat control and ability to hit the ball to right field, Scutaro has been a perfect fit in the No. 2 hole.
Edge: Giants.
Shortstop
• Tigers: Jhonny Peralta. A deserving All-Star a year ago, Peralta plummeted to .239 with 13 homers this season. But he packs power for a shortstop and played extremely well on offense and defense during an ALCS sweep of the New York Yankees.
• Giants: Brandon Crawford. The second-year player out of UCLA has been able to hold down the job despite a .304 on-base percentage and .653 OPS in the No. 8 spot in the lineup. He also made 18 errors. But there is talent and potential in both his bat and glove.
Edge: Tigers.
Third Base
• Tigers: Miguel Cabrera. Probably the most complete hitter in the game, Cabrera batted .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBIs to become baseball’s first Triple Crown winner since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Mostly held in check during the AL playoffs, Cabrera remains a fearsome sight at the plate for opposing pitchers and managers. He’s had alcohol issues off the field, but he unselfishly switched from first base back to third when the Tigers landed Fielder.
• Giants: Pablo Sandoval. The portly switch-hitter was slowed by injuries this season but fulfilled his crucial role as a run-producer in the playoffs, hitting .320 with three homers and nine RBIs. “Kung Fu Panda” has an RBI in five straight games, making up for his October flop in 2010 during San Francisco’s championship run.
Edge: Tigers.
Catcher
• Tigers: Alex Avila. A surprising All-Star last season, when he had an .895 OPS with 19 homers and 82 RBIs, Avila saw his numbers drop this year to .736 with nine homers and 48 RBIs. He still carries a dangerous bat, though. Avila often sits against left-handed pitchers in favor of Gerald Laird, a capable backup.
• Giants: Buster Posey. The NL batting champion and a leading contender for MVP, Posey really picked it up in the second half while All-Star teammate Melky Cabrera was suspended following a positive testosterone test. Posey is a winning player who seems to do everything right, from handling the quality pitching staff to delivering clutch hits from his cleanup spot. He was the NL Rookie of the Year when the Giants won it all in 2010, then he was injured most of last year and San Francisco missed the playoffs. Now, he’s healthy again and the team is back in the World Series. Not a coincidence. He’s been slumping in the postseason, though, other than a grand slam in the deciding Game 5 at Cincinnati.
Edge: Giants.
Left Field
• Tigers: Delmon Young. MVP of the AL championship series, Young is normally Detroit’s designated hitter, so the Tigers will have to downgrade their already spotty defense to keep his hot bat in the lineup when National League rules apply in San Francisco. It’s probably a move worth making, because Young has been at his best in big games and he provides important lineup protection as a dangerous right-handed bat behind Fielder. Young owns the club record with seven postseason homers — all in the past two years — and ranks second in RBIs (14). The top pick in the 2003 draft by Tampa Bay, he has plenty of outfield experience but his defense is suspect. Andy Dirks or speedy rookie Quintin Berry usually plays left.
• Giants: Gregor Blanco. An outstanding defensive player, Blanco made his mark with a sensational catch that saved Matt Cain’s perfect game in June. Normally he doesn’t offer much power at the plate, but he does have four extra-base hits and four RBIs in the postseason. Blanco stole 26 bases this year and he can work a walk with his sharp eye.
Edge: Tigers.
Center Field
• Tigers: Austin Jackson. An athletic leadoff man who can really go get it in center, Jackson bounced back from a poor 2011 season by refining his approach at the plate. He cut his strikeouts way down, drew more walks and finished with an excellent .377 on-base percentage this year. He has some power, too, adding 16 homers and an AL-high 10 triples. Now in his third major league season, the 25-year-old Jackson was acquired from the Yankees in that big three-team trade with Arizona in December 2009.
• Giants: Angel Pagan. San Francisco found a switch-hitting leadoff man when it obtained the speedy Pagan from the New York Mets in an offseason trade. He led the majors with 15 triples and was 29 for 36 on stolen-base attempts. Pagan lacks great instincts and he had a .246 OBP during the NL playoffs. But he’s a multiskilled player who can do several different things to impact a game.
Edge: Tigers.
Right Field
• Tigers: Avisail Garcia or Andy Dirks or Quintin Berry. Called up from the minors late in the season, the 21-year-old Garcia hit .319 in 47 at-bats and possesses a rocket arm. He has been starting against left-handed pitchers and coming in for pinch-hit duty and defense in the late innings of other games. He was 5 for 11 (.455) with a double and three RBIs in the ALCS. Dirks hit .322 this season in 314 at-bats. Berry stole 21 bases without getting caught. Both are left-handed hitters.
• Giants: Hunter Pence. Another midseason acquisition by savvy general manager Brian Sabean, Pence is a proven RBI man who adds much-needed punch to an offense that ranked last in the majors with 103 home runs. The two-time All-Star has slumped at the plate since coming over from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, but he’s quickly become a vocal leader in the San Francisco clubhouse. Teammates needle Pence about his awkward style of play, and he had a bizarre double in Game 7 of the NLCS that sliced through the infield after his broken bat contacted the ball three times as he completed his swing.
Edge: Giants.
Designated Hitter
• Tigers: Delmon Young. When the series shifts to Detroit in Game 3, Young can move back to DH and the Tigers can choose between Dirks, Berry and Garcia at the corner outfield spots, improving their defense.
• Giants: Pablo Sandoval or Buster Posey or Aubrey Huff. San Francisco has several options here on the road. Sandoval could move to DH to make room for a reliable glove man like Joaquin Arias or Ryan Theriot. Rookie catcher Hector Sanchez could give Posey a break behind the plate. Or the Giants might try the left-handed hitting Huff against one of Detroit’s four right-handed starters.
Edge: Tigers.
Starting Pitchers
• Tigers: It all begins with the best pitcher in baseball, Justin Verlander. The reigning AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner has a chance to turn this postseason into his personal showcase after going 3-0 with a 0.74 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 24 1-3 innings in three playoff starts. The hard-throwing right-hander is rested and ready to go in Game 1. But he’s not the only quality arm in a rotation that’s on a roll. Anibal Sanchez, acquired from Miami in the same July trade that netted Infante, and Doug Fister were inconsistent during the season. Both, however, have hit their stride in October. Max Scherzer had 231 strikeouts this year, second in the majors to Verlander’s 239. He was slowed by a shoulder problem in late September, but went 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 11 innings in two playoff starts. In fact, Tigers starters are 4-1 with a 1.02 ERA this postseason after the entire staff held the Yankees to six runs in the ALCS.
• Giants: Pitching carried San Francisco to its World Series title two years ago and the deep rotation is still a consummate strength. Matt Cain anchored the group this season, going 16-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 219 1-3 innings. He threw the franchise’s first perfecto, started and won the All-Star game, and pitched a pair of series clinchers in the playoffs. After a heavy workload all year and a Game 7 victory in the NLCS, he’s likely lined up to pitch Games 3 and 7 of the World Series. Zany left-hander Barry Zito, a $126 million bust for much of his time with the Giants, gets the ball in the opener after his Game 5 gem at St. Louis saved the season. Missing the dominant stuff he once had in Oakland, Zito revived his career by winning 15 games this year and pitched particularly well down the stretch. The Giants have won his past 13 starts. Longtime journeyman Ryan Vogelsong has blossomed into an All-Star in San Francisco and he went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three playoff starts. Vogelsong won’t be fully rested until the series gets to Detroit, so the question for the Giants is whether to start Tim Lincecum or lefty Madison Bumgarner in Game 2. Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and 2010 postseason star, fell to 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA this year. He pitched well in relief during the playoffs, then was shaky in his lone NLCS start. Bumgarner has struggled mightily in October after going 16-11 with a 3.37 ERA during the regular season. San Francisco limited the Cardinals to one run over the final three games of the NL championship series.
Edge: Even.
Bullpen
• Tigers: While the starters have been rock-solid, this is an area of concern. Excitable closer Jose Valverde was perfect on save opportunities last season, but vulnerable at times this year — and it only got worse in the postseason. He blew a pair of ninth-inning leads during the playoffs, including a four-run cushion in the ALCS opener at Yankee Stadium before sitting out the rest of the series. Detroit manager Jim Leyland said Valverde will be on the World Series roster, but it was unclear what his role might be. Setup man Joaquin Benoit has been shaky at times, too. Phil Coke, usually a left-handed specialist, saved two games against the Yankees and tossed 7 1-3 scoreless innings in the playoffs. The stellar performance of Detroit’s dominant starters has often masked the uncertainty in the bullpen, but that’s no sure bet to continue.
• Giants: After losing All-Star closer Brian Wilson to a season-ending injury in April, the Giants have pieced things together nicely. Santiago Casilla held down the job for a while before Sergio Romo took over. He has a win, a save and a 1.17 ERA in seven postseason games. Javier Lopez is lights-out against left-handed hitters and Jeremy Affeldt has pitched 8 1-3 shutout innings this postseason. Perhaps the best chip the Giants have is three left-handed relievers to use against Fielder in the late innings. Affeldt, Lopez and Jose Mijares could even be joined by Bumgarner, too, if he’s relegated to the bullpen.
Edge: Giants.
Bench
• Tigers: Newcomers such as Berry and Garcia bring energy, speed and strong defense off the bench — as long as they’re not overwhelmed by the moment. They might be too green to feel the pressure anyway. Laird is reliable and gets regular playing time against left-handers. Dirks would be a nice option in a pinch-hitting role. There’s no legitimate thumper if the Tigers end up looking for a long ball — unless they add Brennan Boesch to the roster. He was left off during the first two rounds. Leyland always seems to trust his bench players, which could come in handy when pitchers bat in the NL ballpark.
• Giants: Huff and Xavier Nady offer experience and power if called upon for a crucial at-bat. Huff from the left side, Nady from the right. Neither has received steady at-bats lately, though, and it might be difficult to stay sharp. They were a combined 1 for 13 during the playoffs. Arias often replaces Sandoval at third base for late-inning defense. Theriot is a veteran and occasionally a pesky out. Sanchez could be tabbed to catch Zito or Lincecum. There’s not much speed on the bench.
Edge: Tigers.
Manager
• Tigers: Jim Leyland. In the final year of his contract, the cigarette-smoking Leyland is making his seventh postseason appearance and third trip to the World Series. He won a ring with the 1997 Marlins and is trying to join old pal Tony La Russa and former Tigers skipper Sparky Anderson as the only managers to win a World Series title in both leagues. There’s no doubt the 67-year-old Leyland has a terrific touch with both big stars and role players, and it certainly shows on this team. He’s always been reluctant to try pitching Verlander on short rest, and that could be a decision that draws scrutiny again. Handling the bullpen might be a difficult chore, too.
• Giants: Bruce Bochy. Sometimes overlooked and often underrated, Bochy proved long ago that he’s a first-rate manager. Handed a splendid pitching staff and a flawed lineup once again, he has San Francisco back in the World Series for the second time in three years. His never-say-die team fell way behind in both the division series and NLCS, only to reel off a record-tying six straight wins in postseason elimination games. Bochy really knows how to get the most out of a bullpen and he has plenty of attractive options out there — even without Wilson.
Edge: Even.
Pick: Tigers in 5.
