Pablo Sandoval Blasts Three Homers as Giants Take Game One of World Series

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 24, 2012

World Series: Game One

Giants 8 Tigers 3 - Pablo Sandoval got the Giants off to a 1-0 lead in the World Series, belting three home runs in his first three at-bats, eventually finishing 4-for-4 with four RBI.

Pablo Sandoval

Sandoval joins Reggie Jackson, Albert Pujols and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit three home runs in a single World Series game. Ruth did it twice, in 1926 and 1928.

With his solo home run in the first, Sandoval got the Giants on the board quickly, then added a two-run shot in the third inning and another bases-bare job in the fifth.

After his third ball left they yard, the Giants had built a 6-0 lead as Barry Zito was throwing up zeroes against the Tigers.

Detroit broke through for a run in the top of the sixth and added two more on Jhonny Peralta's home run in the ninth, but, by then, the Giants had already added two more runs, putting the game out of reach.

Zito was retired with two down in the sixth, giving way to Tim Lincecum, who struck out Peralta with runners on first and second, ending the threat.

Justin Verlander took the loss, yielding five runs on six hits over four innings. The first two Sandoval homers came against the Detroit starter.

Game two is Thursday at 8:07 pm EDT in San Francisco. Doug Fister goes to the mound for Detroit, facing the Giants' Madison Bumgarner.