Schedule and 2010 Results
Regular Season Records: San Francisco 92-70, Texas 90-72
Game 1 on Wednesday, 27 October: Texas loses at San Francisco, 11-runs-7
Game 2 on Thursday, 28 October: Texas loses at San Francisco, 9-runs-nil
Game 3 on Saturday, 30 October: San Francisco loses at Texas, 4-runs-2
Game 4 on Sunday, 31 October: San Francisco wins at Texas, 4-runs-nil
Game 5 on Monday, 01 November: San Francisco wins at Texas, 3-runs-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: Winning their first World Series as the San Francisco Giants and their first since the Giants relocated from New York, the San Francisco Giants visited and defeated the Texas Rangers 3-runs-1 for a 4-games-1 victory in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1121, the 2010 MLB Finals. With the series 1121 victory, the San Francisco Giants improve their MLB best-of-7 playoff series record to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the MLB Finals. With the series 1121 loss, the Texas Rangers see their MLB best-of-7 playoff series record fall to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the MLB Finals. The win order for the victorious San Francisco Giants was WWLWW in series 1121: Series 1121 thus becomes the seventh MLB Finals, the 14th MLB series (all rounds), and the 100th MLB/NBA/NHL series to follow this win order to completion. It may be of some minor note that the precursor entity to the San Francisco Giants - the New York Giants - followed the WWLWW win order to victory in series 26 (the 1933 MLB Finals), while the San Francisco Giants themselves also followed the WWLWW win order to victory in series 871 (in the 2002 MLB Semifinals round; specifically, in the 2002 National League Championship Series). Series 1121 Game 5 was scoreless through six full innings: Series 1121 Game 5 thus became the 23rd best-of-7 format MLB Finals game overall, and the first since series 956 Game 3 (in which the Chicago White Sox visited the Houston Astros in the 2005 MLB Finals), to be scoreless through six full innings. Series 1121 is the first MLB Finals since 1998 in which no fourth-inning runs were scored; other best-of-7 MLB Finals series in which no fourth-inning runs were scored were those of 1954 [won by the New York Giants], 1927, and 1922 [lost by the New York Giants].

After Game 4: The San Francisco Giants visited and shut out the Texas Rangers 4-runs-nil to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1121. The Texas Rangers trail an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-1 for the first time. When leading an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-1, the San Francisco Giants have a 3-0 series record and a 2-1 Game 5 record (the sole Game 5 loss was sustained in series 1120 Game 5, to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2010 MLB Semifinals [National League Championship Series] immediately preceding series 1121). Series 1121 Game 4 saw the first shutout by a road team in the MLB Finals since series 956 Game 4, in which the Chicago White Sox accomplished the feat 1-run-nil in Houston against the Astros in the 2005 MLB Finals. Series 1121 Game 4 is the most one-sided shutout by a road team in the MLB Finals since series 722 Game 2, in which the Atlanta Braves shut out the Yankees in New York 4-runs-nil in the 1996 MLB Finals. In the MLB Finals, four of the last five shutouts by road teams have now occurred in Game 4; the first three best-of-7 MLB Finals shutouts by road teams in fourth games occurred in series 2, 3, and 4, with the Chicago Cubs winning 1-run-nil in Chicago against the White Sox in 1906 MLB Finals Game 4, winning 2-runs-nil in Detroit against the Tigers in 1907 MLB Finals Game 4, and winning 3-runs-nil in Detroit against the Tigers in 1908 MLB Finals Game 4. In best-of-7 MLB Finals history, the first shutout by a road team was notched in series 1 Game 1, by the New York Giants (precursors to today's San Francisco Giants) 3-runs-nil over the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1905 MLB Finals.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1121 in Texas, the host Rangers defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-runs-2 to cut the Giants series 1121 lead to 2-games-1. The Texas Rangers trail an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1 for the first time. When leading an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the San Francisco Giants have a 3-0 series record and a 3-0 Game 4 record. With a 1-0 home record in best-of-7 MLB Finals, the Texas Rangers join the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-0) as the only undefeated MLB teams at home in best-of-7 MLB Finals series (of course, series 1121 Games 4-5 still loom in Texas for the Rangers). The San Francisco Giants fall to 2-8 in MLB Finals road games. MLB teams such as San Francisco with a WWL win order after the first three games of a best-of-7 playoff series are on an active nine-series winning streak, irrespective of round or site.

After Game 2: Achieving the most one-sided MLB best-of-7 playoff Game 2 shutout ever and the most one-sided MLB Finals shutout since Game 7 of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 458 (the 1985 MLB Finals, in which the Kansas City Royals hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 11-runs-nil), the San Francisco Giants hosted and defeated the Texas Rangers 9-runs-nil to take a 2-games-nil lead in series 1121, the 2010 MLB Finals. San Francisco notched a seven-run bottom of the eighth inning to secure the 9-runs-nil victory: This seven-run bottom of the eighth is the highest-scoring MLB best-of-7 Finals game bottom of the eighth inning ever, and ties the seven-run bottom of the eighth in series 820 Game 2 (in which the New York Yankees hosted the Seattle Mariners in the 2000 MLB Semifinals) for highest-scoring bottom of the eighth inning ever in an MLB best-of-7 playoff game. The Texas Rangers face a 2-games-nil deficit for the first time in an MLB best-of-7 playoff series. When leading an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-nil, the San Francisco Giants have a 1-0 series record and a 0-1 Game 3 record. In MLB best-of-7 Finals, teams (such as the 2010 San Francisco Giants) which win Games 1-2 at home have an active twelve-series winning streak. With twenty total runs in series 1121 Games 1-2, San Francisco ties the Chicago Cubs (in series 904 - in the 2003 MLB Semifinals) and the New York Yankees (in series 137 - the 1960 MLB Finals) for the most total runs in the first two games of an MLB best-of-7 playoff series. The San Francisco Giants have now played a total of eleven MLB Finals home games in four MLB Finals series. Here are some of the MLB best-of-7 Finals-round records now held by the Giants in games played in San Francisco: Most runs scored in an MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home game (16, in 2002 World Series Game 5); most runs scored in two consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (27, in 2002 World Series Game 5 and 2010 World Series Game 1); most runs scored in three consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (36, in 2002 World Series Game 5 through 2010 World Series Game 2); most runs scored in four consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (40, in 2002 World Series Game 4 through 2010 World Series Game 2); most runs scored in five consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (44, in 2002 World Series Game 3 through 2010 World Series Game 2); most runs scored in six consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (50, in 1989 World Series Game 4 through 2010 World Series Game 2); most runs scored in seven consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (57, in 1989 World Series Game 3 through 2010 World Series Game 2); most runs scored in eight consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (57, in 1962 World Series Game 7 through 2010 World Series Game 2; tied by the Brooklyn Dodgers with their 57 runs in eight Brooklyn games from 1953 World Series Game 3 through 1956 World Series Game 2); most runs scored in nine consecutive MLB best-of-7 Finals-round home games (62, in 1962 World Series Game 6 through 2010 World Series Game 2). The Giants would need 4+ runs in a 2010 World Series Game 6 to take the "ten consecutive home game" record of 66 runs from the New York Yankees, and 8+ runs in a 2010 World Series Game 6 and Game 7 to take the "11 consecutive home game" record of 70 runs from the Yankees. In the three, four, five, and six consecutive-home-game cases, the Giants have improved upon records they have already held. Prodigious output indeed.

After Game 1: The San Francisco Giants hosted and defeated the Texas Rangers 11-runs-7 for a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1121, the 2010 MLB Finals. When leading an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the San Francisco Giants have a 3-1 series record and a 1-3 Game 2 record. When trailing an MLB best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the Texas Rangers have a 1-0 series record and a 1-0 Game 2 record. With the series 1121 Game 1 win, the San Francisco Giants extend their MLB best-of-7 playoff series Game 1 winning streak to four games. In the history of MLB best-of-7 Finals, teams winning Game 1 at home are on an active nine-series winning streak. The 11 runs by San Francisco in series 1121 Game 1 are the most by one team in an MLB Finals game since series 1022 Game 1, in which the Boston Red Sox plated 13 runs in Boston to open the 2007 MLB Finals. The 18 total runs in series 1121 Game 1 are the most in an MLB Finals game since series 938 Game 1, in which the Boston Red Sox hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 11-runs-9 to open the 2004 MLB Finals. San Francisco trailed series 1121 Game 1 by two runs as late as after the top of the third inning: In the history of MLB best-of-7 playoff games from 1905 through the 2010 MLB Semifinals, home teams trailing by two runs after 2.5 innings had only a 27-56 (.325) game record. The latest in series 1121 Game 1 in which the trailing Texas Rangers had any in-game precedent for a comeback was after seven full innings: In the history of MLB best-of-7 playoff games from 1905 through the 2010 MLB Semifinals, road teams trailing by four runs had only a 1-63 game record (the sole victory was achieved by the New York Yankees in Texas against the Rangers, in series 1119 Game 1 during the 2010 MLB Semifinals).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2010 regular season, San Francisco finished two games ahead of Texas. From 1905 through the 2010 MLB Semifinals, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season games, they have posted a 5-6 (.455) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1121 is the second best-of-7 playoff series for the Texas Rangers, and the eighth for the San Francisco Giants. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, Texas has a 1-0 series record, a 0-0 Finals-round series record, and a 0-1 Game 1 record, while San Francisco has a 3-4 series record, a 0-3 Finals-round record, and a 4-3 Game 1 record. Series 1121 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants. The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants bring a combined MLB best-of-7 playoff series experience of eight series with them into series 1121, which matches series 1055 (when the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays brought a combined MLB best-of-7 playoff series experience of eight series with them into the 2008 MLB Finals) and series 956 (when the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros brought a combined MLB best-of-7 playoff series experience of eight series with them into the 2005 MLB Finals) for MLB Finals featuring teams with relatively little combined MLB best-of-7 playoff series experience - in the last fifty years, the two teams that brought the least combined MLB best-of-7 playoff series experience with them into the MLB Finals were the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets in series 216 (i.e., a combined one previous MLB best-of-7 playoff series' worth of experience into the 1969 MLB Finals).