MLB commissioner Bud Selig hopes to someday see a “true World Series.”

He envisions the champion of MLB taking on the champion of Japan or Europe, for example. Selig said as much during the early stages of this month’s World Baseball Classic:

The goal here is to internationalize the sport. This is what we’re trying to do. In my judgment if we do it right, you won’t recognize the sport in a decade.

We’ll look back on this in retrospect one day and we’ll see a sport that is legitimately a worldwide sport. Is this doing what we set out to do? You bet it is.

As fun as the WBC is to watch, it’s a tall order to think that the MLB Players’ Union would allow Selig to stretch the season further for the Series champ. Adding the extra international round would probably be a sticking point in contract discussions.

Also, Selig already has said baseball probably won’t re-enter the Olympics, which is another possible international avenue for the sport. The IOC likely would show interest in bringing baseball back if major leaguers would play. Selig has said that is not likely to happen.

–Tony Battaglia

If you missed it last night, here are two big plays from Game 2 of the World Series.

The first is Prince Fielder getting tagged out at the plate. Check out the big guy chugging around the bases.

The other is Tigers pitcher taking a liner off the head. I’m surprised he stayed in the game.

– Rick Green

Giants 2, Tigers 0

SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, Brandon Crawford drove in the go-ahead run with a double-play grounder after a key bunt stopped just fair along the third-base line and the San Francisco Giants beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 Thursday night to take a 2-0 World Series lead.

Bumgarner, who lost both his starts in the NL playoffs, struck out eight and walked two, and Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo finished with perfect relief.

Hunter Pence led off the seventh with a single off Doug Fister, and reliever Drew Smyly walked Brandon Belt. Gregor Blanco’s bunt stopped on the dirt up the third-base line, 3 to 4 inches fair. With the infield in at the corners, Crawford grounded to second baseman Omar Infante.

Pence added a sacrifice fly in the eighth off Octavio Dotel.

–Associated Press

Here’s another look at Pablo Sandoval’s historic three-homer game against the Tiger in Game 1 of the World Series.

In his fourth at-bat, Sandoval also was locked-in at the plate. However, instead of a fourth blast, he hit a sharp liner up the middle for a single.

– Rick Green

Giants 8, Tigers 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval became just the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game, connecting twice against Justin Verlander and once off Al Alburquerque to lead the San Francisco Giants over the Detroit Tigers 8-3 in Wednesday night’s opener.
Sandoval hit a solo home run to right-center in the first, a two-run, opposite-field drive to left in the third and another bases-empty shot into the center-field batter’s eye in the fifth. He joined Babe Ruth (1926 and 1928), Reggie Jackson (1977) and Albert Pujols (2011) as the only players with three-homer games in the Series.
Barry Zito, who like Sandoval watched the 2010 Series opener from the dugout, won by allowing one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

– Associated Press

The Detroit Tigers eliminated the Oakland Athletics en route to the American League pennant.

Thanks to the San Francisco Giants clinching the National League pennant Monday night, they’re headed back to the Bay area to open the 2012 World Series.

The Giants blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 in the seventh and deciding game of the National League Champioship Series at AT&T Park. That’s where the first two games of the Series will take place, with the opener set for Wednesday night.

The Series shifts to Comerica Park for at least games three and four later this week.

Detroit, with a roster that includes former Erie SeaWolves like Justin Verlander and Omar Infante, seeks its first championship since 1984. San Francisco bids for its second in three seasons.

– Mike Copper