Tigers go up 2-1 after 3, trying to avoid WS sweep

The Tigers just got some help from the elements _ perhaps their first break of the entire Series.

A strong gust of wind blowing out to right field carried Miguel Cabrera’s two-out drive into the seats for a two-run homer in the third inning.

Detroit is up 2-1, its first lead in the Series and the first time the Giants have trailed in 57 innings since Game 4 of the NLCS against St. Louis.

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Save for the back-to-back extra-base hits that gave the Giants their lead, Tigers starter Max Scherzer looks pretty sharp on nine days’ rest.

He’s using his changeup and he got a big out when cleanup hitter Buster Posey flied out with runners at the corners to end the top of the third inning.

There was talk that Scherzer was dealing with a sore shoulder down the stretch, but he’s pitched well in the postseason. This is only his third start, and he was held to a total of 11 innings during the first two. But he racked up 18 strikeouts in those two games and compiled a 0.82 ERA.

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Strong defense has been a huge part of the Giants’ success in this Series so far. First baseman Brandon Belt made an excellent pick when third baseman Pablo Sandoval short-hopped a throw in the third.

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Sandoval singled in the third for his 24th hit this postseason, one shy of the record for a single postseason held by Marquis Grissom (1995), Darin Erstad (2002) and David Freese (2011).

If the Giants finish off the sweep tonight, Sandoval is a sure-fire bet to win World Series MVP.

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Detroit wastes a leadoff single in the bottom of the second by Delmon Young, one of the few Tigers hitters pulling his weight so far.

Prince Fielder is 1 for 12 in the Series.

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