It’s over. They’ve done it. And I’m still trying to make sure it’s real.

The San Francisco Giants are World Series champions.

Fifty-six years in the waiting for Giants fans, 52 years for San Francisco Giants, and 37 years for this Giants fan.

The only thing that would make this better is if I had put $100 on the Giants to win the Series back at the start of the season.

I don’t know what the odds were, but I’m pretty sure you could have got good odds on that happening back in March.

And if I had put another $50 on Edgar Renteria being the Series MVP, I’d be sitting on a pretty big winning pot.

But that’s the way it’s gone for this group. The only thing we can expect is the unexpected.

EDGAR THE MVP?!?!?

Edgar Renteria started the season hot and he was still hitting .320 on April 30 when he strained his groin. He rested the injury for five days before returning on May 6. Then he aggravated the injury and went on the 15-day DL.

The Giants activated him from the DL on May 22. On May 26, he strained his hamstring, and he went back on the DL.

He was activated on June 16, but struggled after returning from the DL.

On August 11, he landed back on the DL a left biceps strain.

He was activated on September 1, but only because rosters were expanded.

He started only seven games in September and none after Sept. 17 because of an inflamed elbow.

He played on Oct. 1 to show he was ready to be on the postseason roster. There was some talk about leaving him off the postseason reason. But there were no better options, so Renteria was put on the roster.

Then in Game 2 of the NLDS, Renteria came in as a pinch-hitter in the 10th and dropped down a bunt single. But the Giants couldn’t get him home. On the first ball put in play in the 11th was a groundout to short. On that play, Renteria suffered a torn biceps tendon. But he played on.

He started Games 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the NLCS. He started all five games at short in the World Series, delivering a key home run in Game 2, going 3 for 4 in Game 4 and then the huge three-run home run in Game 5.

Renteria became the fourth player to have the game-winning RBI in two Series clinching wins, joining — get this — Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra.

Well done, Edgar.

TWO-OUT MAGIC

And, of course, Renteria’s three-run blast came with two outs.

Just like the Giants have done all postseason. In the Series, 17 of 29 runs scored were with two outs.

FOX: YOU GUYS STINK!

Giants fans were flying high. Edgar Renteria just hit a 3-run homer, giving Tim Lincecum a three-run cushion.

It’s the bottom of the seventh. Nelson Cruz just homered to make 3-1 San Francisco. After a walk, the Rangers have a runner on first and one out. The Giants are seven outs away from the World Series title.

Then Fox went and did it. They threw up a graphic: World Series fact: The last team to come back from a deficit of three runs or more in the seventh inning or later: Game 6 of the 2002 World Series.

That graphic went up, and I actually averted my eyes for a moment.

After Lincecum struck out David Murphy, Joe Buck commented on that graphic, noting that “it’s not a graphic that Giants fans want to read.”

My wife, not the keenest baseball observer, wondered why Giants fans would be upset by that graphic, because the Giants were leading at the time the graphic went up. She didn’t catch that the Angels rallied against the Giants.

So she asked me to clarify. I simply mumbled “I don’t know.”

BOCHY AND A TOUCH OF TORTURE

I don’t want to be the guy who is second-guessing Bruce Bochy. The Giants manager has made all the right moves this postseason.

But when Brian Wilson came out in the ninth, I winced. Lincecum had only thrown 101 pitches at that point. He could have throw 120 or more. He had mystified Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero all night. They were the first two up in the ninth.

I agreed with Tim McCarver. I would have let Lincecum face those guys. If either got on, then go to Wilson.

And if Bochy was going to go to the pen, why not go with Javier Lopez to face Hamilton, then go to Wilson.

But Bochy called on Wilson, and what happened? Wilson set the Rangers down 1-2-3.

That was back-to-back 1-2-3 outings from Wilson in Texas.

Yeah, yeah, Wilson did push Nelson Cruz to a 3-2 count.

But then he reared back and blew it past Cruz.

Torture no more. Only Rapture!!!!!

The lineups are in, and Bruce Bochy must be reading More Splash Hits.

Well, sort of.

Pat’s bat is in the Game 5 lineup, but not his glove.

Pat Burrell will be the DH in Game 5, batting in the No. 7 hole.

Here’s the lineup:

RF Andres Torres

2B Freddy Sanchez

C Buster Posey

LF Cody Ross

3B Juan Uribe

1B Aubrey Huff

DH Pat Burrell

SS Edgar Renteria

CF Aaron Rowand

Mitch Williams on MLB Network said he was surprised by the move, saying Burrell didn’t like to DH in the AL and his production as a DH led to him being cut in Tampa Bay.

But his production as the Giants left fielder in this Series who warrant getting him cut by the Giants if it continued for several weeks.

So there’s nothing to lose putting Burrell as the DH. If he can put the bat on the ball, he could change the game with one swing. Also remember it was Burrell’s walk in the fifth of Game 1 that contributed to a big inning against Cliff Lee.

I think Bochy wanted to put his best defense in the outfield. Against the lefty Lee, that’s Ross, Rowand and Torres. So then your DH options are Burrell, Pablo Sandoval (who hit .227 with 1 HR from the right side), Travis Ishikawa (who hit .111 against LH pitching) or Nate Schierholtz (who actually hits .294 against LH pitching).

Given those options, an uncomfortable Burrell is the best bet.

QUESTIONS WITH LINEUP

Bochy and More Splash Hits were in agreement with many aspects of the Game 5 lineup: Burrell at DH, Burrell hitting deep in the lineup, Rowand hitting No. 9.

But like he did in Game 1 against Lee, he’s moving Aubrey Huff down to the No. 6 hole.

The numbers say Huff is the same hitter against RH pitcher or LH pitchers.

He hit .296 vs. LH pitching this season, .287 vs. RH pitching. His on-base percentage is .378 vs. LH, .388 vs. RH. Slugging is dead-even, .506 vs. .506.

Against Lee in Game 1, Huff was 2 for 3 with a double and RBI.

In the postseason, Huff is 3 for 8 with two RBI against LH starters.

But Bochy goes with Buster Posey No. 3 (that’s fine; that’s where he should be); Cody Ross No. 4 (team leader in postseason HRs; fine) and then Juan Uribe.

Don’t look now, but Uribe is hitting. 140 this postseason. It’s just that every hit Uribe has this postseason has counted — his home run in Game 6 of the NLCS, his 3-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series, his dunker for an RBI single in Game 2.

So if Bochy is moving Huff out of the No. 3 hole, then put him in No. 5 spot with Uribe No. 6.

But most of Bochy’s moves have worked out this postseason, so we’ll see.

OUTFIELD ALIGNMENT

The other major difference between the MSH’s lineup and Bochy’s was Rowand in CF and Torres in RF.

I put Torres in center because he’s the better center fielder. All the numbers say so.

Range Factor favors Torres over Rowand 2.66-2.54. The league average for RF is .259.

Total Zone fielding runs above average (which basically counts the number of runs saved above or below the average CF) Torres wins again +7 to +2.

Torres has kept 42.9 pct of runners from taking an extra base. Rowand 39.2 pct.

Rowand does have an advantage is catchers thrown out at home in the postseason. Rowand threw out Carlos Ruiz in Game 4 of the NLCS. Torres could not throw out Bengie Molina on a sac fly in Game 1 of the Series.

Bottom line on why Bochy went with Rowand in CF. That’s where he’s comfortable. Rowand has not play anywhere but centerfield since 2004 when he was with the White Sox.

Torres played 84 games this year in CF, 43 in RF and 37 in LF.

ON FINAL STAT

A lot has been made about how good Cliff Lee has been this postseason. But all of his preview four postseason starts have come on the road — two in Tampa Bay, one in New York, one in San Francisco.

So how has Lee pitched in Arlington?

He’s 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA in seven starts.

OK, trivia time!

In the Giants’ previous two trips to the World Series in which a DH was used, what four players did the Giants use in the DH spot?

While you stew on that, how about the Giants’ DH on Sunday. Aubrey Huff came threw with a huge two-run home run in the third inning that gave the Giants the early 2-0 lead.

Huff led the Giants with 26 home runs. But it seemed like a long time since Huff Daddy went deep. And it was — Sept. 25 at Colorado.

But Huff has been contributing this postseason in little ways.

In the NLDS and NLCS, Huff was 10 for 39 (.256) — all singles. But he did knock in four runs and score four runs.

In the first three games of the World Series, Huff was 4 for 10 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. On Sunday, he finally went deep, rocketing Tommy Hunter’s first pitch to him in the third for a two-run shot down the right-field line.

It was the first home run by a starting National League DH in the World Series since 2002. Do you remember who that was?

Shawon Dunston.

“And he told me about it, too,” Huff told MLB Network Matt Yallof. Dunston is now a bench coach for the Giants.

Well, Aubrey can tell Dunston that the Giants won the game when Huff went deep as a DH. (If you don’t remember which game Dunston hit his home run in 2002, we won’t remind you).

It’s great the Giants had an experienced DH to put in that spot Sunday. It’s nice to have some experienced hitters to go to as potential DH. In the Giants’ previous trips to the Series, the question was “Who do we have to DH?”

OK, trivia answer time. In 1989, the Giants used Ernest Riles as DH in Games 1 and 2 in Oakland. In 2002, they used Tsuyoshi Shinjo (remember him?), Dunston and Pedro Feliz as DH. All three of those players batted in the No. 9 spot at the DH.

So even though Pablo Sandoval didn’t do anything as DH in Game 3, he was at least a better option than what the Giants had in 2002

So who is the DH Monday against lefty Cliff Lee?

Well if it’s our call, it’s Pat Burrell.

Bruce Bochy said Burrell would be back in the lineup in Game 5 after sitting Sunday. But does that mean he’s in left field?

Burrell said he doesn’t like to DH and struggled in the spot with the Rays. But he’s been struggling at the plate in this series while playing left field. So I don’t know what the Giants are risking with Burrell as a DH. He needs to focus on his hitting. That’s why he’s in the lineup. And Cody Ross made some great defensive plays in left field in Game 4 that were huge.

Bochy went with the defensive alignment behind Madison Bumgarner in Game 4. He should keep that same mindset in Game 5.

Besides, what are the other options? Bochy started only one lefty in Game 1 against Lee — Huff, who went 2 for 3. So the other two RH options to DH would be Aaron Rowand, who would likely get the start in the OF if Burrell is the DH, or Pablo Sandoval.

Sandoval hit .227 with 1 HR as a right-handed batter.  Rowand hit .211 with 4 homers against lefties this season.

I like the idea of Rowand in left, hitting in No. 9 hole, than Burrell in left and Sandoval at DH.

So here’s my lineup for Game 5:

CF Andres Torres
2B Freddy Sanchez
1B Aubrey Huff
C Buster Posey
RF Cody Ross
DH Pat Burrell
3B Juan Uribe
SS Edgar Renteria
LF Aaron Rowand

Madison Bumgarner was great, the Giants made Tommy Hunter work and got to the Rangers bullpen early and Aubrey Huff gave the Giants the early lead.

It could not have been a better Halloween for the G-men.

The Giants needed to get one win in Texas, and they got it. Now they send Tim Lincecum to the mound with a chance to clinch. Even if things don’t go their way Monday, they’ll get Matt Cain at home in Game 6. I like those chances.

But let’s get it done Monday. The Giants clinched on the road in Atlanta. They clinched on the road in Philadelphia. Let’s complete the trifecta in Texas.

The Giants increased their odds for winning a World Series title. Forty of the 51 teams to go up 2-0 won the Series (78 percent). Now, the stat to look at is this: 38 of 44 teams to go up 3-1 (86 percent) have won the Series.

BAT ON BALL

We mentioned the importance of doing the little things for the Giants. That’s what they did in Game 4.

San Francisco hitters had a great game, even though they plated only four runs.

Here’s a stat that floored me when I heard it: It was not until the fourth inning, on Tommy Hunter’s 72nd pitch of the game, that the Giants had a swing and a miss.

Really? The Giants?!? I can’t remember how many times the Giants came up this season in a contact situation and struck out swinging.

But not on Sunday. Andres Torres opened the third by falling behind 1-2 to Tommy Hunter, then fouled off three balls to work the count to 2-2 before doubling off the first base bag in an 8-pitch at-bat.

Freddy Sanchez tried to get Torres to third. He fouled off six pitches — five with the count 0-2 — before grounding out to third in a nine-pitch at-bat.

Then on the first pitch to Aubrey Huff …. GONE!

GLOVE ON BALL

Is it possible for a guy to go 0 for 4 at the plate and be the star of the game?

If so, then that’s Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez was all over the place, starting double plays, snaring line drives. Even the Rangers’ first hit of the game was on a ball that Sanchez smothered and almost recorded an out on.

And Sanchez also made a nice pick-and-tag on a stolen base attempt by Josh Hamilton.

Great game, Freddy!

NO-GANDO

If you need another reason to be optimistic about the Giants’ chance, there’s the news that one of the best pitchers in what has been a shaky bullpen for the Rangers is done for the series.

Alexi Ogando pulled a muscle on his left side while throwing a pitch to Juan Uribe in the sixth.
 
He left the game. Texas manager Ron Washington said he will be replaced on the roster.

Ogando had thrown 3 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks in two World Series games.

There are lots of things that we can look back on when you lose.

And Game 3 of the World Series is no different.

But we don’t want to linger over things like, oh, another sub-par outing from Jonathan Sanchez, the idea of a Sanchez-Colby Lewis rematch in Game 7 if the series goes that deep, the fact the Giants could not get to the Rangers bullpen Saturday, or that the Giants couldn’t get on the board early, or the platinum sombrero for Pat Burrell.

No,no. We are going to stay positive.

So here are reasons to be positive about the Giants in the World Series.

• The Giants still lead the series 2-1. If you had told us going into the Series that the Giants would be up 2-1 after three games, we’d take it.
• If you told us a month ago that the Giants would still be playing on Halloween, we’d take that, too.
• The Giants need two wins to take the title and have starts coming from Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.
• With the Giants not facing a clinching win on Sunday, I won’t have to worry watching the game on Sunday night and having to get up every so often to go to the front door and yell “Will you kids stop ringing my doorbell! Don’t you know the Giants are about to clinch their first World Series title in 56 years?!?!?!”
• The Giants are 7-1 in their past eight Game 4s of a best-of-7 series.
• The Giants will face Tommy Hunter in Game 4, not Cliff Lee. After making his 2010 debut on June 5, Hunter opened the season 8-0 with a 2.31 ERA. After that, he went 5-4 with 5.08 ERA.
• Hunter is 7-0 at home, but six of those wins came in that 8-0 start.
• In the postseason, he’s 0-1 with 6.34 ERA. He’s failed to pitch into the fifth inning in either start.
• Madison Bumgarner, the Giants’ Game 4 starter, was 6-3 with 1.91 ERA in road starts this season. He gave up 2 earned runs in six innings in his lone postseason road start.
• It’s Halloween Night, a night made for black and orange!!!

I guess Sunday is a laundry day.

The final weekend of the regular season, I went to a men’s church retreat at the beach. I brought three Giants shirts to wear over the weekend, expecting the Giants to clinch the NL West Division title against the Padres.

I wore an orange Giants T-shirt on Friday (cuz it was Orange Friday), but the Giants lost.

I broke out the black “Gigantes” T-shirt on Saturday, but the Giants lost.

So I went to the white Giants shirt with orange/black trim. I remember telling a fellow Giant fan that morning “This is the winning shirt.” And the Giants won.

I didn’t think much about it. Until I put that same shirt on for Game 1 of the NLCS, and the Giants won. So I began to think maybe there was something in this shirt.

I broke it out for Game 3 of the NLCS, another win.

I broke it out for Game 6 of the NLCS, another win.

So then I kept wearing it on game day. Game 1 of the World Series. Game 2 of the World Series. Win. Win.

I had it on Saturday, and I guess it ran out of luck.

Or maybe whatever I wear really doesn’t have an impact on the games. Really, when you think about it, it’s kind of silly. A grown man worrying about what shirt to wear. I think the experience has helped me gain proper perspective.

So I’ll find something else to wear Sunday for Game 4 of the World Series … as I watch the game from my lucky chair.

Well, we’ve all been reveling in the Giants’ first two victories in the World Series.

I’ve even caught myself allowing thoughts of World Series championships swim around in my head on Friday. But just as those thoughts make a couple of laps, they run head-on into some bad memories. Then thoughts turn to: Is this how the Giants are going to break my heart this time?

So now is the time for the Giants, and all the Giants faithful, to take those first games and set them aside. A new series starts Saturday in Arlington, and they need to find a way to win Saturday. Take nothing for granted. Giants fans know well there are no sure things.

WHO IS COLBY LEWIS?

That’s a question a lot of Giants fans are asking. And it’s a reasonable question.

Even the Yankees, who play in the same league as the Rangers, were not that familiar with Lewis and it hurt them.

Here’s what we know about Colby Lewis.

The reason you don’t know much about Colby Lewis is that prior to 2010, he spent two season pitching in Japan. Lewis came up with the Rangers in 2002, making 26 starts and going 10-9 in 2003. But he missed 2004 after rotator cuff surgery. The Tigers claimed him off waivers after 2004 season. Lewis returned to the majors briefly at the end of 2006. He made 26 appearances for the A’s in 2007 before being claimed off waivers by the Royals, then later released after the 2007 season.

He signed Hiroshima of Japan’s Central League in 2008, where he led the league in strikeouts in 2008 and 2009.

He signed a two-year deal with the Rangers last winter, and went 12-13 with a 3.72 ERA for Texas. He struck out 196 batters in 201 IP.

His season was almost a mirror of Game 2 starter C.J. Wilson. Lewis lost seven straight decisions from last July to early September before winning three of his last four starts in September.

Lewis has been very good in the postseason. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Rays, a game Tampa eventually won 6-3 by beating the Texas bullpen (sound familiar?).

In the ALCS vs. the Yankees, he got the win in Game 2, giving up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. In Game 6, he was even better, pitching eight innings, allowing one run on three hits.

Lewis has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last eight starts, including three in the postseason. Yankee right-handed hitters struggled against Lewis. The Giants lineup likely will have six RH bats in it.

Lewis lives on the edges of the plate, preferring to pitch away away hitters. The Giants will need to hit to the opposite field or they’ll be popping up or grounding out.

Because he lives on the edges, Lewis can sometimes lose the plate, so being patient and fouling off pitches will be key for the Giants. If they can extend at-bats and innings and get Lewis’ pitch count up — like they did with Cliff Lee — that’s how they’ll succeed. It will also hasten Ron Washington to go to the bullpen. That is the goal.

Also scoring early will be important. The Giants have scored 20 runs in two games, but they haven’t score a run in the first or second innings. Scoring early will put pressure on the Rangers.

WHICH SANCHEZ WILL SHOW?

Of the four Giants pitchers who made 33 starts this season, who had the lowest ERA?

If you said Jonathan Sanchez, you’d be right. His 3.07 ERA topped Cain (3.14), Lincecum (3.43) and Zito (4.15).

Sanchez was 4-1 in September/October regular-season starts. In his lone loss, he gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings.

While he led the league in walks allowed, his 6.6 hits per nine innings was also the best in the NL.

In his first two postseason starts, he gave three earned runs in 13 IP, with 18 strikeouts.

We bring up these facts because the memory of his 2+ inning start in Game 6 of the NLCS is still fresh in Giants fans minds. Sanchez has been solid this season, and not the inconsistent pitch we’ve seen so often.

Bruce Bochy called his Game 6 NLCS start as a hiccup. We can only hope so. If Sanchez can return to the form he had in the nine starts before last Saturday’s start in Philly, the Giants should be just fine.

PANDA AS DH

Pablo Sandoval will get the start Saturday as the DH.

Sandoval is one of three Giants hitters who have yet to swing the bat in the Series, along with Mike Fontenot and backup catch Eli Whiteside. Fontenot was announced as a pinch-hitter in Game 2, but was quickly replaced by Aaron Rowand after a pitching change.

The Giants are going with this lineup:

CF Andres Torres
2B Freddy Sanchez
1B Aubrey Huff
C Buster Posey
LF Pat Burrell
RF Cody Ross
3B Juan Uribe
DH Pablo Sandoval
SS Edgar Renteria

That’s 3 lefty bats with switch-hitters Torres and Sandoval and lefty Huff.

Given how Lewis has handled RH batters recently, the Giants could have squeezed in another LH bat by starting Travis Ishikawa at 1B, Huff at DH, Sandoval at 3B and Uribe at SS.

But clearly Bochy likes the defensive alignment of Renteria and Uribe on the left side, and Renteria has been swinging the bat well.

CLIFF LEE IN GAME 4?

If the Giants win Game 3, it would almost guarantee seeing Cliff Lee start Game 4 on Sunday. But if the Rangers win, it leaves room to think.

Tommy Hunter is the scheduled Game 4 starter. He was warming up in the eighth inning as the Rangers ran through their bullpen trying to find someone to get the final out.

That doesn’t mean too much. We saw Madison Bumgarner throw in the pen in Game 2 of the NLCS. He didn’t get in the game, and then still started Game 4.

Yeah, we know Brian Wilson didn’t pitch in Game 2. But that doesn’t mean the Giants can’t feel some good vibrations after their 9-0 win over the Rangers on Thursday.

So as I sit here watch MLB Network’s replay of Game 2, I’d like to share some thoughts about why the Giants ought to be feeling pretty good about where they are right now.

DOINK!!!

If you don’t think that maybe the Baseball Gods are ready to smile on the Giants, just take another look at Ian Kinsler’s double in the fifth inning Thursday.

Here’s the link to Game 2 highlights where you can find a replay of the hit:

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12924837&topic_id=14871776&c_id=sf

The ball bounced off the top of the wall and back to center fielder Andres Torres. So instead of a solo home run and a 1-0 Texas lead, Kinsler had to settle for a leadoff double. And then Matt Cain stranded Kinsler there to preserve the 0-0 score.

Kinsler gave the media the slip after the game, but Brian Wilson had this take: “I was thinking that wall was perfectly designed for tonight.”

Sounds good to us.

The next inning, Edgar Renteria takes C.J. Wilson deep, and the Giants led 1-0.

MORE STATS

In World Series history, 51 teams have taken a 2-0 series lead, with 40 of those teams going on to win the World Series.

The last seven teams to take a 2-0 series lead have taken the Series and 13 of the last 14.

We mentioned after Game 1 that the Giants had won eight consecutive postseason Game 1s. What we didn’t mention was what the Giants’ record in Game 2 following those previous seven Game 1 victories. It was 1-6. In fact, going all the way back to the 1989 postseason, the Giants were 1-9 in Game 2s. But the Giants got the Game 2 win on Thursday.

After Game 2, the Rangers basically talked about how the Giants took care of business at their home park. So now it’s time for the Rangers to do the same at their home park. It’s a good theory, except for these numbers: The Rangers are 2-3 at home this postseason; The Giants are 4-1 on the road.

RALLY PANTS

All of us in Giants Nation are trying to do our part to help the Giants win their first World Series in more than half century.

You know, wearing the same wardrobe, following the same routines, as long as they result in a Giants win. A little bit of karma goes a long way.

Well, you’ll be happy to know Giants announcer Duane Kuiper is doing his part.

Kuiper received a pair of “rally pants” from a Giants fan at AT&T Park who apparently owns the company that makes some of the garish pants that golfer John Daly wears.

Kuiper changed into the pants during Thursday’s Game 2 and shortly afterward, Renteria belted his home run. The Giants added an insurance run in the seventh, then blew through for seven in the eighth.

Mike Krukow, Kuip’s cohort in the booth, described the rally pants as orange, pink and white argyle-style.

The pants may not land Kuip on any best-dressed lists, but as Kruk said, “they’ve got runs in them.”

Ewwwwwww!!!!!!

Well, regardless of what they have in them, keep wearing the pants, Kuip!!