- Pablo Sandoval is one of those weird hitters, who is impossible to gauge when using basic baseball logic. He was down 0-2 in the count at the most difficult park to hit a home run in the major leagues, while facing the best pitcher in baseball, when he lined a solo home run off Verlander in the first inning. Then an opposite field shot to make it 4-0. What he does best is put the ball in play. Sandoval strikes out remarkably little for a middle-of-the-order hitter. He only had 12 home runs this season
- Verlander's pitch count is way too high, , after three innings. It's imperative he gets through seven innings. Starting pitching is the Tigers' strength. The bullpen is their weakness. It is the bottom line. Angel Pagan's grounder hitting third base wasn't only costly because it led to a second Giants run, and then a huge inning, but it also elevated Verlander's pitch count. All two out RBI.
- The Tigers should do better the second time around against Giants' starter Barry Zito. Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera both got really good swings the second time they faced him.
 Jhonny Peralta continued his stellar play at shortstop in the postseason, getting Marco Scutaro on a slow roller. He wasn't making that play much this regular season. All he has done in the postseason is make that play. It's a stunning transformation.
- It's already apparent the Giants are much better defensively than either the A's or the Yankees. The Tigers will have to earn their way on. Left fielder Gregor Blanco made an excellent diving catch to rob Miguel Cabrera to end the third. Shortstop Brandon Crawford made a difficult play on a slow roller hit by Avisail Garcia look easy.
- Watching pitchers hit is entertaining only in the sense it is comical. The at bats by Zito and Verlander were unusually lame even by the standards of pitchers.