[Inquirer Sports] Juan Uribe smacked a three-run home run to spark a six-run fifth inning and the San Francisco Giants outslugged Texas 11-7 on Wednesday to capture the opening game of the 106th World Series.

Uribe's blast helped the Giants seize command of Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final, which has gone to winners of the opener in 11 of the past 13 years, a good omen for the hosts in this matchup of title-starved squads.

The Giants seek their first World Series title since 1954, four years before the club moved from New York. The Rangers seek the first World Series crown in their 50-season history after having not won a playoff series until this month.

Texas southpaw pitcher Cliff Lee, one victory shy of matching a record with his seventh triumphant playoff start in a row, instead suffered his first career post-season defeat, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.

San Francisco right-hander Tim Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner as best pitcher making his first playoff run, allowed four runs on eight hits but the long-haired hurler baffled baseball's top batting lineup at times.

The Giants broke open a 2-2 game in the fifth, a spurt that began when Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez smacked back-to-back doubles. Sanchez's was his third in three tries and the last of five doubles surrendered by Lee.

Sanchez scored from second on a two-out single by Cody Ross and Pat Burrell, who had walked, scored from second on an Aubrey Huff single, prompting Texas to replace Lee with sidearm reliever Darren O'Day.

Dominican slugger Uribe smashed the third offering from O'Day into the left-field stands to stretch San Francisco's lead to 8-2.

Lincecum completed a run of retiring 13 of 14 batters with two strikeouts in the sixth but then walked Ian Kinsler and Bengie Molina, a catcher traded from the Giants to Texas at mid-season, doubled to left to score Kinsler.

The Rangers pulled within 8-4 on back-to-back singles by Mitch Moreland and David Murphy to end Lincecum's night but Santiago Casilla entered and struck out Elvis Andrus to end the threat.

Texas boasted the top batting lineup in Major League Baseball with a .276 average but San Francisco countered with a pitching staff that led the majors with a 3.36 earned-run average.

The Giants padded their lead in the eighth when Travis Ishikawa doubled to score Edgar Renteria and then scored himself on a single by Sanchez, who crossed the plate with San Francisco's final run on a Nate Schierholtz single.

An error and two walks by Giants relief pitchers allowed Texas to load the bases in the ninth, but San Francisco's bearded closing ace Brian Wilson entered.

Although three more Texas runs crossed the plate, Wilson obtained the final two outs to end a slugfest that saw both teams combine for 25 hits and six errors on what had been expected to be a night for stellar pitching.

Texas leadoff hitter Andrus opened the game with a single to left, advanced when Michael Young walked and took third base on Josh Hamilton's ground out.

Dominican slugger Vladimir Guerrero then smacked the ball off Lincecum's left leg for an infield single that scored Andrus and sent Young to third.

Wilson Cruz followed by chopping a ground ball to Lincecum, who had a chance to catch Young in a rundown but instead was content to force him back to third, leaving the bases loaded.

Lincecum escaped unharmed, however, by inducing an inning-ending double play ground ball from Kinsler.

Texas stretched the lead to 2-0 in the second when Molina singled to right, reached third on a double by Lee and scored on an Andrus sacrifice fly.

Lee's shock double was the first extra-base hit by an American League pitcher in a World Series since 1997. Pitchers in AL games are replaced by designated hitters.

The Giants answered in the third when Renteria reached on an error, advanced when Torres was hit in the left elbow by a Lee pitch and scored on a Sanchez double. Torres scored the equalizer on a single by Buster Posey.