Bengie Molina gets a warm reception from Giants fans

Bengie Molina waved to the fans, to acknowledge their standing ovation. He pounded his fist against his heart, then extended it toward the stands.

And then he went back to work, to his mission of beating the heck out of the home team.

The San Francisco Giants traded Molina to the Texas Rangers on July 1, making way for phenom Buster Posey at catcher. Molina had shepherd the Giants’ outstanding pitching staff for four years, and the San Francisco crowd thanked him with its ovation.

As the Texas starting lineup was introduced, the crowd booed Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrrero and the rest of the Rangers, then rose to salute Molina.

“I almost cried,” Molina said. “I didn’t cry because there were too many people in the stands. It was going to be embarrassing. “It was a great feeling. I was not expecting that at all.”

Guerrero struggles

Vladimir Guerrero, usually the Rangers’ designated hitter, had played one game in right field over the last eight weeks. With National League rules in use at AT&T Park, Manager Ron Washington had to play Guerrero in the outfield or bench him.

Washington decided the Rangers needed their cleanup batter in the lineup, so Guerrero played right field. He drove in two runs but also committed two errors. Washington said he had no reason to reconsider whether to use Guerrero in right field.

“No, I don’t,” Washington said. “A couple balls got by him.”

Lincecum shorts out

The Giants can laugh about it now, but the play did not seem so funny when it happened. In the first inning, with Rangers on first and third with one out, Nelson Cruz hit a grounder that Lincecum picked up.

Lincecum chased the runner back toward third base but never threw the ball — not to third for a tag, not to first for the force play.

“Brain [malfunction],” Lincecum said.

Sanchez starts fast

San Francisco second baseman Freddy Sanchez had four hits, the first Giants player to do so in the Series since Hall of Fame member Monte Irvin in 1951. Irvin threw out the ceremonial first pitch Wednesday, in place of an ailing Willie Mays.

Postseason perfect

The only starting pitcher who has not given up an earned run during this postseason is the one that will start Game 2 for the Giants.

Matt Cain did not give up an earned run to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series, or to the Atlanta Braves in the division series. His earned-run average in his last six starts, including the two playoff starts: 1.82.

Cain laughed off the question of how to get any sleep.

“Close your eyes,” he said.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com