Giants’ Matt Cain keeps raising his game

Aubrey Huff as a lineup cornerstone for the World Series champions is a dubious concept, for sure. But right about now the Rangers probably wish the Giants had Prince Fielder in the No. 3 spot.

In one of his many attempts to upgrade a slugger-free lineup, Giants General Manager Brian Sabean spent several days on the telephone with Milwaukee Brewers GM Doug Melvin. They went back and forth about packages that would get Fielder or outfielder Corey Hart to the Giants, but the guy Melvin insisted upon was Matt Cain.

Sabean wasn’t born yesterday. This is an executive who orchestrated the Giants’ end of the Chicago White Sox’s infamous “White Flag” trade in 1997. That deal — Roberto Hernandez, Wilson Alvarez and Danny Darwin for prospects — showed how much he values proven pitching. He wasn’t trading Cain any more than he was sending Tim Lincecum to the Blue Jays, as he could have for Alex Rios a few years ago.

Cain officially elevated himself to monster status in Game 2 of the World Series.

By working 7 2/3 shutout innings, the big right-hander from Germantown, Tenn., turned in his third consecutive postseason outing without giving up an earned run. A 13-game winner in the regular season, he followed up Lincecum’s shaky victory in the World Series opener to get all the big outs in Game 2 and give the surprisingly high-flying Giants a 2-0 edge as baseball’s premier event moves to Texas for the weekend.

After the Giants’ seven-run eighth inning pushed this final score to 9-0, the Rangers must wonder if they really are facing a team that ranked ninth in the National League in runs during the regular season.

The Rangers, who gave up 19 runs in the six-game American League Championship Series against Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and the Yankees, have been rocked for 20 in two nights by a lineup full of players their original teams long since discarded.

Like Lincecum, Cain didn’t really overpower the Rangers. But he located three pitches, including a slider and a swing-and-miss changeup.

“It has been feeling good,” Cain said. “I’ve been able to work ahead in the count. … We’ve just been really trying to work ahead of guys.”

Cain got the break he needed when Ian Kinsler hit a drive to left-center field — the deepest part of the park — and the ball struck the edge at the top of the fence. Rather than bounding into the seats, it came back to center fielder Andres Torres.

Buzzard luck for the Rangers, not that it mattered. The California night turned armadillo ugly for the Texans when a blistered finger forced C.J. Wilson out and the Giants hit around in the eighth, scoring three runs on bases-loaded walks against rattled relievers Derek Holland and Mark Lowe.

Despite appearances, the World Series is not over. A victory by the Rangers’ Colby Lewis, who has been their version of Cain, in Game 3 would create at least a little concern for the Giants.

Now Manager Ron Washington must consider starting Cliff Lee on three days’ rest in Game 4 — always an act for the desperate — rather than allow a Madison Bumgarner-Tommy Hunter mismatch to take place. Counting on the Texas bullpen never was going to be easy; it seems insane at this point.

progers@tribune.com