Mitch Moreland is big hit for the Rangers

If you’re going to win a World Series, shouldn’t you have a feared slugger at first base?

No one ever played that role better than Lou Gehrig, although guys like Hank Greenberg, Eddie Murray and Tony Perez struck more than their share of fear in opposing pitchers and managers.

More recently, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols and David Ortiz were middle-of-the-lineup first basemen for Series winners. Paul Konerko and Derrek Lee too, although only one of them in a way that made Chicago fans smile.

Every now and then a Scott Spiezio or a Franklin Stubbs comes along in the land of the big boys, and the check for a winner’s share spends just the same. There’s no question 2010 will be one of those years, and on a warm Saturday night it was the Texas Rangers’ Mitch Moreland trying to wrest a ring out of Aubrey Huff’s hands.

To the delight of 52,419 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Moreland struck a blow for rank-and-file guys everywhere with a three-run home run off the San Francisco Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez. It helped Colby Lewis to a 4-2 victory that was the first step toward a potentially intriguing World Series.

“I knew if everything fell into place, I’d be in the right spot at the end,” Moreland said about his climb onto the big stage. “I got the opportunity, and it’s been a lot of fun so far.”

Josh Hamilton added a solo homer for the Rangers, who trail the Giants, two games to one, entering Sunday night’s Game 4. For Texas to make things truly exciting, they’ll need a strong performance from right-hander Tommy Hunter, a question mark who starts because Ron Washington doesn’t want to use ace Cliff Lee on three days’ rest.

But it was Moreland, the Rangers’ No. 9 hitter, who was the difference maker.

“Mitch Moreland has certainly established himself as a major league player,” Washington said. “He’s just a battler. He goes up there, uses every bit of talent he has. When he gets his pitch, he doesn’t usually miss it.”

Moreland, who wasn’t promoted from triple-A Oklahoma City until July 29, had only 20 regular-season at-bats against left-handers, but he has become an everyday starter, with Washington starting him against the left-handed Sanchez.

Texas has gone through 18 starters at first base in the 31/2 seasons since the Teixeira trade, a list that includes two players who were seen as long-term solutions.

Chris Davis, a career .311 hitter in the minors, failed to hit against big league pitching. Justin Smoak was the high price it took to get Cliff Lee from Seattle. The stopgap guys at first included Brad Wilkerson, Ramon Vazquez, Hank Blalock, Chris Shelton, Ben Broussard, Jason Botts and Ryan Garko.

Moreland, a 17th-round pick in the 2007 draft from Mississippi State (the alma mater of former Rangers Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro), quickly drew attention as a hitter in the Texas farm system. The question was whether he had a defensive position. He was used primarily in the outfield corners in Oklahoma this season but shifted to first after Smoak was sacrificed to get Lee.

That looks like a great move. He’s hitting .341 while starting 12 of Texas’ 14 postseason games.

With two out and runners on first and third in the second inning, he worked Sanchez hard. Moreland fouled off four breaking pitches in a row after the count reached 2-2, then pulled an 89-mph fastball into the right-field seats, setting off a wild celebration by fans wearing red and blue and waving white towels.

“Mitch is stubborn,” Hamilton said. “He’s not going to let anybody beat him.”

sports@latimes.com