San Francisco Giants' elders sticking a fork deep in the heart of Texas

Veteran infielders Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe have helped the Giants take a 2-0 lead against Texas in the World Series.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Giants are halfway to their first World Series title and sweep since they rolled the Indians in 1954. Tonight they go for their third straight victory against Texas with Kung Fu Panda as their designated hitter.

Pablo Sandoval, called Kung Fu Panda by Giants fans, will start at DH as the World Series changes venues and rules. The Giants won Games 1 and 2 at AT&T Park where pitchers swing the bat and the designated hitter is a discouraging phrase.

Game 3 tonight will be played on the Texas prairie inside Rangers Ballpark in Arlington with lefty Jonathan Sanchez facing Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis.

"I'm excited," Sandoval said. "It's the World Series. I've only DH'd once, during an interleague game last year, but I like it."

Sandoval, 5-11 and 245 pounds, had a down season this year after hitting .330 (189-for-633) with 25 homers and 90 RBI in 2009. It has cost him playing time in the postseason.

The Giants have not suffered because of veteran infielders Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe.

Renteria, injured for much of the regular season, is back at shortstop. Uribe, who played a lot of short during the regular season, has moved to third and put Sandoval on the bench.

"The postseason is the time for veterans," said Shawon Dunston, Giants defensive coordinator and a former Indian. "When I played, I learned that the 162-game season was for the young guys. When it came down to the postseason, that was the time for the veterans to come through.

"Renteria and Uribe have done that. They've made big plays and gotten big hits."

Renteria, 35, broke a scoreless tie Thursday with a homer in the fifth inning. He added a two-run single in a seven-run eighth inning in the Giants' 9-0 victory.

He's no stranger to the World Series. As a 22-year-old, he singled over right-hander Charlie Nagy's head in the 11th inning of the seventh game of the 1997 World Series as Florida beat the Indians for the championship.

"Everything happened to me great in that game, the hit in '97," Renteria told reporters Thursday night. "Today I was happy. I was proud and I know my family's proud, too."

In 2004, he was with the Cardinals and made the final out in Boston's World Series sweep of St. Louis. It was the Red Sox's first World Series title since 1918.

"I couldn't be happier for Edgar," manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's been a tough year for him. He's been up and down with injuries.

"It's nice to have him out there at shortstop. I think the rest probably has benefited him. He's playing like he did 10 years ago."

Renteria is hitting .240 (6-for-25) in the postseason and .429 (3-for-7) in the World Series. In the regular season, he appeared in only 72 games.

The powerfully built Uribe is hitting only .171 (6-for-35) in the postseason, but he's tied for the team lead with nine RBI. It seems like every time he makes contact, good things happen.

Uribe hit a three-run homer in Game 1 on Wednesday and drove in two runs Thursday. In the NLCS, he put the Giants in the World Series with a game-winning homer in Game 6 after winning Game 5 with a walk-off sacrifice fly.

"He's been in the middle of everything for us," Bochy said. "With him and Renteria on the left side of our infield, they've really helped us.

"Juan is a guy we like up there with the game on the line because you know he won't feel any pressure. He wants to be the guy up there."

Like Renteria, Uribe knows what the postseason feels like. He helped the White Sox win the World Series in 2005.

When Uribe comes to the plate at AT&T Park, the fans scream, "Oooh-ree-bay! Oooh-ree-bay! Oooh-ree-bay!"

He hit .248 (129-for-521) with

24 doubles, 24 homers and 85 RBI during the regular season. The 24 homers were a career high.

"Juan is a funny guy," Sandoval said. "He's always laughing and firing everybody up. I love it when he hits a home run and flips his hands up at the plate."

Bochy has received a lot of credit for making the right moves this postseason. No one envisioned the Giants being where they are today.

"Good players make a good manager," Bochy said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158