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All Giants pitcher Barry Zito did, as far as the Detroit Tigers are concerned, is make them wait longer to know their next opponent.
Whomever it is, the Cardinals (holding a 3-2 lead) or the Giants (winning taking the fifth game 5-0 after Zito's brilliant eight-inning performance), the Tigers are scheduled to face them on the road starting Oct. 24.
The Tigers already dispatched the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, sweeping them in four straight games to reach its second World Series since 2006.
That trip, which resulted in a 4-1 series win for St. Louis, also had an extended period of inactivity for the Tigers. After Detroit swept Oakland in the ALCS, they waited seven days before they took on St. Louis.
The Cardinals needed seven games to outlast San Diego and then proceeded to dispatch the Tigers in five games, including the opener.
Zito cooled the Cardinals off a little, staving off elimination for the fourth time in these playoffs. With it, he sent the series back to San Francisco Sunday, Oct. 21, for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7, set for Oct. 22.
Meanwhile, Detroit waits to see if history will repeat itself full swing, with a layoff followed by a series with the Cardinals, or if they'll head to San Francisco for Game 1.