DETROIT – Jeremy Stokes, a 30-year-old Giants fan who lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., stood at the screen behind the plate about 90 minutes before Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday. He was wearing Giants gear and holding a sign that said "Beat L.A."

Stokes' explanation: After the Giants won Game 3 on Saturday night, he and fiancée Jessie Sayers went online and bought tickets for Game 4. He remembered that when the Giants won the World Series two years ago in Texas, he heard on the broadcast a contingent of Giants fans engaged in the familiar chant.

"That's lore in our family," Stokes said.

Stokes said he grew up in the Bay Area in a family of Giants fans, to whom he opened the discussion Saturday night of what he should write on his sign. The consensus was "Beat L.A." – supportive, and less likely to anger Tigers fans, one of whom was standing next to him.

Sayers, similarly decked out in Tigers gear, said she has been a Tigers fan since 2006. They plan to get married next June.

"As long as we survive this," Stokes said.

Report: Cabrera avoids media after Game 3

Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera reportedly was a no-show in the Tigers' clubhouse after their 2-0 loss in Game 3, prompting a question to manager Jim Leyland on Sunday about why Cabrera didn't talk to reporters.

"I don't know what the situation was, but I will address the situation," Leyland said. "At the same time, I want to make sure I don't make a fool of myself. (Cabrera's) mother is out there, maybe she's ill or your father is ill, and you rush out of the clubhouse. I don't know that that was the issue. I doubt that it was.

"But we're all big boys, and you've got to face you guys whether you like it or not. You can't just be here when everything is going well. That's our responsibility. Nobody from the Detroit Tigers ducks that."

Detroit fans have it easier than Buck

Two weeks ago, Fox announcer Joe Buck was tasked with calling the 49ers' 1:25 p.m. game against the New York Giants at Candlestick Park and the first game of the National League Championship Series between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park at 5 p.m. It didn't give Buck much time to travel the roughly seven miles up Interstate 280 amid fans leaving the 49ers game as well.

Anybody pulling a sporting event doubleheader in Detroit on Sunday had a much easier time. The Lions played at Ford Field at 1 p.m., about seven hours before the first pitch of Game 4 at Comerica Park, which is across the street. Many spectators at the Lions game, which Detroit won 28-24 against Seattle, wore Tigers gear.

Giants, Tigers try to stay warm

As Max Scherzer delivered the first pitch of Game 4, the public-address announcer said the temperature was 44 degrees, drawing what sounded suspiciously like a cheer from the crowd.

It had dropped one degree since the Giants' pregame warmups 2 1/2 hours earlier. Giants coach Roberto Kelly, catcher Hector Sanchez and second baseman Ryan Theriot were among those sporting head warmers that covered their ears.

Scherzer, who said Saturday he hadn't worn long sleeves all season, did so Sunday night.

"I'm going back to all the tricks I did in college (at Missouri)," Scherzer said. "Wearing shorts underneath your pants, finding the right long sleeves, warming up extra long, anything you can do to keep your body warm."

– Matt Kawahara, Marcos Breton

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