Fans of the Giants were probably the only ones who got anything good out of Game 1 of Wednesday’s World Series debut. That good came in the form of a win and the presence of Vladimir Guerrero. Questions regarding Guerrero’s presence in Ron Washington’s lineup were answered when Vlady showed up in right field for just the 18th time this season, and it cost his team dearly. Vlady made more mistakes than his personal score sheet will indicate, and his team lost the game.

Guerrero didn’t cost the Rangers the game by himself. Texas did allow 11 runs total, after all, but Guerrero certainly didn’t help the cause defensively. He looked about as bad as the worst anybody could have expected; misplaying hops, fumbling balls and jogging to the corners. His 35-year-old body has taken a beating over the years and it showed that he’s a far cry away from the MVP he was with the Angels in 2004. Now, Washington will again be faced with the decision to play Guerrero or not.

Is Jeff Francoeur really that much of a downgrade over Guerrero? He certainly wouldn’t give up as many runs in the deep, crevice-filled right field of AT&T Park, and there’s a lot better chance that he’ll get more opportunities to help his team on defense than on offense. But Francoeur can only be relied on for maybe half the production of Vlady, so the trade-off makes for a very tough decision for Washington in Game 2.

If Guerrero does get called for Thursday’s sequel, he better hope he remembers how to play defense again or that San Francisco forgets how to hit. With how the Rangers struggle in AT&T Park, it will take a tremendous team effort to overcome the embarrassment of Wednesday’s game to come back and win the championship. It’s going to take at least one win in San Francisco to do it. If the way Guerrero played on Wednesday night continues, you can consider this series done in four.