Just like that, it was gone.

Cabrera’s homer gave Detroit its first lead of the Series, ended its 20-inning scoreless streak. Trailing for the first time since Game 4 of the NL championship series, Posey and the Giants put a dent in Detroit’s optimism. Scutaro led off the sixth with a single and clapped all the way around the bases when Posey sent a shot that sailed just inside the left-field foul pole for a 3-2 lead.

Young, the ALCS MVP against the Yankees, made it 3-all with another opposite-field homer to right, this one a no-doubt drive.

But other Tigers disappointed. Prince Fielder, signed to a $214 million deal last winter, finished 1 for 14 (.071) against the Giants without an RBI. Cabrera, the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, was 3 for 13 (.231) with three RBIs.

‘‘You just don’t get to write your own script,’’ Fielder said.

San Francisco did. The Giants overcame a 2-0 deficit against Cincinnati in the best-of-division series by winning three straight on the road. They overcame a 3-1 hole against defending champion St. Louis in the league championship. And then they became the first champion that hit the fewest home runs in the majors since St. Louis in 1982.

Brian Wilson — aka The Beard — missed nearly the entire season. Tim Lincecum — aka The Freak, was ace of the staff during the 2010 title run. He morphed into a middle reliever who held the Tigers hitless in a pair of outings.

Sandoval said ‘‘heart’’ was the critical ingredient.

‘‘It’s amazing what they accomplished,’’ Bochy said. ‘‘I think when you look at this club, the terms ‘teamwork,’ ‘team play,’ and ‘play as a team,’ that’s used loosely, but these guys truly did. They set aside their own agenda and asked what’s best for the club. And we put guys in different roles, nobody ever said a word, complained or anything, and that’s the only way it got done.’’