The outcome gave the Giants a 3-1 series lead and left them one victory away in the best-of-seven showdown from advancing to the World Series, which they've reached only three times since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958.
History favors the Giants. Of the 30 previous teams to assume a 3-1 lead since the LCS went to a seven-game format in 1985, 24 have proceeded to the World Series.The prospect of participating in the Fall Classic was premature to Giants manager Bruce Bochy.
"Right now we're just thinking about playing the Phillies, and that's the last thing on our minds, to be honest with you," he said before the game.
But maybe now, the Giants can fantasize just a little about being on baseball's biggest stage.
With the score deadlocked in the ninth, 5-5, the Giants came to bat presented with the rare sight of Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia's No. 2 postseason starter, standing on the mound as a reliever.
Oswalt, who yielded one run and three hits in eight innings to pace Philadelphia to a Game 2 victory Sunday, wasn't as sharp this time. With one out, Aubrey Huff grounded a single to right field. Buster Posey lashed his fourth hit of the evening, a single to right that moved Huff to third base.
"We faced him a couple of nights ago and he's got great stuff," said Posey. "Just battling, that's all you can do. Fortunately I got a pitch and got it on the barrel and was able to get a hit."
Up came Uribe, who entered the game as part of a double-switch with Brian Wilson in the top of the ninth. He lofted a 2-2 pitch to medium-deep left field, enabling Huff to score easily.
"We had the right guy at the plate there," said Bochy. "He's come through so many times for us and got a ball he could handle to get deep enough in the outfield."
Earlier, Posey ended his postseason drought of 27 at-bats without an RBI by singling in the first inning and doubling in the third, both with two outs, to give the Giants a 2-0 advantage.
"What a great night he had," said Bochy. "He did all the damage for us, really. I mean, to get that big hit, it's quite a night. Every at-bat he delivered for us and he's a talent. We know it. We've seen it for a while and he certainly came through tonight for us, two-out hits. Big hit there in the last inning."
Philadelphia rallied for four runs in the fifth inning, but all that did was set up the Giants' dramatics.
Madison Bumgarner ended the Giants' postseason-long streak of seven quality starts. The rookie left-hander blanked Philadelphia on two hits through four innings but lapsed in the fifth, allowing hits to four of the five batters he faced. Bumgarner worked 4 2/3 innings and was charged with three runs and six hits.
Philadelphia starter Joe Blanton, pitching for the first time in 16 days, fell short in his bid to become the first hurler since the New York Yankees' Red Ruffing in 1939 to win a postseason game with at least that much rest. Blanton lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and five hits while demonstrating his lack of sharpness with two wild pitches.
Everything looked promising for the Giants initially. Posey's productivity began with a first-inning single that scored Freddy Sanchez, who singled with one out and moved to third on Blanton's pair of wild pitches.
San Francisco added a run in the third as Huff's single prolonged the inning for Posey's double, a drive over left fielder Ben Francisco's head.
But the Phillies chased Bumgarner and tormented reliever Santiago Casilla in the fifth.
Ben Francisco lined a leadoff single one pitch after Bumgarner barely missed a strikeout with a close 1-2 pitch. Carlos Ruiz also singled before Blanton's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. Shane Victorino singled home Francisco, but Ruiz was apprehended at home as Posey deftly short-hopped center fielder Aaron Rowand's strong throw and made the tag in time.
That appeared to be an enormous break for the Giants, but Chase Utley also singled, ending Bumgarner's evening. In came Casilla, who stranded 41 of 47 inherited runners during the regular season. Casilla went 0-for-2 in this stint as Placido Polanco, the first batter he faced, doubled home two runs to put Philadelphia ahead, 3-2. After Casilla intentionally walked Ryan Howard and nicked Jayson Werth to load the bases, the difference grew to 4-2 as the right-hander flung a wild pitch that scored Polanco.
The Giants narrowed their deficit to one run in their half of the fifth. Andres Torres, who entered the game with Casilla as part of a double-switch, coaxed a leadoff walk from Blanton. Torres reached second base as Polanco fumbled Edgar Renteria's potential double-play grounder and settled for an out at first. After Sanchez lined out, Huff's single delivered Torres.
San Francisco forged ahead with a pair of runs in the sixth off Phillies reliever Chad Durbin. Pat Burrell drew a leadoff walk and chugged to third as Cody Ross -- who else? -- doubled to left field.
Up came Pablo Sandoval, who lashed Durbin's first pitch down the right-field line. The ball bounced directly in front of umpire Ted Barrett, who instantly ruled it foul. Television replays showed that the ball might have grazed the line and raised a puff of chalk, though they were ultimately inconclusive.
It didn't matter. Sandoval socked a 1-2 pitch into the left-center-field gap, the kind of hit that typified his 2009 performance, scoring Burrell and Ross.
But Sandoval grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the seventh, paving the way for the Phillies to pull even in the eighth.
Javier Lopez, who entered the game unscored upon in four postseason appearances before blanking Philadelphia in the seventh, yielded Howard's double to open the eighth. Facing Sergio Romo, Werth lined another double that sent home Howard.
(source:mlb.com)
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