It took almost every player on their roster. It took a four-hit night from their whiz kid catcher. It took a redemption song from their Panda.
And it took a winning sacrifice fly from Juan Uribe, injured wrist and all, for the Giants to take a kung fu grip on this National League Championship Series.
In a back-and-forth classic, Uribe hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth, Aubrey Huff swept across the plate and the Giants ran onto the field in full glory mode after beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 in front of a passionate crowd at AT&T Park.
Roy Oswalt, the Phillies' Game 2 starter who had thrown his usual mound earlier in the day, came on to pitch the ninth inning and gave up consecutive one-out singles to Huff and Buster Posey.
Uribe, who didn't start because of his injury, had entered on a double-switch an inning earlier. He got under a pitch, lofted it to left field and Huff scored with ease.
Pablo Sandoval had the other vital hit of the night, making up for a terrible season with a two-run double that put the Giants ahead 5-4 in the seventh.
The Giants already led the series, but Game 4 was an opportunity they couldn't allow to pass. It was their only game of the series in which they wouldn't face Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt or Cole Hamels.
This one took a different tack, all right. Both starting pitchers were replaced in the fifth inning — and strangely enough, both left with the lead.
It was a bullpen game. And if there is one area where the Giants drew a clear checkmark against the Phillies, it's the depth and electric stuff of their relief crew.
And yet, the Phillies tied the game 5-5 on consecutive doubles by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth against Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo in the eighth. But Romo rebounded to retire the next three hitters, and Brian Wilson pitched a scoreless to give the Giants a chance to win.
The Giants send Tim Lincecum to the mound in Game 5, hoping to punch their ticket to the World Series for the first time since 2002 and the fourth time in their 52-year history in San Francisco. They have never won since moving from New York.
Giants rookie left-hander Madison Bumgarner was facing the Phillies for the first time and they seemed to examine him like a dissection frog while taking pitches in the early innings. The 21-year-old rookie ran deep counts but made the 3-2 pitches, including a fastball at the knees to get Shane Victorino looking to lead off the game.
Bumgarner struck out five of nine hitters the first time through the order; Jimmy Rollins had the only hit, a single, but Bumgarner caught him trying to run and shortstop Edgar Renteria looked 10 years younger as he made a sliding tag at second base.
But the Phillies were smart enough to adjust and talented enough to execute while wiping out the Giants' 2-0 lead in a four-run fifth inning.
They entered the fifth just 2 for 21 with runners in scoring position in this series before finally sustaining a rally. Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz led off with singles — the first consecutive hits for the Phillies since the third inning of Game 1.
Blanton's sacrifice advanced both runners and Victorino followed with a single up the middle. Francisco scored and it took an on-line throw from center fielder Aaron Rowand along with a skilled short-hop catch and tag from Posey to prevent Ruiz from scoring the tying run.
Another single from Chase Utley compelled Bochy to take out Bumgarner to get the matchup with hard-throwing Santiago Casilla. But Placido Polanco fouled off a 98 mph fastball before belting a two-run double on a hanging curveball.
The Phillies made it 4-2 when Casilla threw a wild pitch that bounced off the plate and over the screen. But the right-hander rebounded to strike out Rollins — the same hitter whose three-run double off Casilla knocked out the Giants in Game 2.
It turned out to be one of the most important outs of the game. The Giants halved the Phillies' lead in the bottom of the fifth when Andres Torres, who entered with Casilla on a double-switch, drew a leadoff walk and Polanco minimized Renteria's potential double-play grounder, letting it bounce off his chest and only getting the out at first base.
Huff took advantage of the mistake, hitting a two-out single up the middle that sent Torres sliding safely between Ruiz's shin guards.
The Giants completed their comeback in the sixth with a redemption song. Chad Durbin entered and walked Pat Burrell before Cody Ross came through with another big hit, lashing a double down the left field line.
And Sandoval, who hit .208 with runners in scoring position this season, found a way to hit two doubles in one at-bat.
First, he hit a drive that appeared to catch the edge of the chalk line in right field. It landed at the feet of umpire Ted Barrett, who called it foul to much protest from Giants Manager Bruce Bochy.
But Sandoval had one more swing in him. He lined a two-strike pitch that split the outfielders in left-center field, scoring both runners to give the Giants a 5-4 lead. Even before pulling into second base, Sandoval madly began waving his arms like an NFL linebacker, imploring the crowd and pointing to his dugout.
It was a watershed moment for a young player who was a major disappointment after hitting .330 a year ago and his at-bats had become so unwatchable that Bochy had benched him in the previous five playoff games.
But Sandoval couldn't land the kung fu knockout chop in the seventh after the Giants loaded the bases on Posey's double, a walk and Rollins' error. Sandoval, who led the NL with 26 double-play grounders, rolled an easy one to second baseman Utley to end the inning.
The Giants regretted the missed opportunity. Lopez, working his second inning, barely missed on a two-strike pitch before Howard lined the next one for a double. Romo entered and allowed a tying double to Werth before retiring the next three hitters.
(source:mercurynews.com)
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