[新聞] Giants wave a magic Juan, walk off for 3-1 lead
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Giants wave a magic Juan, walk off for 3-1 lead
Uribe's sacrifice fly gives San Francisco 3-1 series lead
By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 10/21/10 12:05 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO -- Juan Uribe's sacrifice fly broke a ninth-inning tie and left
the Giants dancing in ecstasy Wednesday night as they captured a 6-5 decision
over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League Championship
Series.
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.
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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