NLCS Game 2: Roy Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins Power Phillies To 6-1 Win

Roy Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins Shine In Phillies' 6-1 Win Over Giants In NLCS Game 2

After watching Cody Ross and the Giants get the best of Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the NLCS, the Phillies needed Roy Oswalt to come up with a strong start in Game 2 to get them back into the series.

Oswalt was up to the task, and Jimmy Rollins gave him plenty of support.

Roy Oswalt allowed one run over eight sparkling innings, and Jimmy Rollins collected four RBI as the Phillies blew a close game open late and took a 6-1 win over the visiting Giants.

The Phillies were able to put Game 1 behind them and get out in front early. After Oswalt made quick work of the Giants in the top of the first, the Phillies forced Jonathan Sanchez to throw 35 pitches in a long and exhausting bottom half that saw Rollins drive in the first run of the game. After two walks and a throwing error loaded the bases, Rollins took a borderline 3-1 fastball from Sanchez down and in for a bases-loaded walk that put the host up 1-0.

The game would remain that way for several innings, as Oswalt continued to cruise, while Sanchez settled down. The Giants would then strike in the top of the fifth, when Cody Ross stepped up and delivered his fourth home run in three games. Ross' solo blast to left was the first hit that Oswalt allowed on the night, and it evened the score at 1-1.

The deadlock wouldn't last long, however, as the Phillies came right back and restored their one-run lead in the bottom half. Shane Victorino led off against Sanchez with a double down the line, and a pair of sacrifice flies brought him around for the go-ahead run.

Oswalt was able to protect his narrow lead by keeping the Giants off balance, and the score stayed 2-1 until the Phillies were able to blow things open in the seventh. Sanchez was pulled after allowing a leadoff single to Oswalt. A single by Placido Polanco off reliever Ramon Ramirez later drove Oswalt home from second, and even later in the inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Rollins came up against Santiago Casilla and drilled a low fastball off the wall in right-center field. All three runners came around on the double, and a 3-1 nailbiter turned into a 6-1 pseudo-blowout.

Suddenly armed with a comfortable lead, Oswalt came out and escaped a jam in the top of the eighth, his final frame of the night. The final batter he faced was Aubrey Huff, who lined out to center with two on.

Ryan Madson worked around a couple baserunners to keep the Giants scoreless and wrap things up in the ninth.

The win went to Oswalt, who bounced back from a rough NLDS start against the Reds to work eight innings, with three walks and nine strikeouts. The hard-luck loss went to Sanchez, who worked six-plus, with three walks and seven strikeouts. Sanchez was effective, but his rough first inning prevented him from working very deep.

The scene shifts to San Francisco for Tuesday night's Game 3. Cole Hamels will take the hill for Philadelphia, opposing Matt Cain.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Ryan Madson Seals Win In Game 2

Jimmy Rollins' bases-loaded double in the seventh blew this game open, and from that point, the Giants just had too big a hill to climb. They couldn't cash in a run-scoring situation against Roy Oswalt in the eighth, and against Ryan Madson in the ninth, they again put two on, and again couldn't score, as Edgar Renteria grounded to short for the third out.

The game ends 6-1, with Roy Oswalt getting the win and Jonathan Sanchez getting the loss. It'll be Cole Hamels and Matt Cain in Game 3 on Tuesday night as the series shifts to San Francisco.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Roy Oswalt Escapes Eighth Inning Jam

Down by five in the top of the eighth, the Giants made an attempt. Facing a red-hot Roy Oswalt, Pablo Sandoval walked and Freddy Sanchez smacked a two-out single to put a pair of runners on base for Aubrey Huff.

That brought Charlie Manuel out of the dugout, but rather than pull Oswalt, Manuel elected to leave him in, drawing a roar from the crowd. And Oswalt was able to get Huff to line out to center, ending the threat and ending the inning.

It's still 6-1 Phillies, and this series is as good as even. Assuming Oswalt is done after 111 pitches, this is his line:

8 innings
3 hits
1 run
3 walks
9 strikeouts
111 pitches (71 strikes)

Oswalt struck out Andres Torres all four times they met.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Jimmy Rollins Bases-Loaded Double Adds Three More

The Phillies added an insurance run in the seventh against Ramon Ramirez when Placido Polanco laced an RBI single to center, but they weren't done - not by a long shot.

With two on and one out, Jeremy Affeldt struck out Ryan Howard before intentionally walking Jayson Werth to load the bases. Bruce Bochy then called on Santiago Casilla to pitch to Jimmy Rollins and try to get the Giants out of the mess, but Casilla instead fell behind Rollins 2-0 and threw a low fastball that Rollins drilled off the right-center wall. All three baserunners scored, and Rollins jogged into second base having turned a nail-biter into a 6-1 almost-blowout.

We're off to the eighth, now, and Roy Oswalt's job has become a lot easier.

Pablo Sandoval is in the game now, and Mike Fontenot is out, as Casilla was inserted as part of a double-switch.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Placido Polanco Drives In Big Insurance Run

Jonathan Sanchez departed with a man on first and nobody out. In came Ramon Ramirez, who had Shane Victorino bunt the runner - Roy Oswalt - to second base.

The Giants elected to intentionally walk Chase Utley so that Ramirez could face Placido Polanco, but Polanco went down and lined a low-away fastball into center field for a single. Though Andres Torres came up throwing, Oswalt was able to score all the way from second to double the Phillies' lead.

Jeremy Affeldt has come out of the San Francisco bullpen to relieve the ineffective Ramirez.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Jonathan Sanchez Pulled In Seventh

Roy Oswalt took us into the stretch with another stellar inning, going 1-2-3 with a strikeout of Pat Burrell. That led us into the bottom of the seventh, where Oswalt promptly came up against Jonathan Sanchez and laced a base hit into center field just in front of the outstretched glove of a sliding Andres Torres.

For Bruce Bochy, that was enough, and he called on Ramon Ramirez to come in in relief of Sanchez. Sanchez's performance:

6+ innings
5 hits
2 runs (1 earned, so far)
3 walks
7 strikeouts
100 pitches (64 strikes)

After a strenuous, wild first inning, Sanchez really settled down and turned in a solid start. Now it's on the bullpen to keep this game close to give the lineup a shot at a comeback.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Roy Oswalt, Jonathan Sanchez Toss Scoreless Sixth

If you blinked, you might've missed the sixth inning. Roy Oswalt worked through the Giants on just 12 pitches, stranding a runner on first base with a groundout and a pop out. Not to be outdone, Jonathan Sanchez came out and went 1-2-3 on the Phillies on just eight pitches, even including strikeouts of Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz.

Sanchez didn't look long for this game after his 35-pitch first, but he's done the job and then some, getting through six having allowed just the two runs. Oswalt's gotten the better of him and the Giants so far, but the game remains very close as we head into the seventh.

Pitch counts are 78 for Oswalt, and 95 for Sanchez. Their respective season highs were 119 and 117.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Placido Polanco Drives Home Shane Victorino, Restores Lead

Cody Ross may have come up big yet again to give the Giants a tie in the top of the fifth, but the score didn't stay that way for long.

Shane Victorino led off the bottom half with a groundball double down the line into left field. He advanced to third on a sac fly by Chase Utley, and scored on a sac fly by Placido Polanco. The Phillies have taken a 2-1 lead, and that's our score as we head to the sixth.

Jonathan Sanchez's pitch count is up to 87, and he shouldn't last much longer in this game. The Giants bullpen has been active.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Cody Ross Home Run Ties Game 1-1

Roy Oswalt worked an easy fourth, and Jonathan Sanchez did the same to send a 1-0 game into the top of the fifth. It was then that the Giants got a boost from their favorite instant MVP.

With one out and none on, Cody Ross stepped in against Oswalt, got ahead 1-0, and ripped a low inside fastball into the left field seats for a solo home run. It's Ross' fourth homer in three games, and it knots this game up.

It's worth noting that Ross' homer was also the Giants' first hit of the evening. So you can shelve the no-hitter alarms for the rest of the night.

Oswalt worked through the rest of the frame and kept the score even at 1. His pitch count stands at a very reasonable 66, with 40 strikes.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Roy Oswalt, Jonathan Sanchez Throw A Scoreless Third

A 1-0 score between the Phillies and the Giants? I know, I know.

Roy Oswalt's third inning was a breeze, with a fly out and strikeouts of Jonathan Sanchez and Andres Torres. It was Torres' second strikeout in three innings, and Oswalt's pitch count is a very economical 38.

Sanchez then came out for the bottom half and kept the Phillies off the board, although they weren't without their threat. Following two outs, Ryan Howard blasted a ground-rule double to left-center field. Howard was stranded in scoring position when Jayson Werth struck out on a low, inside slider.

Sanchez has five strikeouts, and 57 pitches.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Roy Oswalt, Jonathan Sanchez Spin Scoreless Second

After a long first inning that saw the Phillies take an early lead, things settled down in the second. Roy Oswalt used 17 pitches to keep the Giants off the board, working around a walk of sudden superstar Cody Ross. And, this time, Jonathan Sanchez was far more efficient in his half, going 1-2-3 on just seven pitches.

After the Giants bullpen was seen stirring in the first, they can probably sit back down for a while. Sanchez has thrown 42 pitches through two.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Jimmy Rollins Draws Bases-Loaded Walk, Phillies Up 1-0

The Phillies got the start they wanted from Roy Oswalt, who needed just ten pitches to make quick work of the Giants in the top of the first. Andres Torres led off with a strikeout, and a groundout and a fly out later, the Phillies were coming up to bat.

And the Giants didn't get the start they wanted from Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez wound up throwing 35 pitches in a very busy inning, with three walks, three strikeouts, and a run allowed. Chase Utley walked. Placido Polanco reached on a throwing error, when Mike Fontenot threw wide of Aubrey Huff at first. Ryan Howard walked. And with the bases loaded, Jimmy Rollins walked on a borderline 3-1 fastball down an in, putting the Phillies on top.

It was a close call that easily could've gone the other way, but Sanchez was wild all inning, and Dan Iassonga wasn't about to give him anything debatable. The good news for the Giants is that it could've been a lot worse. Despite all the labor, it's only a one-run game.

Juan Uribe Scratched From Game 2 Lineup With Injured Wrist

Giants shortstop Juan Uribe was written into the original Sunday starting lineup, batting sixth. He was later removed and replaced by Edgar Renteria. The reason? Uribe injured his wrist in Game 1 on Saturday night.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Uribe will undergo tests on Monday in San Francisco, including an MRI, to determine the severity of the injury, but he is hopeful that Uribe will be able to play the rest of the NLCS, which resumes with Game 3 on Tuesday.

Uribe injured his wrist attempting a slide, and was having trouble swinging during Sunday batting practice. Through five playoff games so far, he's gone 2-18 with two RBI. He had a .749 OPS during the regular season.

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Phillies Starting Lineup

Shane Victorino, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Placido Polanco, 3B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Jayson Werth, RF
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Raul Ibanez, LF
Carlos Ruiz, C
Roy Oswalt, SP

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Giants Starting Lineup

Andres Torres, CF
Freddy Sanchez, 2B
Aubrey Huff, 1B
Buster Posey, C
Pat Burrell, LF
Cody Ross, RF
Mike Fontenot, 3B
Edgar Renteria, SS
Jonathan Sanchez, SP

Giants Vs. Phillies, NLCS Game 2: Roy Oswalt Looking To Right Ship, Even Series

(Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants will try to head back to the Bay Area with a two games to none lead in the National League Championship Series, as they play Game 2 of the best-of-seven set against the Philadelphia Phillies this evening at Citizens Bank Park.

The Giants captured Game 1 of this series on Saturday with the help of Cody Ross, who belted a pair of solo homers off Roy Halladay. Tim Lincecum pitched seven innings and San Francisco captured a 4-3 win.

"I can't explain it with my words," said Ross. "I mean, it's just awesome to be in this situation right now, to be able to come here and help this team and get where we wanted to be. I just can't express it."

Former Phillie Pat Burrell doubled in a run in the sixth and Juan Uribe added an RBI single later in the frame, as the Giants matched a National League record by extending their winning streak in postseason-series openers to seven, dating back to 2000.

Coincidentally, one of the two teams San Francisco tied for that record was Philadelphia, which dropped a postseason series opener for the first time since the Rockies swept it in the 2007 NLDS.

Lincecum (2-0) followed up a brilliant effort in the NLDS with a solid outing on Saturday, allowing six hits and three runs with eight strikeouts in the matchup of former Cy Young Award winners.

Brian Wilson recorded the final four outs - all on strikeouts - to earn his third save of these playoffs.

Halladay (1-1), coming off his no-hitter in the opener of a sweep against Cincinnati, yielded eight hits and all four runs while fanning seven without issuing a walk.

"I don't think we can do nothing to bring this game back tonight," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's a loss. So we come out tomorrow, and we come out and play in that moment, try to win that game. That's what we've got to do."

Carlos Ruiz belted a solo home run and Jayson Werth clubbed a two-run shot for the Phillies, who lost for the first time this postseason.

"It wasn't about the numbers, it was about giving us a chance to win," said Lincecum. "I put those home runs behind me. You could easily squash yourself on that and make some more bad pitches. I was just taking it on to the next batter."

Philadelphia, of course, is vying to become the first NL team to reach the World Series in three straight years since the 1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals. That could be in jeopardy, though, as 15 of the last 18 winners in Game 1 of the NLCS have advanced to the World Series.

Plus, the Phillies have never won a postseason series in which they lost Game 1.

It does not get any easier for the two-time defending National League champions this evening, as they face left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, who has already beaten them twice this season.

Sanchez, who was moved up to start this game ahead of Matt Cain, followed up a terrific start to get the Giants into the postseason with an even better effort last Sunday in NLDS Game 3 against the Braves. Sanchez limited Atlanta to a run and two hits in 7 1/3 innings, but did not get a decision.

He is 3-1 lifetime against the Phillies with a 2.86 ERA in nine games, five of which have been starts. He's also held them to a .175 average with just one home run. In two starts in Philadelphia Sanchez is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA.

"This guy's got good stuff," Manuel said. "We've got to make him bring the ball up. We've got to get balls to hit and see if we can't put some balls in play and score some runs on him."

Philadelphia, meanwhile, will turn to right-hander Roy Oswalt, who tries to bounce back from a poor showing in his NLDS start against the Reds. Oswalt gave up four runs -- three earned -- and five hits in five innings against Cincinnati, but was bailed out by the Reds' poor defense and escaped without a decision.

"As long as we win games, numbers to me are not a big thing," said Oswalt. "I want to do well, but we won three in a row, so it doesn't really matter."

Oswalt, though, has a losing record against the Giants, going 6-8 with a 3.61 ERA. But for his career, he is still unbeaten in at Citizens Bank Park, posting a 9-0 mark in 11 starts there including his last outing.

"Let me tell you something guys, they're human," Manuel said of his starting staff. "I mean, they're going to give up some runs some time. If they don't, we're going to be looking really good. Like I said before, I was joking about how long I wanted to manage. But if they don't give up no runs, it's hard to tell when I might -- how long I might stay here."

The Phillies split their six matchups with the Giants this season and since the start of the 2000 campaign, the teams are 36-36 against one another in the regular season.

Despite both teams being original NL franchises, this is the first-ever postseason matchup between the two.