Phils Get Break, Bring Series Back To Philly

by BigGreek24

Friday October 22, 2010 

For two innings, the Phillies offense went quietly into the San Francisco night as Tim Lincecum appeared to be unhittable staked to a first inning 1-0 lead.  And then came the third inning.

Raul Ibanez, so deeply mired in a slump that he was benched the night before against lefty Madison Bumgarner, singled to open the frame.   After Lincecum hit Ruiz on an inside changeup, the Phillies got their first break when a bunt by Roy Halladay went over the plate and Buster Posey picked up what should’ve been called a foul ball and tossed it to third base where Pablo Sandoval tried in vain to find the bag with his foot.   Halladay, sure that the ball was foul, didn’t run on the play and he was thrown out at first.   Victorino followed with a bullet that careemed off of first baseman Aubrey Huff’s mitt and into center field for a two run, two base error and the Phils second break of the inning.  Polanco followed with a single to score Victorino and give the Phils a 3-1 lead.

With one out in the fourth, former Phillie Pat Burrell doubled to left and would score on a Ross single.   Pablo Sandoval followed with a flyball to right that Werth caught and then fired to third to nail Ross to end the inning with the Phils up 3-2.   Lincecum shut down the Phillies, retiring 10 in a row before Rollins opened the 7th with a single.   After Ibanez struck out, Rollins stole second, then stole third as Ruiz walked.  Halladay’s night was done as Ross Gload stepped up to hit.  Gload hit a smash that Huff speared and turned into a double play, saving at least a run as Gload’s shot was headed for the right field line.

The Phillies bullpen, led by Jose Contreras, was as good as gold when it needed to be.  Contreras gave up a one out single to new Phillie killer Andres Torres before getting Sanchez to line out to Polanco at third.   JC Romero was called on to get Huff,  and Utley speared a liner that appeared headed into short right field to end the threat.  Ryan Madson struck out the side in the 8th and after Jayson Werth hit a solo homer to right in the 9th to give the Phillies some breathing room at 4-2, Lidge came on and retired the side in order culminating with a Travis Ishikawa strike out to end the game and bring the series back to Philly.

The Phillies got, and took advantage of, two huge breaks in the third inning and on a night when Roy Halladay looked human the bullpen held the slimmest of leads when the Phillies, on the brink of elimination, needed it most.  Now it will by up to Roy Oswalt on Saturday to keep the Phillies season alive one more day.

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