On the brink of elimination, the Phillies dusted themselves off and proved why they’re the two-time defending NL champions.
Jayson Werth homered, Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco had RBI singles and the Phillies beat the Giants 4-2, bringing the series back to Citizens Bank Park for Game 6 Saturday afternoon.
The Phillies scored three runs in the third inning, which was critical in a must-win game. Raul Ibanez led off the inning with a single to right center. Tim Lincecum then hit Carlos Ruiz with a pitch. Roy Halladay sacrificed to put runners at second and third.
Victorino hit a hard groundball that bounced off Aubrey Huff’s glove, resulting in an error and two runs scoring. Polanco followed with an RBI single.
Lincecum was sharp the rest of the night, pitching four more innings and allowing one hit. He was pulled after seven, giving up three runs, with seven strikeouts.
It wasn’t the best outing by Halladay, but better than Lincecum. The “Doctor” pitched six innings, allowing six hits and two runs, with five strikeouts. Halladay entered the pivotal Game 5 having never beaten the Giants. Now, he can add that to his already impressive résumé.
San Francisco started the scoring in the first. With runners at the corners, Buster Posey hit an easy grounder to second base, but Chase Utley muffed the play. He was only able to get one out and the Giants scored a run. In the fourth, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross knocked back-to-back doubles for the other run.
In the seventh, Jose Contreras got two outs and J.C. Romero got Huff to line out to end the frame. Then, after Ryan Madson struck out the side in the eighth, Brad Lidge closed it out with a perfect ninth.
