PHILLIES NEWS

The anticipation had been mounting for a nearly week that tonight's clash in game 1 of the NLCS would be a pitching duel for the ages between Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum. Sadly the game did not quite live up to its billing. Neither Halladay nor Lincecum had their best stuff and surprisingly the long ball ruled the night. Halladay allowed 4 runs on 8 hits, including 2 homers, while striking out 7 while Lincecum allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, including 2 homers, while striking out 8. Ultimately, it came down to who would take better advantage of their opportunities and on this night it just so happened that it was Giants who did so, and so they got the win in game 1 and the Phils took the loss.

Cody Ross gave San Francisco the initial 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the 3rd inning. Carlos Ruiz answered right back in the home half of the 3rd with a solo bomb of his known. Ross tagged Halladay again in the 5th for a 2-1 Giants lead. Then in the 6th Buster Posey slapped an innocent 2 out single before Halladay was denied a close strike 3 against Pat Burrell. That gave 'the Bat' a chance to hit a deep fly ball to left field on the next pitch which Raul Ibanez probably should have caught. Instead it bounced off his glove and went for an RBI double to make it 3-1 Giants. Burrell was replaced with a pinch runner Nate Schierholtz, who scored on a single back up the middle by Juan Uribe, as Shane Victorino's throw home went off line.

That run proved crucial as Jayson Werth crushed a 2 run homer in the home half of the 6th to cut it 4-3. Without that extra run it would have been tied at 3. Instead the Phils needed one more run in the last few innings and unfortunately Werth was stranded in the 8th, and Ruiz and then pinch runner Wilson Valdez were stranded in the 9th inning as Brian Wilson and the G-men hung on for the 4-3 win. I am not surprised the Giants, just how they won. I never knew Ross had it in him. He was terrible for the Marlins in the regular season and the Phils seemed to own him then which just makes you wonder what's changed. Anyway 1 game does not make a series, and the Phils are just going to have to dust themselves off and win game 2 or they're in big trouble.