Giants 4, Phillies 3

FOX has been fighting with Cablevision over sporting rights recently, and there was some specualtion that they would lose TV coverage of MLB postseason games.  The was speculation that people would turn to MLB.com or ESPN Radio to catch the NLCS and World Series.  There was speculation that FOX's ratings would be terrible.  Luckily for them, they couldn't have asked for a better Game 1 matchup in Philadelphia last night, pitting RHP Tim Lincecum against RHP Roy Halladay.

Both pitchers cruised through the first two innings.  But the Giants got to Halladay in the third.  Or, more like RF Cody Ross got to Halladay in the third.  Ross had spent his entire carrer with Florida Marlins before the Giants claimed him off waivers in August.  Not getting much publicity in Miami, Ross had been a valued, underrated player for the Marlins.  Now he's getting a chance to shine on a national stage.  In the top of the third inning, Ross took Halladay deep for a long home run to left field at Citizens Bank Park.  Expect the Giants to take advantage of the homer-friendly ballpark this postseason.  San Francisco has never been a great home run city, and AT&T Ballpark is no exception.  Power hitters like Ross will probably revel playing in the tiny stadium.

The lead was short-lived for the Giants, though.  In the bottom of the third, C Carlos Ruiz answered for the Phillies, hitting a lazy fly ball to right field which somehow managed to clear the fences.  Ruiz's homer tied the game at one.

Unfortunately for Halladay and the Phillies, Ross was due up again in the fifth.  He responded with another homer to left.  This one, too, was a no-doubter to give the Giants the lead once again.  The Giants padded the lead in the sixth when C Buster Posey scored on a double by LF Pat Burrell.  San Francisco pinch-ran for Burrell with the speedy Nate Schierholtz.  This proved to be a smart move as the speedster scored on a single by SS Juan Uribe.

A three-run cushion isn't much in Philadelphia, and the Phillies proved that again in the bottom of the sixth.  2B Chase Utley singled to lead off the inning.  Two batters later, RF Jayson Werth hit an inside-out fly ball to right-center field.  Once again, this lazy fly ball improbably turned into a home run to narrow the margin to 4-3.  But Lincecum stopped the bleeding there.

LHP Javier Lopez relieved Lincecum in the eighth and retired the only two batters he faced, earning a hold.  RHP Brian Wilson entered the game and recorded a four-out save to preserve the 4-3 victory.  Lincecum was solid as usual, giving up three runs in seven innings.  Halladay, though, may have to reevaluate his game plan against the Giants.  He was roughed up for four runs in seven innings.

Game two will be played tonite at 8:00 PM, following the NFL on FOX.