NLCS Game Two Recap: Phillies-6, Giants-1

Game Recap:
Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings of one run baseball and the Phillies got to the Giants for six runs, tying the NLCS at one game a piece heading to San Francisco.

What went right?

Shane Victorino was 2-4 with a run scored.

Chase Utley walked and scored twice.

Placido Polanco was 1-3 and drove in two runs.

Ryan Howard went 2-3.

Jimmy Rollins went 2-3 with a walk and four RBI.

Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He walked three, struck out nine, and went 1-3 at the plate, scoring a run in the seventh inning.

Ryan Madson got into a little trouble in the top of the ninth inning, but worked out of it to close out the game.

What went wrong?

Raul Ibanez was 0-4 and struck out twice.

Carlos Ruiz was 0-4 with two strikeouts.

The Phillies left eight men on base.

Game Analysis:

No matter what people want to tell you about last night's game, it wasn't necessarily a must-win for the Phillies. Before the series started, I was confident that if the Phillies could get a split out of the first two games, they would win the series. After seeing the last two games, I'm even more confident that the Phillies are going to take the NLCS and head to their third straight World Series. Why would I be able to say that after just two games that have the Phillies and Giants tied at 1-1? It's what the Phillies have shown in both games.

Coming into last night's game, Jonathan Sanchez had dominated the Phillies through his career. It's why he got the start instead of Matt Cain, who has struggled against the Phils in Philadelphia. Against Sanchez in the regular season, the Phillies have batted .157 with just a single home run and twice as many strikeouts as hits. That's not a good sign coming into the playoffs, but instead of swinging freely against Sanchez, they did exactly what they had to do in the first inning, and that was take pitch after pitch.

The plan worked almost to perfection. Chase Utley walked and stole second, and Placido Polanco reached on a Mike Fontenot error. Ryan Howard then walked, and, following a Jayson Werth strikeout, Jimmy Rollins earned a bases loaded walk to force in the first run of the game. Four batters reached base in the first inning, and none of them did so with a hit. That's not the same Phillie team that people are used to seeing, but it was effective in the first inning. Sanchez threw 36 pitches, and only allowed one run, but the damage had already been done. The only problem with the first inning was that the Phillies only scored one run. The Giants got their bullpen up in the first inning, meaning that a big start to the game would have chased Sanchez. Instead, the Phils only scored once, and Sanchez started to settle down after that. He ended up throwing six innings, and needed just 64 pitches to get through the rest of his night. Considering he threw 36 pitches in the first, that's not very good from the offense after that.

However, the small ball option that the Phillies used in the first came into play in the fifth inning as well. After the Giants tied the game in the top of the fifth, Shane Victorino started things off with a double. Two sacrifice flies by Chase Utley and Placido Polanco later, the Phillies had a lead that they weren't going to give up. The four runs in the seventh inning were icing on the cake and provided a bit of a show, thanks to Roy Oswalt running through a stop sign at third and scoring anyway, and Jimmy Rollins' bases clearing double against Sergio Romo later in the inning. The Phillies did a great job last night breaking up their normally thick left handed lineup, and it paid off right away. If Charlie Manuel was smart, he would keep the lineup just like it was last night. The Giants had to make several pitching changes, and their bullpen didn't look nearly as sharp as it did in Game One.

Then, there's Roy Oswalt on the mound. After getting hit up a little bit in his first playoff start, Oswalt was back in form from the very start of the game last night. He struck San Francisco leadoff hitter Andres Torres out all four times he faced him, fanned another five Giants and walked just three. The only mistake he made was the same mistake that Roy Halladay made twice in Game One: he pitched to Cody Ross. Ross has three hits in this NLCS, and they're all home runs on inside pitches. The Phillies have to start pitching him outside more, because he's not going to drive the ball on pitches like that. When any pitcher throws inside on Cody Ross, he has a chance to take the ball over the fence, and he's done that three times already against the Phillies. Either walk him, or pitch him outside. I don't want to see Ross hurt the Phillies anymore, because, without him, the Giants have scored just two runs in two games, and that's a good thing.

There's not much else you can say about how Roy Oswalt pitched last night. That game was the reason why the Phillies traded for Oswalt at the end of July. He's never lost a playoff start, and always seems to have his best when things are on the line. Let's be honest here, who would you rather have seen start that game: Roy Oswalt, or J.A. Happ? If any of you reading this said Happ, then you're liars. Oswalt is a big game pitcher, and big game pitchers can shut down an opposing team. Aside from Ross's home run, Oswalt allowed two meaningless singles, and talked Charlie Manuel into letting him stay in the game for Aubrey Huff in the top of the eighth inning. Oswalt had already established himself as a fan favorite in Philadelphia, but he's gaining more popularity with each game he pitches in the playoffs.

Now, the series is tied heading to San Francisco for three games. The Phillies haven't had that much success out in San Francisco of late, and they needed extra innings just to avoid being swept out there earlier this season. This isn't the same Phillies team, though. The Phils have had Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez on the ropes early in both games, and though they couldn't fully take advantage of either situation, they've set the tone for this series. The Giants may have great pitching, but the offense of the Phillies is better. As long as the Phils can make the Giants pay for a few mistakes a game, they'll be just fine for the rest of the NLCS.

Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches for the Phillies in Game Three. He'll be opposed by Matt Cain (0-0, 0.00 ERA).