Phillies' Oswalt shuts down Giants to even NLCS at 1

PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies have yet to chain the incredible Cody Ross, but last night, with the help of Roy Oswalt, they did manage to pull even in this NLCS.

Oswalt provided the pitching gem that Roy Halladay failed to deliver by allowing only three hits, including Ross' fourth homer of these playoffs, in eight innings. Jimmy Rollins supplied four RBIs, including the knockout blow with a three-run double in the seventh, as the Phillies smacked the Giants, 6-1, in Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park.

Oswalt retired 13 of his first 14 batters before Ross homered with one out in the fifth. He struck out nine and walked three in improving to 5-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine postseason starts.

"I think the biggest thing is momentum," Oswalt said. "You're trying to make the momentum come back on your side."

For Oswalt, it was mission accomplished. The Phillies took a 2-1 lead on Jonathan Sanchez's bases-loaded walk to Rollins in the first inning and Placido Polanco's sacrifice fly in the fifth. The Phillies were 3-for-33 with runners in scoring position before Polanco's single in the seventh brought in Oswalt, who ran through a stop sign and barely slid in ahead of the tag.

"I said, 'Go for it,' " Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "What are we going to do, rope him? I ain't that good. I'm not a cowboy. I might look like one, talk like one, but I'm not one."

Later that inning, with two outs, Jeremy Affeldt intentionally walked Jayson Werth to load the bases for Rollins. The Giants brought in righthander Santiago Casilla, and Rollins, who entered Game 2 in a 1-for-15 slump in these playoffs, ripped a long fly that missed clearing the high rightfield wall by roughly four feet. It was Rollins' second career four-RBI game in the postseason.

"Just doing my job," he said. "It was something that we needed at the time. I was glad I was the person up there at the moment and able to come through. But you don't celebrate until you win four games."

On Saturday, Ross ended Halladay's streak of no-hit innings at 12 with the first of his two home runs off the Phillies' ace. He became only the second player ever to go deep twice in his LCS debut, joining the Twins' Gary Gaetti, who did it in 1987, and only the fourth to do it in Game 1 of the NLCS.

For an encore, Ross broke up Oswalt's early no-hit bid in the fifth. With Juan Uribe a late scratch, Bruce Bochy moved Ross up to the sixth spot, and he hammered a 1-and-0 fastball into the leftfield seats, not far from where his two off Halladay had landed.

It was Ross' fourth homer in seven plate appearances dating to Game 4 of the Division Series. During the regular season, Ross had 14 home runs in 153 games with the Marlins and Giants.

"The last three balls that he hit are in the same exact spot - just bad pitches," Oswalt said. "I mean, it's throwing it right into his bat, pretty much. If you miss down and in, that's pretty much where he's hitting them."

For all the talk of Halladay's Cy Young season, Oswalt had been just as good since coming to the Phillies from Houston. After the trade, Oswalt was 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 13 games.

Last night, Oswalt looked ready to join Halladay and Don Larsen. Until the fifth inning, his only blemish was a two-out walk to Ross in the second. Oswalt had struck out five, including three straight, and Shane Victorino's sprinting catch at the warning track was the lone extraordinary defensive play.

Sanchez was no slouch himself. The Giants were 9-2 in his last 11 road starts, including Game 3 of the Division Series, and Sanchez had a 0.82 ERA in his last five road outings, including the playoffs. He had not allowed more than one earned run in any of those five starts.

But Sanchez struggled early during a chaotic first inning. The Phillies loaded the bases on a one-out walk to Chase Utley, Mike Fontenot's throwing error and another walk to Ryan Howard. One out later, Sanchez walked Rollins to hand the Phillies a 1-0 lead and perhaps give Rollins some confidence for later.