Lincecum bests Halladay; Giants out-hit Phils, 4-3

Added on Oct 17, 2010 by Ted Sillanpaa in

MLB

The Giants can upend the Phillies in the National League Championship Series after all.

Giants’ ace Tim Lincecum out-pitched Roy Halladay Saturday, as the Giants won Game 1 of the NLCS, 4-3, in Philadelphia.

The Phillies’ offense was given a big edge over the punchless Giants, but Lincecum and two relief pitchers quieted a Phillies team that has struggled to score in 2010.

Career reputations of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and injury-plagued Chase Utley accounted for Philly being favored, but Lincecum showed why the trio had fallen off at the plate this season.

Lincecum gave up three runs, was hardly overwhelming, and gave up a home run to catcher Carlos Ruiz. He handled Howard, Rollins and Utley with ease. Only a home run by No. 5 hitter Jason Werth did any damage.

The Giants lead the series and send sizzling left-hander Jonathan Sanchez to the mound tonight in Game 2 against Phillies right-hander Roy Oswalt.

“It was big, it sets the pace for the series,” Lincecum said of the win where the Phillies threatened, but couldn’t come up with the big hit.

Halladay’s bid for a second straight no-hitter lasted until Cody Ross hit the first of two he banged off of the Phillies right-hander in the third inning.

Lincecum got the big outs when he needed them.

“I don’t think we can do nothing to bring this game back tonight,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “It’s a loss.”

Halladay didn’t have dominant stuff. He allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings.

“You find out what you’re made of. You never expect it to be easy,” Halladay said.

Lincecum gave way to southpaw set-up man Javier Lopez, who got two outs in the eighth. Closer Brian Wilson finished with a four-out save.

Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge struggled in the ninth, loading the bases before retiring the side.

Ross homered to left to give the Giants a 2-1 lead in the fifth. He was 3 for 16 off Halladay while playing for the Marlins.

San Francisco got two key hits with two outs in the sixth to increase the advantage to 4-1.

Halladay thought he struck out Pat Burrell to end the inning and walked off the mound after an 0-2 pitch only to return because plate umpire Derryl Cousins called it a ball. Burrell hit an RBI double on the next pitch — left fielder Raul Ibanez made a leaping attempt in front of the wall and the ball bounced out of his glove.

“Apparently, it was close,” Burrell said of the near strikeout. “I was just trying to get a good swing.”

Lincecum and Halladay both were openly upset by Cousins’ effort behind the plate.

Juan Uribe followed Burrell’s double with an RBI single, scoring pinch-runner Nate Schierholtz to give the Giants a 4-3 margin.

The Phillies rallied immediately when Utley reached on an infield single that shortstop Uribe bobbled slightly. Werth hit a two-run homer to cut the gap to 4-3.

Lincecum walked Utley, with the score tied 1-1 in the third, and was visited by manager Bruce Bochy. Bochy walked to and from the mound shouting and gesturing toward Cousins who appeared to have squeezed the strike zone on San Francisco’s ace.

Lincecum struck out Howard to end the inning.

“I just wanted to calm him down,” Bochy said. “He’s really hyped up a little bit.”