PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies have yet to chain the incredible Cody Ross, but Sunday night, with the help of Roy Oswalt, they did manage to pull even in the 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 defeated the San Francisco 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 inning. 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 right-hander 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 right-field wall by roughly 4 feet. It was Rollins’ second career four-RBI game in the postseason.
“Just doing my job,” Rollins 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 Minnesota 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, manager Bruce Bochy moved Ross up to the sixth slot and he hammered a fastball into the left-field seats, not far from where his two off Halladay had landed.
“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.”
Star of the game
Roy Oswalt: The Phillies’ right-hander allowed one run and three hits, striking out nine in eight innings. He also singled and scored a run in the seventh.
Key moment
With Philadelphia leading 3-1 in the seventh, Jimmy Rollins ripped a three-run double to right-center.
