Halladay Defeats Lincecum, Giving the Game 5 Victory to the Phillies
Even after pulling his groin, Roy Halladay led the Philadelphia Phillies to victory over the San Francisco Giants to force Game 6.
Halladay didn’t make it apparent that he was injured to any of his teammates, although some knew due to a lack in his pitching.
"The guy's just a tough guy," Placido Polanco said. "He didn't show it."
Halladay outplayed Tim Lincecum to give the Phillies another chance at the World Series in a 4-2 victory over the Giants on Thursday.
If the Giants had won, they would have gone to the World Series, but, fortunately for the Phillies, there will be a Game 6. However, the Phillies must win the next two games to advance to the World Series. If the Giants win even one, then they will advance.
"It was just something to deal with. You make adjustments and pitch your way through it," Halladay said of his injured right groin. "We know we can win. It's a matter of going out and doing it. We continue to plug away."
In Game 6, Roy Oswalt will start for the Phillies against Giants’ started, Jonathan Sanchez.
Halladay enhanced to 2-1 with a 2.45 earned run average (ERA) in three postseason starts this season regardless of his injury, which he contracted in the 2nd inning.
"Of course, he stayed in there," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. "He was determined he was going to stay in there."
Lincecum also pitched a great game, except for one difficult inning, but the offense was unsuccessful in backing him up, resulting in the loss.
"We just didn't play great fundamental baseball tonight," said Aubrey Huff. "No doubt the error was big but we weren't able to get the big hit with runners in scoring position. If you'd have told us when the series started that we were going to be in this
position I think we'd all take it. But we have to go out there and play like we've been playing all year."
The game’s first point was by the Giants in the bottom of the 1st. With Halladay pitching, Andres Torres walked after being hit by Halladay’s pitch. After Freddy Sanchez hit a single to shallow center field, Torres ran to third base. Next, Buster
Posey grounded to second, and Torres scored, with Sanchez out at second. At the end of the 1st, and until the 3rd, the score was 0-1, with the Giants ahead.
In the top of the 3rd, the Phillies came to bat with Lincecum pitching. Raul Ibanez singled to right center field followed by Carlos Ruiz being hit by a pitch and walking, pushing Ibanez to second. Halladay then sacrificed his hit to the catcher,
allowing Ibanez to get to third and Ruiz to second. Shane Victorino was up next and went all the way to second base on an error by Huff. This allowed both Ibanez and Ruiz to score. Polanco then hit a single to left center, after which Victorino also scored.
After this three run inning, the score was 3-1, to the Phillies.
In the bottom of the 4th, with San Francisco at bat, Pat Burrell doubled to left field, followed by Cody Ross doubling to the right, allowing Burrell to score. The score was now 3-2, still to the Phillies.
Sadly for the Giants, they stopped here.
There were no runs again until the 9th, when the Phillies came to bat against pitcher Ramon Ramirez. On Ramirez’s first pitch, Jayson Werth hit a 347 foot home run to the right.
The Phillies had a two run lead at the end of the game, and many of the 43,713 fans at AT&T Park in San Francisco started leaving even before the final out, knowing that this game would not end in the Giants’ favor.
Game 6 of the playoff series will take place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, set to start at 3:57 PM ET on Saturday October 23, 2010. If the Giants win the next game, they will advance to the World Series, but if the Phillies win, the winner of Game
7 will advance.
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