MLB: Roy Halladay out pitches Lincecum to lead the Phillies to victory (Part 1)
Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum were duelling again in the fifth game of the National League Championship (NLCS). The Philadelphia Phillies were looking for a much needed win. After a bad start to the series, the team was 2
wins behind the San Francisco Giants. Roy Oswalt was the only man to get the winner from the encounter in game 2. Unfortunately, the East side title holders were breaking their rhythm and with a side that had so much potential to break through any team with
three world class pitchers, the squad was trailing against the West division champions.
The Giants were more than lucky; they were tactically and mentally strong against the Phillies. Where errors are more important than freedom of action, the side limited any irregular pitching and hitting strategies and focused
on the basics in the last 4 games. Though they lost the 2nd fixture in the series, they were still up to the task to take the game to the Phillies and beat them for a climb towards the World Series. San Francisco ended Bobby Cox’s managerial
career for the Atlanta Braves to get to the NLCS and it wasn’t a surprise as the pitchers and the bullpen barely let the score line get out of hand.
Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt and Matt Cain have all performed over the season and the playoffs. The squad has been strictly consistent and even though the roster isn’t star studded like most of the teams in
the league, the victories have come in, variably.
The Phillies, on the other hand, were one of the best teams in the National League and when the playoffs came they proved exactly that with a no hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in the first game. Such a display would only
be feared but going into the NLCS, the Giants took the lead in the series and now rest one win away from qualification. Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Roy Halladay are the three pitchers that have done the work for the East division champions and going into the
5th game, fans wanted Philadelphia to fight through for a chance, at least.
The game featured an injured Roy Halladay who was starting on the mound with a massive jolt of pain. The player who had lost his first game against the Giants came in with a busted pair of legs. Prior to the match, the ace
striker had an inconsistent track record in the post season, this year. He was perfect against the Reds but, his game against San Francisco depicted a different pitcher on the mound. The ball thrower went up against the Tim Lincecum and failed to impress as
he allowed 4 runs off 8 hits. Halladay was back in a contest with the Giants pace man and this marked a second time, the two Cy Young award winners met in the playoffs.
Tim Lincecum may have not been the number one ball thrower in the National League during the regular season but his contribution in the game during the playoffs has been something to talk about. If Tim was leading in something
during the season, it was in strike outs. With 231 to his name, he ranks on top of the league with that count. His Earning Runs Average during the campaign was low as well. While allowing a rate below 3.43, the pitcher picked up 16 wins and 10 losses in 33
game starts.
In the post season however, Lincecum was known for other reasons. His first match against the Atlanta Braves saw him pitch a stunning shut out with just two hits, allowed. In addition to that, he struck out the second best
figures in the playoffs with 14. That wasn’t the only statistic. He struck out 11 against the Phillies in the in game 1 of the NLS.
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