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October 25, 2010

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Giants see off Phillies to reach Classic

THE San Francisco Giants reached the World Series by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in a 3-2 nail-biter on Saturday to clinch the National League Championship Series and set up an underdogs' Fall Classic.

The Giants took charge on an eighth-inning homer from Juan Uribe and survived a nervous ninth as closer Brian Wilson walked two batters before striking out slugger Ryan Howard to end it.

The victory settled the best-of-seven series 4-2 in the Giants' favor and set up an improbable World Series against the American League champions Texas Rangers starting in San Francisco on Thursday (Shanghai time).

The Giants ended the two-year run of the Phillies as NL champions, while the Rangers knocked out last year's World Series champions the New York Yankees in taking the AL championship, also 4-2.

"That was epic. What a battle," Wilson told reporters as a stunned crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia watched the Giants celebrate in the middle of the diamond. "I hope the fans back home are going absolutely ballistic."

Outfielder Cody Ross, added late in the season on waivers from the Florida Marlins, was named MVP of the series after hitting three homers and batting .350 for the Giants.

For San Francisco, it will be its first trip to the Fall Classic since 2002 and it will be seeking its first World Series title since 1954 as the New York Giants. Texas will make its Fall Classic debut in its 50th year as a franchise, born in 1961 as the Washington Senators.

"We had chances, we just couldn't cash in on them," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We couldn't get the big hit."

The Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of their do-or-die game on an RBI-double by Chase Utley and a sacrifice fly to left from Jayson Werth off San Francisco starter Jonathan Sanchez.

San Francisco countered with two runs in the top of the third inning off Phillies starter Roy Oswalt.

The first run scored on a single to center by Aubrey Huff with the second tally crossing the plate on a throwing error by second baseman Placido Polanco.

Tensions ran high in the bottom of the third when Sanchez hit Utley in the back with a pitch. Utley and Sanchez exchanged words and looked headed for a confrontation. Players from both benches rushed on to the field before order was restored.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy replaced the agitated Sanchez with Jeremy Affeldt and used five pitchers, including starters Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum, for seven shutout innings of relief to make Uribe's opposite field shot a game-winner.

"We had to come in and pitch an entire game," a champagne-drenched Affeldt said in the clubhouse. "We had to pitch our butts off."



 

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