San Francisco @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2010 ) San Francisco 4, Philadelphia 3
The Philadelphia Phillies made a move to get Roy Oswalt at the trading deadline so he could win big games.
After a 4-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, the Phillies won't play many bigger than Sunday's Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park.
One of San Francisco's key late-season pickups - outfielder Cody Ross - was the star in Game 1, hitting a pair of solo home runs off Roy Halladay. The Phillies hope their big move pays similar dividends Sunday.
The Phillies might not have even made the playoffs without Oswalt, who went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) after they acquired him from Houston on July 29.
Oswalt was ordinary in his one start during the division series against Cincinnati, allowing four runs - three earned - over five innings and settling for a no-decision in Philadelphia's 7-4 win.
But his playoff record has been sparkling - he's 4-0 with a 3.83 ERA in nine games (eight starts) in the postseason - and he was MVP of the 2005 NLCS, when he beat St. Louis twice to help Houston reach its first World Series.
The Giants are in great shape after Tim Lincecum outpitched Roy Halladay in the opener - the team that has won Game 1 has won the NLCS 15 of the past 17 times - but they would feel more comfortable going home with a 2-0 lead, and they hope left-hander Jonathan Sanchez can help them do so.
Sanchez was dominant in his postseason debut against Atlanta, striking out 11 and allowing only one run on two hits over 7 1/3 innings, though he didn't factor in the decision in the Giants' 3-2 win.
It was a continuation of a strong regular season for Sanchez, who set career-best marks with 13 wins and a 3.07 ERA. He was especially good down the stretch, going 4-1 with a 1.01 ERA in his last six starts.
The Phillies managed only seven hits off Lincecum and two relievers Saturday, but two of them were home runs. Carlos Ruiz hit a solo shot and Jayson Werth blasted a two-run homer to get the Phillies within one run before Giants closer Brian Wilson struck out four for a four-out save.
All five of San Francisco's games in the playoffs have been decided by one run, and Wilson has saves in three of their four wins.
Werth's homer was his 12th in 39 postseason games.
Oswalt is 6-8 with a 3.61 ERA in 17 career starts against the Giants. He was 1-3 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against them this season.
Sanchez is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA in nine games (five starts) against Philadelphia, including a 2-0 mark and a 1.38 ERA in two starts this year.