Not much to say about this one....one sloppy inning cost them the game.
In the third inning, with runners on first and second, Roy Halladay laid down a sac bunt. Buster Posey quickly picked up the ball and fired it to third, but Pablo Sandoval, who had come in to try to field the bunt, couldn't return to the base in time to get the force out at third. Halladay didn't run on the play, so Sandoval easily got the out at first. The Giants missed an opportunity at a double play thanks to Sandoval's sloppy defense, and it came back to bite them.
On the next play, Aubrey Huff failed to make a play on a hard grounder hit right at him. The ball bounced off of his forearm, allowing two Phillies to score. The error, which could've potentially been the final out of a scoreless inning -- had Sandoval gotten the double play, extended the inning, giving Placido Polanco the opportunity to tack on another run with an RBI single.
And that's how the Phillies scored three runs. None of those runs would've scored had the Giants been solid on defense. And..because of that inning, and those two misplays, the Giants will have to defeat the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in order to advance to the World Series.
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Finally, Andres Torres has broken out of his slump. He had a couple of singles and a walk, marking the fifth time he's reached base in the last two games, quite an improvement upon the offensive drought he was in not too long ago He's a game-changer. With the Giants, one of the slowest teams in the majors, having speed on the basepaths completely elevates their game. Something as simple as a leadoff walk in the first inning by Andres Torres leads to a run, because he can get from first to third on a single.
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Cody Ross' double extended his postseason hitting streak to six games. He became the 22nd Giant to have a postseason hitting streak of six or more games. If he were to notch a seventh game, he would become just the 12th Giant to do so. The franchise record is Irish Meusel's streak of 11 games set in 1921-1922.
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Three more stolen bases off of Posey. Jimmy Rollins stole second and third, and Chase Utley stole second base once. With all of the pressure on him -- calling pitches, plays at the plate, and batting cleanup as a rookie -- you can't really blame him. This could become a big problem though, if he can't start nailing runners. Pretty much half of the Phillies' starting lineup is capable of stealing -- Rollins, Utley, Victorino, Werth, and occasionally Polanco can steal a bag.
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The Giants really should win Game Six, because I see Game Seven as a much tougher affair. Jonathan Sanchez v. Roy Oswalt is a much more favorable matchup in Citizens Bank Park, with Sanchez's success against the Phillies and Oswalt's having been used in Game Four -- if that does happen to affect him. Also, Matt Cain, Game Seven's starter, might not fare well in a hitters' park, given his tendency to allow a lot of flyballs.
