By Art Spander
Special to NewsdaySAN FRANCISCO -- Baseball momentum took another turn -- to the left, of course -- at the Golden Gate. The
National League Championship Series that appeared to be in possession of the Phillies now seems in the grasp of the Giants.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy wouldn't necessarily disagree after a 3-0 win Tuesday gave his team a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven.
"I mean,'' Bochy said, "it's a 2-1 lead, that's what it is. We have a lot of baseball left, and we're playing a great team.''
Then he added, "We're going to win. We know it.''
They're going to win if they get another pitching performance as good as the one Matt Cain gave. He limited Philly to two hits in seven innings.
They're going to win if Bochy keeps making all the right moves. Tuesday he elevated Edgar Renteria to leadoff -- because besides the benched Andres Torres, there was no other option -- and watched in the fourth inning as Renteria got the Giants' first hit off Cole Hamels and scored their first run.
They're going to win if Cody Ross, the accidental hero, keeps producing. The August waiver claim from the Marlins hit three homers in the first two games against the Phils, and it was his single that drove home Renteria.
"He's definitely hot,'' Hamels said of Ross. "He's been battling and hitting pitches that most normal people can't hit at this time.''
What Cain, with an 0-3 record and a 6.23 ERA previously against Philadelphia, hit were the spots he wanted. "I was just trying to focus on making my pitches and getting in the counts where I'm ahead,'' Cain said, "and trying to make [the Phillies] a little more defensive.''
With two outs in the seventh, Bochy jogged to the mound after Cain hit his second batter of the game, Carlos Ruiz, and walked pinch hitter Ross Gload. When the manager went back without bringing in a reliever, the sellout crowd of 43,320 chanted its approval. Cain then retired Shane Victorino.
"I wanted to check on him, see where he's at,'' Bochy said of Cain. "He was fine. There was no doubt I wanted to keep him out there.''
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, trying to reach the World Series for the third straight season, said of Cain: "He was too good. He didn't give us any runs. Even though he hit a couple of batters and he had three walks. When he got in trouble, he got even better, seemed like.''
Javier Lopez worked a 1-2-3 eighth before Brian Wilson earned his second save of the series, getting Raul Ibañez to ground into a game-ending double play.
The Giants looked helpless in Game 2 against Roy Oswalt, with Torres striking out four times. He's 1-for-9 in the series. Aaron Rowand replaced Torres in center, and he doubled in the fifth and scored the third run.
"He does a great job,'' Cain said of Bochy, "of getting the right guys in at the right time.''
- - - - - -
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/cain-bullpen-blank-phillies-as-giants-take-2-1-lead-1.2375216Copyright © 2010 Newsday LLC. All rights reserved.
