Giants in control of NLCS

Giants in control of NLCS

Associated Press

San Francisco

Juan Uribe hit a game-ending sacrifice fly off reliever Roy Oswalt with one out in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants moved within one win of the World Series, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 Wednesday night for a 3-1 lead in the NL championship series.

Aubrey Huff singled with one out in the ninth and took third when Buster Posey singled for his fourth hit of the game. Uribe hit a medium-deep fly, leaving left fielder Ben Francisco with no chance to get the sliding Huff.

The Phillies, the two-time defending NL champions with the best record in the majors this year, are suddenly on the brink of elimination. They’ll send Roy Halladay against Tim Lincecum in Game 5 Thursday night — it’s a rematch of aces that Lincecum won in the opener.

Going to Oswalt to begin the ninth backed manager Charlie Manuel’s words this was his club’s biggest game yet this year. Oswalt is one of the majors’ top starters and beat the Giants in Game 2. He’s made only a few relief appearances in the last several years, including a stint in the 2004 NLCS for Houston.

Uribe, sore left wrist and all that kept him out of the starting lineup, entered at shortstop in the top of the ninth. He immediately picked up a hard one-hopper by pinch-hitter Ross Gload in the hole and made a strong throw while falling away for the out.

Major league saves Brian Wilson pitched a perfect ninth for the win.

After Freddy Sanchez lined out to right to start the bottom half, Huff and Posey singled. Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth made a nice sliding stop on the warning track to keep Huff from scoring.

Then came Uribe, a quiet 1 for 7 in the NLCS before this one. On a 1-1 pitch, he claimed he got hit in the hand by Oswalt’s fastball, but plate umpire Wally Bell said it was a foul.

Uribe wound up with the game-winner moments later, leaving the Giants just one victory shy of reaching the World Series for the first time in eight years.

Posey starred at the plate and behind it, too. He made a great play at the plate to save a run earlier, neatly handling a short hop and tagging out Carlos Ruiz at the plate.

Werth hit a tying RBI double in the eighth after Ryan Howard doubled against Javier Lopez leading off the inning.