Giants eliminate Phillies

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA

Juan Uribe hit a tie-breaking homer off Ryan Madson with two outs in the eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Saturday night in Game 6 of the NL championship series to reach the World Series for the first time since 2002.

The pitching-rich Giants will host the Texas Rangers in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Slumping Phillies slugger Ryan Howard looked at a called third strike with runners on first and second to end it.

Giants ace Tim Lincecum struggled in the eighth inning, pitching in relief on one day of rest after losing Game 5. Brian Wilson got five outs to finish off the Phillies, who were trying to become the first NL team in 66 years to win three straight pennants.

Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez was pulled after he hit Chase Utley with a pitch in the third that cleared both benches.

Sanchez hit Utley in the back with no outs in the bottom of the third, and took exception to Utley tossing the ball back toward the mound after it caromed to him on his way to first base.

Sanchez yelled an expletive at Utley, who seemed surprised the left-hander was upset. Utley waved him off and turned around. Still both benches and bullpens quickly ran onto the field. No punches were thrown.

No players were ejected and it didn’t appear there was any shoving. Sanchez was held back by teammates. He was removed for a reliever.

Jeremy Affeldt relieved with runners on first and second and struck out Howard, got Jayson Werth on a flyout and retired Shane Victorino to end the threat.

The Phillies’ struggles with runners in scoring position continued in the middle innings.

Game 4 starter Madison Bumgarner, a 21-year-old lefty who pitched the NLDS clincher Oct. 11 at Atlanta, came on to pitch the fifth. The rookie did not factor in the decision Wednesday.

Jimmy Rollins opened the fifth with a single. Howard’s two-out double put runners on second and third and Werth was intentionally walked. Bumgarner pitched out of the bases-loaded jam when he got Victorino on a comebacker.

It got worse for the Phillies in the sixth when they wasted Raul Ibanez’s leadoff double. He advanced to third on a sacrifice and was left there after Bumgarner struck out pinch-hitter Ben Francisco, batting for starter Roy Oswalt.