Chris Haft
MLB .com
Intent on staying in the postseason race, the Giants received immediate assurance that Freddy Sanchez will contribute to that effort.
Sanchez's two-run double in Sunday's fifth inning highlighted his Giants debut and accelerated a comeback that resulted in a 7-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies, whose status as world champions lent a little extra meaning to this series.
The Giants, who overcame a 3-1 deficit with twin three-run rallies in the fifth and sixth innings, captured three of four games against a Phillies team that owns the Major Leagues' best road record (32-19). San Francisco needed each win to stay tied with Colorado atop the National League Wild Card standings. Chicago, Florida and Atlanta all remain close behind. Yet the Giants' success against Philadelphia added to their growing stash of legitimacy.
"It was great to show this team and show the league that we're a threat to be taken seriously," said left-hander Barry Zito, who worked six capable innings.
San Francisco batted a respectable but not outlandish .271 (60-for-221) while scoring 17 runs in the series. But the Giants' pitching excelled as usual, limiting the formidable Phillies to 10 runs.
"To play them like we did is a good thing for our pitching staff," left-hander Jeremy Affeldt said. "We're starting to face some good hitting. To see our staff stay strong is a big thing."
That strength was evident as the Giants finished 6-1 in their homestand. They posted a 1.55 ERA overall, including 1.14 by the starters. That helped San Francisco improve to 37-16 at AT&T Park, the best home mark in the big leagues. With 28 games remaining by the bay, San Francisco already has matched its 2008 home victory total.
The Giants (58-47) also stand 11 games above .500, their zenith for the season, for the first time since July 11. They know they must continue to raise that bar.
"Every game is important right now," said center fielder Aaron Rowand, whose second-inning RBI triple opened the Giants' scoring. "Regardless of who you're playing, they're all big. I think everybody has a sense of urgency. We need to keep this feeling, keep this momentum."
Expect Sanchez to be part of that push. Acquired last Wednesday from Pittsburgh to bolster the Giants' offense, the second baseman shrugged off a week of inactivity caused by a left knee injury to go 2-for-4.
"I felt like it had been forever since my last at-bat," Sanchez said.
Sanchez began his Major League career with the Boston Red Sox but didn't join them during any of their marches to the postseason. Playing for Pittsburgh since 2004 denied him the opportunity to play meaningful second-half games.
Until now.
It wasn't quite a playoff atmosphere that enveloped AT&T Park, but it was close. Early arrivals in the sellout crowd cheered loudly as the Giants left the field following batting practice, as if this were an NFL game. They yelled in anticipation of Zito's first pitch. And they cheered loudly for Sanchez during pregame introductions and upon his first plate appearance, having already pinned their hopes on his skilled hitting.
"Obviously, I've never beeen in a big league playoff run, and it's fun," Sanchez said. "... I felt like a little kid, going out there in front of a big crowd."
Giants partisans had little to yell about until the Giants batted in the fifth, trailing 3-1. Batting with two outs and nobody on base, Zito, a .121 hitter, singled to prolong the inning.
"We've changed his name to 'the igniter' the way he started us," manager Bruce Bochy joked.
Zito moved to third on Eugenio Velez's bloop single. Both scored as Sanchez doubled to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch from Phillies starter Cole Hamels (7-6). Sanchez came home as Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard fielded Pablo Sandoval's dribbler and overthrew Hamels with a backhanded toss.
"Obviously it's still early in the game, but guys on base, two outs, those are the situations you play for," Sanchez said. "You're not going to get the job done every time, but when you do it feels good."
Hamels accurately summarized the nature of the Giants' offense.
"They just keep pushing at you and pushing at you and manufacture a hit here and there," he said. "All of a sudden three or four runs score and you're going, 'What just happened here?'"
San Francisco struck again in the sixth as Velez, who's batting .444 (12-for-27) since being recalled Monday, followed Randy Winn's RBI single off Hamels with a two-run single off reliever Chan Ho Park.
"He was a big part of this homestand for us," Rowand said of Velez.
The support benefited Zito (7-10), who has won back-to-back decisions for just the second time this season.
"I think he's pitching with a lot of confidence," Bochy said.
Which is the same way the Giants are playing.
From: MLB.com
 Philadelphia (59-44) Lost 2 | San Francisco 7, Philadelphia 3 |  San Francisco (58-47) Won 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 8/2/09 | Recap: PHI | SF | Wrap | Gameday |
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