Chris Haft
MLB.com
Now this was a conversation piece.
Jonathan Sanchez, who provided fodder for discussion and controversy with some recent remarks, spoke volumes with his performance Thursday night. He allowed just two hits while pitching into the ninth inning in the Giants' 5-2 victory over the Phillies.
Sanchez took a one-hit shutout into the ninth as he emphatically ended the Giants' 14-game winless streak by their starting pitchers. Shane Victorino, who singled in the third, singled again to open the ninth and finish Sanchez. Sergio Romo yielded a pair of hits, including Mike Sweeney's two-run double, before Brian Wilson retired Raul Ibanez on five pitches to record his 34th save.
Buster Posey smacked a pair of RBI doubles and switch-hitting Pablo Sandoval swatted his first right-handed homer of the year to back Sanchez (9-8), who also was the last starter to record a victory -- Aug. 3 at Colorado.
The decision ended the Giants' three-game losing streak and enabled them to avoid a sweep. Next stop: St. Louis, where they'll play a three-game weekend series. It's another critical confrontation for the Giants, who occupy second place in the National League Wild Card standings -- one game behind first-place Philadelphia and one ahead of third-place St. Louis.
"The last thing you want to do is start digging yourself too big a hole," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
San Francisco also trails NL West-leading San Diego by six games. If the Padres were to cool off considerably and play .500 baseball for the rest of the season, they'd finish 94-68. Even if that dangerous assumption were to come true, the Giants would have to win at a .675 clip (27-13) to post a 95-67 record and edge San Diego for the division title.
The Giants wouldn't be in this predicament if Sanchez's bold predictions had come true. After losing at Atlanta on Aug. 8, he vowed that the Giants would sweep San Diego in their upcoming showdown and maintain the division lead that they would thus claim. As all interested parties know by now, Sanchez lost the series opener and the Padres won two of three games, propelling the Giants toward a 1-4 skid entering this series finale against Philadelphia.
Sanchez's brashness didn't thrill Bochy and other Giants. But the left-hander may have redeemed himself while throwing 68 strikes in 100 pitches and working into the ninth inning for the first time since he no-hit San Diego on July 10, 2009.
"He had a great look about him," Bochy said. "After his last couple of starts, especially with the comments, he looked very determined tonight to get back on track."
Catcher Eli Whiteside played an subtle but significant role in maintaining Sanchez's effectiveness. Before the Phillies' half of the fourth, Whiteside noticed that Sanchez was throwing his warmup pitches from a lower arm angle. That hampered Sanchez's ability to control his deliveries, which was apparent when he grazed Chase Utley to open the inning.
Whiteside promptly visited the mound to inform Sanchez of his flaw. The next batter, Jayson Werth, hit a howling drive to right-center field that Aaron Rowand caught after a long run. That began a stretch of 15 consecutive batters Sanchez retired.
Sanchez relied primarily on his fastball to subdue the Phillies, who had hit .290 in their previous 25 games.
"He was able to locate it in, out and up," Whiteside said.
Said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, "We didn't hit too many balls hard. I can count two or three."
Sanchez had lasted seven innings only once in his previous 11 starts, adding to his reputation for inconsistency. As superbly as he pitched against Philadelphia, he didn't offer assurances that he could duplicate this effort.
"Every time I go out there, I have my best stuff," Sanchez said. "Sometimes it just doesn't work."
But the Giants' offense worked for him, driving Phils left-hander Cole Hamels from the mound after five innings. Hamels (7-10), who had recorded a 2.14 ERA in his previous six starts, surrendered five runs and seven hits in front of the 100th consecutive sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Three of those runs came in the first as five consecutive Giants reached base safely with one out. Freddy Sanchez singled and scored on Posey's first double. Pat Burrell drew a walk -- the Giants' first free pass in 94 plate appearances -- before Jose Guillen and Juan Uribe lined RBI singles.
"When you can get some runs for Johnny early, you see what he can do," Rowand said. "He settles down and pitches his game."
"Everybody does that," Sanchez said. "You get a couple of runs, you pitch relaxed."
San Francisco generated a couple of more runs. After Freddy Sanchez singled and Posey doubled him home again in the third inning, Sandoval added his homer in the fourth, ending a season-long drought of 121 right-handed at-bats without clearing the fence.
Sandoval sensed that he was bound for glory after hitting solidly during batting practice.
"I told Boch, 'Watch out -- something's gonna happen tonight,'" Sandoval said.
He was correct in more ways than one.
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