The bar was so high that only a double shutout in extra innings to match savings.
But who would have thought that the long-awaited Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum would have been captured by Throwdown
Maybe Phillies fans are saying “Ross Cody Bleepin” on this disturbing on Sunday morning that he considered the hometown heroes back after playing a match series for the first time in three years.
First Ross became the first player to get hit by Mr. Tober-Doc-in 111 / 3 innings, and what seemed like two months when he took Halladay deep from the inside Fastball in the third inning.
Then he gave the Giants the other end with a second solo blast to the left to the fifth.
All of this comes out of eighth place in the order of San Francisco.
This, however, is not your normal number 8 hitter.
Just last season, Ross hit 24 home runs and drove in 90 runs for the Marlins.
Looking at it in this game is hard to understand why Florida released him available for the plucking, as the Giants did with the refusal of the wire on August 23.
He becomes a version of San Fran, Mr. October. Ross broke up Derek Lowe no-hitter in the sixth inning of Game 4 of NLDS and then select a good run inning later.
“Cody has been swinging the bat well and certainly gave us a sense of confidence in that dugout, putting himself on a board like that,” said the Giants’ version of Grizzly Adams, manager Bruce Bochy.
“He helped us a lot, since he was here. And we are faced with tough pitcher today, and we got a couple of mistakes and took advantage of it.”
Do not expect Bochy bring Russia out of number 8 slot, however.
“He’s a success, where he is, so why mess with it?” Bochy said. “He did a great job in this hole. And I do not think I’m going to change it.”
Bochy went on to note that in one phase of his life in Russia wanted to be a rodeo clown. It’s cool guys who have to go back and distract the bull after bullrider has either fallen or jumped off the angry animal.
This is a dangerous job.
For comparison, facing Halladay was a piece of cake.
“My father was a rodeo and I think that’s why I was drawn to so many of them because these guys are not afraid,” said Ross. “They would put their lives on the line to save the cowboy.”
It is obvious that these Giants are not afraid of the Phillies or their fans.
They came in a hostile environment and tamed the bulls of the National League for Tim Lincecum and two cords, a trio that combined for 13 strikeouts.
If you’re a fan of the Phillies to worry about an offense that looks a lot like it did in June when the team nearly buried himself in too deep a hole in the National League East.
Lincecum, as Halladay was good, maybe better than average. He was almost untouchable as the Phillies had six hits with him – four extra bases – and a few other balls that are hit.
Just as they did not panic when they drifted seven games for the Braves, do not expect the Phillies to go into crisis mode right now.
Even if Jonathan Sanchez puts them in a 2-0 hole in Game 2, you do not expect them to tighten the Phillies.
Approach remains the same.
“We leave tomorrow, and we went out and played at a time,” Charlie Manuel said afterward, as he said so many times. “We’re trying to win this game. That’s what we should do. That’s just what we can do.”
But, at least, Giants notice that this series might be a bit more complicated than a five-game celebrations Dodgers in the last two of the NLC.
These giants are not red either. Their pitching speaks for itself, and when you have a guy like Cody Ross hit eighth, your list might be a bit more formidable than the media gave you credit.
“That was huge for our club,” Bochy said. “We’re on the road. We have faced Halladay. We knew that our work cut out. But we had a very nice guy in there too.
“It’s a long series here. And this is just the beginning. And all this right now.”
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