Baggs' Instant Replay: Phillies 4, Giants 3 (12)

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCOFormer As teammates Barry Zito and Joe Blanton traded twin outings.

Nate Schierholtz and John Mayberry Jr. traded two-homer performances.

After nine nullifying innings that felt like a tic-tac-toe marathon, the Giants and Phillies decided Sundays outcome in extras at Citizens Bank Park.

The Giants bullpen finally blinked in the 12th, when Jimmy Rollins one-out single off Brad Penny brought in Carlos Ruiz to send the Phillies to a 4-3 victory.

The Giants still managed to take two of three in both Atlanta and Philadelphia to complete a successful road trip. But they missed a chance to sweep a three-game series in Philly for the first time since 2004.

Starting pitching report
The Giants had a 4.85 road ERA when this trip beganthe third worst in the major leagues. So Zito stepped up in a huge way with a solid outing in Tuesdays series opener at Atlanta.

Zito ended the trip with another highly effective start at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, holding the Phillies to three runs on five hits in seven innings while setting a season high with seven strikeouts.

There were more than a few white-knuckle moments, though. The Phillies hit him mighty hard in the first inning but only got one run out of the deal.

Zito caught his first break when third baseman Pablo Sandoval snagged leadoff man Jimmy Rollins line drive. Shane Victorino walked and scored on Chase Utleys triple as the UCLA alum got the better of Zito.

But Zito, the former USC lefty, got a big assist from another Bruins alum. After Zito hit Ryan Howard with a pitch, shortstop Brandon Crawford made a deft backhand pickup of Hunter Pences grounder and threw off his back foot to start a double play.

It was a rough beginning, but Zito settled down and flashed some of the best offspeed stuff hes thrown all year. He escaped another jam in the third when he struck out Howard on a curveball that followed a series of cutters.

But Mayberry ripped a hanging, 3-2 slider in the fourth inning for a tying, solo shot. Mayberry jumped on the first pitch he saw in his next at-batanother slider, this one located a bit betterthat put the Phillies ahead.

Zito was undeterred by the two shots. He struck out the next two batters and issued just one walk on the day. Hes only issued two walks over his last two starts.

Bullpen report
Chase Utley and Ryan Howard probably see Javier Lopezs sidearm coming at them in their nightmares. The lefty got a double-play grounder and a strikeout from the Phillies duo in the eighth inning and Sergio Romo did his thing in a scoreless ninth.

Jeremy Affeldt was next with 1 23 innings, and Clay Hensley stranded the only runner he inherited.

Penny ran into trouble, though. First, Ty Wigginton hit a deep fly ball that Schierholtz caught as he crashed into the right field wall. But there was no defense for a walk to Carlos Ruiz, and the Phillies had runners at the corners after Laynce Nix singled down the right field line.

Rollins rifled his hit to center to end it.

At the plate
Schierholtz is really making a statement now.

Starting for the third consecutive day, the disgruntled outfielder tagged a 2-0 fastball to lead off the game. Then he barreled up a 2-1 changeup with two outs in the eighth to tie the score and prevent Blanton from winning.

The Giants only managed one other scoring rally against Blanton, and that came in the fourth when Buster Posey singled and Pablo Sandoval crushed a ball that hit a foot below the top of the wall in left-center. The hard carom allowed Posey to score from first base to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.

The Giants couldnt get Sandoval home, though. They also failed to push ahead after Schierholtzs shot in the eighth got them even. Ryan Theriot followed with a double and Phillies manager Charlie Manuel elected to have Blanton intentionally walk Melky Cabrera. It was a classic case of pick your poison, and Posey almost dug in his fangs. Right fielder Hunter Pence, a tangle of gawky limbs, barely managed to haul in Poseys deep drive with a basket catch on the warning track.

Crawford hit a leadoff double in the 12th, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't have epically struggling first baseman Brandon Belt sacrifice him to third. Belt struck out to finish another 0-for-5 game. he's in a 2-for-27 slump since the All-Star break. Pinch hitter Emmanuel Burriss couldn't move Crawford, either. After an intentional walk to Schierholtz, Ryan Theriot flied out. It was the Giant's last chance.

In field
Crawford maintained his exceptional play at shortstop. He and Sandoval kept the Phillies from putting up a crooked number in the first inning.

Theriot added his highlight moment in the sixth when the second baseman barehanded Chase Utleys drag bunt and threw on the run to nip him at first base.

And Schierholtz nearly made the best play of all, when he came up firing after charging Blantons single in the third. Schierholtzs throw to first base was a split-second too late.

Attendance
The Phillies announced 44,551 paid. No active members of the Cody Ross fan club, we think.

Up next
The Giants must haul themselves across the country and dive right back into their next homestand on Monday. Ryan Vogelsong (7-4, 2.81) will oppose left-hander Clayton Richard (7-10, 3.86) and the San Diego Padres, who just locked up Carlos Quentin on a three-year contract and are negotiating to extend closer Huston Street as well. Madison Bumgarner (11-6, 3.12) opposes right-hander Edinson Volquez (6.7, 3.34) on Tuesday. Tim Lincecum will pitch Wednesdays series finale against right-hander Jason Marquis (3-5, 3.79).