Saturday's best MLB Mound Matchup
Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants vs. Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies
Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07 ERA)
Sanchez was solid in Game 2 at Philadelphia, but he was not good enough to beat Oswalt as the Phillies leveled the series at one game apiece with a 6-1 victory. The lefty went six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking seven and walking three.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” said manager Bruce Bochy said. “I thought he did a good job. Johnny's been probably as good as anybody on our staff the last six weeks. I thought he did a nice job in Game 2.”
It was a second straight strong playoff performance by Sanchez, albeit not as dominant as his first one against the Braves. On the road for Game 3 in Atlanta with the series tied 1-1, Sanchez pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed a mere two hits and one run while striking out 11.
During a breakout regular season, Sanchez compiled a 31-9 record and a meager 3.07 ERA. His stats against the Phillies were certainly up to par: 13 innings, five hits, two runs, and 13 strikeouts.
Roy Oswalt (21-10, 2.44 ERA)
Oswalt has already endured an up-and-down postseason. The good news for Philadelphia is that Oswalt’s main highlight off the playoffs was his previous start against San Francisco. The veteran righty allowed just three hits and one run while striking out nine in eight innings of work to pick up the win in Game 2.
However, the Phillies sent Oswalt out to the mound for ninth-inning relief duty on Wednesday with Game 4 tied and Philly trailing the series 2-1. He promptly allowed two hits and a game-ending sacrifice fly as the Giants prevailed in walk-off fashion.
The question is which Oswalt will show up on Saturday—the dominant one in Game 2 against San Francisco or the one who took the loss in Game 4 and also surrendered five hits and four runs (three earned) in five innings against the Reds one series earlier?
Oswalt, who threw 18 pitches on Wednesday, said prior to his team’s season-saving Game 5 victory that he would be ready to start Game 6. “At this time of year, you just have to pitch,” he said of his relief appearance. “It doesn't really matter what the situation is. I thought I had decent stuff.”
Phillies 160 chalk in Game 6 at home
By: Brad Young
The National League Championship Series is moving back to The City of Brotherly Love for Saturday’s Game 6 showdown. This contest will be a pitching rematch of Game 2 between San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez (13-10, 3.00 ERA) and Philadelphia’s Roy Oswalt (14-14, 2.80 ERA).
The Phillies avoided elimination with Thursday’s Game 5 victory over the Giants as a 115 road favorite, 4-2. San Francisco still maintains a 3-2 series advantage, and needs just one more victory to punch its World Series ticket. Philadelphia is the two-time defending NL champions, and captured the title back in 2008.
Don Best's Real-Time Odds opened Philadelphia as 160 home ‘chalk’ over San Francisco for Game 6, with the total set at seven (‘over’ minus 125). FOX Sports will provide coverage of Saturday’s matchup beginning at 12:55 p.m. PT from Citizens Bank Park.
San Francisco’s Sanchez dropped Game 2 of this series Sunday as a 149 road underdog, 6-1. The Puerto Rico native was reached for three runs (two earned) on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over six innings and 100 pitches.
The combined seven runs landed directly on the closing total, ending a string of four straight ‘under’ outings for the five-year veteran. The Giants were 6-1 his previous seven starts that included a victory over Atlanta in the divisional series.
Sanchez faced the Phillies twice during the regular season, tossing a combined 13 innings while yielding two runs on five hits with seven walks and 13 strikeouts. San Francisco prevailed April 26 as a 136 home underdog, 5-1, and August 19 as a 168 road ‘dog, 5-2. The ‘under’ is 4-1-1 his previous six starts against Philadelphia.
The Giants split the first two games of this series after taking the opener, and will need one more victory to advance to their first World Series since 2002. San Francisco is 46-39 on the road, and 9-3 in Sanchez’s past 12 outings away from home. The Giants maintain a 9-3 ledger the last 12 games when listed as an underdog.
Philadelphia’s Oswalt won that Game 2 matchup after enjoying a solid eight-inning effort. The mid-season acquisition from Houston allowed the lone run on three hits (one home run) with three walks and nine strikeouts on 111 pitches.
Oswalt faced the Giants once during the regular season as a member of the Phillies, prevailing Aug. 17 as a 160 home favorite, 9-3. The right-hander went seven innings, surrendering three runs on six hits (two home runs) with no walks and seven strikeouts. The combined 12 runs toppled the 8 ½-run closing total, the only ‘over’ outing he has the previous six starts versus the Giants.
Philadelphia sports a 102-68 home ledger this season, and the team is 38-15 its previous 53 outings at Citizen Bank Park. The Phillies have seen the ‘over’ go 8-1-2 their last 11 home playoff games. The ‘over’ is also 6-2-1 the last nine meetings between these teams.
Saturday’s forecast for Philadelphia calls for sunny skies, with a high of 68 degrees and a low of 52.