Giants end skid in Philly

PHILADELPHIA The Giants sure are a confounding bunch.
Just when they looked ready to print postseason ticket strips, they started playing some of their worst baseball of the season. And just when everyone started to switch the channel, they jumped on Cole Hamels, one of the league's hottest pitchers.
Jonathan Sanchez, a punchline last weekend, was football jerseys
back to collecting punchouts, too.
A week after his big talk backfired against the San Diego Padres, Sanchez took a one-hit shutout into the ninth inning in an eventual 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday night. The outcome saved the Giants in many respects, the least of which was preventing a sweep at Citizens Bank Park.
The Giants moved within a game of the Phillies for the NL wild card lead, while also remaining six games back of the irrepressible San Diego Padres in the NL West.
And they finally reestablished their winning pattern, getting a victory from a starting pitcher for the first time in 15 games. Sanchez had the previous one, Aug. 3 at Colorado.
A loss would've buried the Giants three back in the wild card picture.
"The last thing you want to do is start digging yourself too big a hole," Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said. "So this was a big game for the guys, to get this last one, against a very tough pitcher."
Hamels hasn't gotten any run support he was responsible for the Phillies' only hit in his last outing at New York's Citi Field but he had a 2.14 ERA in his previous six starts.
The Giants bit him for a three-run first inning, with Freddy Sanchez setting the table and Buster Posey, Jose Guillen and Juan Uribe following with run-scoring hits. Posey added another second RBI double in the third inning.
Jonathan Sanchez outpitched Hamels while nearly throwing his first complete game since his no-hitter July 10 of last year. Paired with catcher Eli Whiteside again, Sanchez retired 15 consecutive and entered the ninth with just 97 pitches, but Bochy took no chances after Sanchez gave up a leadoff single to Shane Victorino and missed badly on consecutive pitches to Placido Polanco.
Mike Sweeney hit a two-run double off Sergio Romo before Brian Wilson entered Indianapolis Colts jersey
to pick up his 34th save.
Did Sanchez finally back up some of his bluster from a week earlier, when he guaranteed a division title?
"Maybe a little bit," Bochy said. "He'd like to probably take that back, but you can't once you say it. With all the struggles getting a win from our starters, it's big. That's the only way you'll beat these guys go out and pitch well.
"He looked determined tonight to get us back on track. He knew our situation."
The Giants backed him with solid defense, snapping a streak of five consecutive games with an error. Aaron Rowand nearly reacquainted himself with the center field fence while catching Jayson Werth's deep drive in the fourth, and Pablo Sandoval made a diving stop at third base to rob Jimmy Rollins in the fifth.
Sandoval had an eventful game.
He hit his first home run from the right side all season, yanking a solo shot off Hamels in the fourth inning. It was the switch hitter's 122nd at-bat from the right side.
Prior to the game, Bochy said Sandoval's right-handed batting practice was the best he'd seen all season.
"I'm starting to get the feeling back," Sandoval said. "I told Bochy,
Watch out. Something is going to happen tonight.' I've been jumping out. I'm not waiting for the pitch. That's the same left-handed. My hands don't load at the right time."
But Sandoval also had to make a public apology and pay the fine box after he didn't run out a pop-up that was dropped on the infield, leading to an embarrassing double play in the ninth.
"That's my fault," Sandoval said. "You learn every day. I finished the inning and apologized to him. I have to run hard, every moment."
Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the first inning, too; he regained the NL lead with 22 double-play grounders, one more than Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez.
But for once, the Giants did more right than wrong against a Dallas Cowboys jersey
quality opponent starting with the guy on the mound.
"It's not going to be an easy road to get there," Bochy said. "We know it. But these guys have shown how resilient they are. You can't get down, and these guys came out ready to go today."
Giants 5, Phillies 2 •Today: at St. Louis, 5 p.m. •TV/Radio: KOTR (Ch. 11)/KNBR (680), KIDD (630)