Matt Cain settled in and Cole Hamels did not.
That was the difference maker in game three as the Phillies lost to San Francisco, 3-0, as the Giants took a 2-1 series lead.
Cain was spectacular through seven, allowing only two hits but got a little wild with three walks and a hit batter. Cain did strike out five and didn’t allow a hard-hit ball in his outing.
Hamels’ day was done after the sixth. The left-hander was perfect through the first three innings before Edgar Renteria’s lead-off single. He went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out eight. Hamels was dominant but the lack of any support offensively did the Phils in.
Cody Ross got to the Phils again with an RBI single in the fourth with two outs to get San Fran on the board. Aubrey Huff then followed up with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
The Giants added another run in the fifth when Aaron Rowand hit a lead-off double. A couple batters later, Freddy Sanchez drove in Rowand to make it a 3-0 game.
Philadelphia finally got to Cain the seventh after he settled down but failed to capitalize. After Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch with two outs and Ross Gload forced a pinch-hit walk, Cain got Shane Victorino to ground out with a full count to end the threat.
The Giants went to the pen with Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson for the final two innings. After Lopez breezed through the eighth, Wilson closed out the ninth inning, getting Raul Ibanez to ground into a game-ending double play.
Ibanez has turned into the goat of the line up, batting .158 (3-for-19) in six playoff games. Against the left-handed Madison Bumgarner tomorrow, Charlie Manuel needs to bat Ben Francisco in game four.
WP: Cain. LP: Hamels. S: Wilson.
TTB 