Mlb Playoffs, Nlcs | featured news

The big curveball was back, and Barry Zito mixed in some well-placed fastballs, too. It was just like the good old days. Zito was at his best Friday night, pitching San Francisco back into the NL championship series with a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals that narrowed its deficit to 3-2.

One more win and another bunch of wild-card Cardinals get their chance to repeat. Adam Wainwright threw seven innings of four-hit ball and St. Louis roughed up Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants in an 8-3 rout Thursday night that gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead in the NL championship series.

The sight of Marco Scutaro on the ground in pain after getting flattened by Matt Holliday's hard takeout was just the spark the San Francisco Giants needed. Scutaro even got into the act with his own big blow that helped the Giants end their home slide.

The San Francisco Giants advanced to the World Series by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Saturday to clinch the National League Championship Series.

Cody Ross came through with another key hit this postseason, Matt Cain dazzled to outduel Cole Hamels and the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Tuesday to take a 2-1 lead in the NL championship series.

The San Francisco Giants celebrated their first playoff win in eight years, then paused to honor the man whose career they had just ended.

Jayson Werth, Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino homered to help the Philadelphia Phillies, closing in on another pennant, build an 8-3 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers after six innings Wednesday night in Game 5 of the NL championship series....

They were one out from defeat. A moment later, Jimmy Rollins put the Fightin' Phils within one win of the World Series. Rollins lined a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 Monday night for a 3-1 lead in the NL championship series.

Carlos Ruiz’s three-run homer highlighted a five-run fifth inning, Raul Ibanez added a three-run shot in the eighth and the Philadelphia beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6 on Thursday night to win the opener of the NL championship series.

Chase Utley ducked near second base. The rest of the Philadelphia Phillies never flinched. Ryan Howard hit a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning and scored on Jayson Werth's single as Philadelphia rallied past the Colorado Rockies 5-4 in Game 4 on Monday night to reach the NL championship series....