The San Francisco Giants can smell the pennant.
After an impressive Game 3 win behind Matt Cain and Cody Ross, San Francisco has a 2-1 edge in games in the 2010 NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Game 4 will be played Wednesday in San Francisco, where the teams will also duel in Game 5 before (potentially) heading back to Philadelphia.
The Giants have to feel good about taking the lead for the second time in this series, after the two-time defending National League champion Phillies rallied to rout the G-men at Citizen’s Bank Park in Game 2 of the set. Manager Bruce Bochy looks like a genius for the myriad adjustments he has made as the series has progressed, and the offense has done just enough to support the stellar pitching staff.
Going into Game 4, the Giants have their foot on the throat of Charlie Manuel’s crew. The series become a very dicey proposition with a Phillies win, but if San Francisco can pull out a victory to go up 3-1, the series is all but over. Ten things will make or break the Giants’ effort to move within shouting distance of their first pennant since 2002. What are they?
Read on.