Major League Baseball

Burrell puts dent in Phillies

Published Oct. 17, 2010 10:13 p.m. ET

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PHILADELPHIA -- In his previous life here, Pat Burrell rather than Raul Ibanez would've been the one in left trying to desperately run down a long drive in the gap knowing the game might be hanging in the balance. After all, for nine years at Citizens Bank Park -- and before that, the Vet -- that was his turf.

But there's no room for sentiment in the National League Championship Series. Two years ago, Burrell led the Phils' World Championship parade down Broad Street.

Now he and the Giants are trying to ruin their party, to make sure Charlie Manuel's team doesn't become the first NL club since the 1942-44 Cardinals to win three straight pennants.

"There's a lot of memories because of all the time I spent here," sighed Burrell, after Ibanez was unable to flag his RBI double, which turned out to be a crucial hit in the Giants' 4-3 win over the Phillies in Game 1. "Really great memories, and it's hard not to think of them.

"But you know what? It's business time. All that's over with. I'm on a new team -- with the same goal."

Step one -- of four -- of that goal was accomplished Saturday in large part thanks to Burrell. After ripping his sixth-inning double off a suddenly vulnerable Roy Halladay, he was lifted for pinch runner Nate Schierholtz, who promptly came around to score what proved to be the decisive run when slumping Juan Uribe singled up the middle to make it 4-1.

"He made a heck of an effort to get back there and got his glove on it," said Burrell, who had to hold his breath on an 0-2 fastball moments earlier, which Halladay thought should've been strike three. "You never know in this park.

"You can hit some balls certain days and they can go over the fence and some days they don't. You just have to run out of the box and try to get to second base.

"Fortunately for us he wasn't able to grab it."

Tim Lincecum, with help from Javier Lopez and closer Brian Wilson, took it from there, and suddenly Burrell and the Giants are three wins away from something he couldn't have possibly imagined months ago after being released by Tampa Bay.

Having been there once before not that long ago, Burrell wants that taste again.

"It's easy for guys to come together when everyone has the same goal," said Burrell, after another castoff, Cody Ross, twice took Halladay out of the yard to set the tone. "And that's obviously to win.

"There's a lot of guys here that didn't start the year here that are big parts of this team. Starting with a different team and having it turn out the way it did is not what you hoped for, obviously. But the Giants gave me an opportunity to come out here and play.

"I just tried to make the most of it."

Facing Halladay, coming off a bravura performance vs. the Reds in the NLDS that put him in Don Larsen's previously exclusive neighborhood for throwing a no hitter in the postseason, Burrell and the Giants had a game plan that they worked to perfection.

"Everyone's familiar with how he did in his last game," said Burrell, who went 2 for 3 on the night, including an opposite field bloop single. "Off a guy like this, we have to make a conscious effort to tone it down and get good pitches to hit, which isn't easy.

"So for us to get on the board first was great. You can't say enough about that as far as playing in this environment and quieting the crowd down a little bit."

A few innings later Burrell kept them quiet with his double, as the Giants handed the Phillies their first Game 1 loss in a series since they were swept out by the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS.

But he's not about to take things for granted, having seen firsthand how resilient the two-time defending NL champions and their boisterous fans can be.

"It was just loud," he said of the frantic, towel-waving fans. "But that's what you expect.

"I've certainly seen enough of that while I was here. The home team fans want their team to win, and it shouldn't be any other way."

Leave it to Burrell, then, to spoil the fun. At least for now.

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