Major League Baseball

Phillies-Giants: Game 3 preview

Published Oct. 19, 2010 10:16 a.m. ET

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Phillies at San Francisco Giants

AT&T Park, Today, 4:19 p.m.

TV: FOX

Radio: WPHT (1210), WUBA (1480), ESPN (950, 97.3-FM, 97.5-FM)

Weather: Mostly sunny, 70s, low winds

Game Line: Phillies -$110; Giants -$110. Over/Under: 6 runs.

TODAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP Phillies LHP Cole Hamels (regular season: 12-11, 3.06; postseason: 1-0, 0-00) vs. Giants RHP Matt Cain (regular season: 13-11, 3.14; postseason: 0-0, 0.00)

1. Keep Rollins rollin'. Jimmy's bases-loaded double in Game 2 on Sunday night was superfluous. His bases-loaded walk in the first inning gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. That means he's seeing the ball well, and he owns Matt Cain: 6-for-10 with a homer, three triples and a double with five RBI. Maybe he moves up to the fifth spot, sandwiching Ryan Howard between two guys who clobber Cain (Chase Utley is 7-for-15 with three homers).

2. Walk Cody Ross. Really. He has four homers against Cole Hamels in his career, and he has three homers against Aces No. 1 and No. 2 in this series. A late waiver claim, Ross wasn't even a Giant when they pounded Hamels twice.

3. Lean on relievers Chad Durbin and Jose Contreras. They figure to play heavily into the game, with Hamels' recent rough history against the Giants.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT ... RYAN HOWARDPosition: First base

Height/weight: 6-4/255 pounds

Age: 30. Birthdate: Nov. 19, 1979

Hometown: St. Louis

Years in major leagues: 6

How obtained: Fifth-round pick by the Phillies in the 2001 draft.

Statistically speaking: While his numbers were down slightly this season, some of that can be brushed aside due to an ankle injury that cost him 19 games. For the fifth straight season, Howard surpassed 100 RBI (108) and 30 home runs (31). His strikeouts were a full-season career low but his on-base percentage dropped to .353, the second lowest over the past five seasons.

The lineage: Ryan Howard is one of four children, including fraternal twin, Corey. He has long joked that he is the smallest of the three boys and that includes older brother Chris.

Chris Howard is an associate athletics director at the University of Kansas, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in 1997. He was a combat medical specialist in the U.S. Army from 1990 to '95 and he served in Operation Desert Storm with the 24th Infantry Division.

Much ado about NOTHING!: The Internet was abuzz Sunday afternoon when Howard made an appearance at Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles' win over Atlanta. At about 1:30, Howard did an interview with Fox commentator Tony Siragusa about Game 2 of the NLCS against San Francisco later that night. Many felt Howard should have been at Citizens Bank Park preparing for the game after he had struggled for the better part of a month at the plate. Howard went out and had his best game of the 2010 playoffs, going 2-for-3 with a double and a key first-inning walk. Phillies fans can only hope Howard can make an early morning appearance at a youth soccer or football game in the Bay Area today to prepare for this afternoon's Game 3.

The contract: Howard is signed with the Phillies through the 2016 season and will earn at least $125 million over the final 5 years of the contract. There is a team option for 2017.

- Michael Radano

WHO'S HOT PHILLIES: Roy Oswalt. His nine strikeouts in Game 2 were a career best in 10 postseason starts. Of course, his fifth win in nine career starts was more important than the strikeouts. Oswalt is 5-0 in the postseason.

GIANTS: Cody Ross. The late-season acquisition from the Marlins is hitting .350 with four home runs and six RBI this postseason.

WHO'S NOT PHILLIES: Raul Ibanez. After a strong second-half surge, the Phillies leftfielder is hitting just .158 in five postseason games and has yet to knock in a run.

GIANTS: Andres Torres. The Giants centerfielder is hitting .120 in the postseason. In six games he has one walk and three hits in 25 at-bats.

OBSCURE STATSince the NLCS began in 1969, the team losing Game 1 has come back and won 12 times. On only three occasions did that team lose at home - the 1988 Dodgers, 1989 Reds and 1977 Dodgers. The 1977 Dodgers lost to the Phillies in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium before winning the last three games. Game 3 became known in these parts as Black Friday and the series ended for the Phils in a torrential downpour in Game 4.

- Michael Radano

THE SERIESGame 1: Giants 4, Phillies 3

Game 2: Phillies 6, Giants 1

Remaining games:

Game 4, Tomorrow: Phillies at San Francisco, 7:57 p.m.

Game 5, Thursday: Phillies at San Francisco, 7:57 p.m.

* Game 6, Saturday: San Francisco at Phillies, 3:57 p.m. or 7:57 p.m.

*Game 7, Sunday: San Francisco at Phillies, 7:57 p.m.

* - if necessary

ON PHILLY.COM: Look for live game updates, live chats with other fans, video reports and complete coverage from the Daily News.

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