Major League Baseball

Renteria's advice helped launch Ross' hot streak

Published Oct. 18, 2010 10:11 a.m. ET

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Shortstop Edgar Renteria finally got a chance to start Sunday night, as a replacement for Juan Uribe, who has a bruised wrist. Even before he took the field, Renteria had made a huge but little-advertised contribution this postseason.

Cody Ross, the Giants' postseason MVP thus far, was hitless in nine consecutive at-bats after a second-inning double in Game 2 of the Division Series against Atlanta. The ninth was a strikeout against starter Derek Lowe in the third inning of Game 4 at Turner Field.

Renteria noticed a mechanical flaw. Ross lifts his front foot as the pitch is thrown for timing and was not getting it down quickly enough. That made it harder to see the pitch deep into the zone.

"I went and watched video after my at-bat and he was right. I wasn't," Ross said.

Next time up in the sixth inning, with the Giants trailing 1-0, Ross homered to end Lowe's bid for a no-hitter. In the seventh, Ross grounded a single through the hole to drive in what became the winning run in the series clincher.

He did not stop there. His next two at-bats came in Game 1 of the NLCS on Saturday, and he homered each time against Roy Halladay to ignite the Giants' 4-3 win, then added his fourth homer of the postseason Sunday against Roy Oswalt.

As a reserve, Renteria gets a lot of time to watch and said he provides hitting tips liberally.

"Even if you're not playing, you have to help," Renteria said. "It's a team. You see something wrong with somebody, you've got to tell him. You hope he watches the video and agrees with you."

Renteria told The Chronicle last month that he might retire after this season. He has been told he would make a good coach but said he plans to explore business ventures instead.

He was 0-for-4 Sunday.

Game 1 leftover: Tim Lincecum must know how manager Bruce Bochy's two sons feel. Bochy visited Lincecum on the mound in the third inning of Game 1 after Carlos Ruiz homered, Halladay singled and, after a double play, Placido Polanco doubled and Chase Utley walked.

Bochy's address to Lincecum looked animated, and this was not the first time. During the regular season, Bochy lit into Lincecum during a private meeting after a loss in which the skipper thought Lincecum was not focused.

Bochy said after Lincecum's win Saturday, "I could see that he was showing a little frustration. I just wanted to calm him down. He's really hyped up a little bit in this big game, and he was in a jam there. I just wanted to make sure he calmed down and kept his poise and made some good pitches to Ryan Howard."

Lincecum did as told and struck out his biggest nemesis on the Phillies to end the inning.

Lopez factor: Phillies manager Charlie Manuel stuck Polanco, a right-handed hitter, between Utley and Howard in his Game 2 lineup. Part of that might be because of Jonathan Sanchez starting for the Giants, but it also could be Manuel's attempt to thwart sidewinding left-hander Javier Lopez in the later innings. Including Game 1, Utley and Howard are a combined 0-for-10 against Lopez, who knows he has to change up things to keep it that way.

"Everybody watches video, and everybody has advance scouts," Lopez said. "They know what I'm going to throw, and I know what they like and don't like. That's the chess game you play, and I have to try to execute the best way I can."

Briefly: Manuel said his plan is to start Joe Blanton in Game 4, not Halladay on short rest. Halladay's two losses to the Giants this season must factor into that equation. ... Game 1 was the 20th postseason game at Citizens Bank Park since it opened in 2004. Lincecum became the first visiting pitcher to throw seven innings. Those who fell short include CC Sabathia twice, Ubaldo Jimenez, Lowe and Andy Pettitte. ... Ross is the only Giant to have four go-ahead hits in the same postseason.