• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Giants visit Phillies in long-awaited NLCS rematch

Jul 26, 2011 - 9:43 PM (Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies in last year's National League Championship Series, setting the stage for their first World Series title in 56 years.

Tonight, the two teams meet again for the first time since that matchup in the opener of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.

Both teams enter tonight's showdown sitting atop of their respective divisions, as the Phillies own the majors' best record at 64-37, while San Francisco holds a four-game lead in the National League West.

"It's just another series. Any series from here on out is big," Giants catcher Eli Whiteside said.

San Francisco took two of three from Milwaukee over the weekend, capturing the series with a 2-1 win on Sunday. The win was the Giants 27th one-run victory of the season.

Madison Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning of that one, scattering eight hits and did not walk a batter for the third consecutive start.

"He's obviously very talented and he throw strikes. He pounds the strike zone with all of his pitches. He's very deceptive and uses both sides of the plate," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Bumgarner, who finished with eight strikeouts.

Tonight, San Francisco will rely on lefty Barry Zito, who is 3-2 on the year, but hasn't pitched since getting rocked by the Padres on July 16. Zito was hit for eight runs and seen hits in just 3 2/3 innings of that one, as his ERA jumpeed more than a run and a half to 4.78. He had won his three starts before that rough outing.

Zito is 3-2 lifetime against the Phillies with a 4.03 ERA in five starts.

Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum was originally scheduled to start tonight for the Giants, but he was a late scratch.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, enters tonight's tilt on a sour note after it was denied a sweep in its four-game set with the San Diego Padres, falling 5-4 in Monday's finale.

Cliff Lee (9-7) was tagged with the loss and surrendered all five runs and matched a season high by giving up 10 hits in just four innings.

Still, the Phillies have won nine straight series at home, where they are 37-16 on the year.

Hoping to get back into the win column tonight, the Phils will send impressive righty Vance Worley to the hill. The subject of recent trade rumors, Worley has given the Phils a boost in the absence of injured starters Joe Blanton and Roy Oswalt.

Worley, who has never faced the Giants, who his fourth straight start on Wednesday in Chicago, as he held the Cubs to a run and four hits over eight innings. He also struck out seven, as he ran his record to 6-1, while lowering his ERA to 2.02.

Over his last six starts the 23-year-old hurler is 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA and .163 average against.

Despite Monday's loss, the Phillies are a stellar 73-40 against the NL West since 2008.