Tim Lincecum

The San Francisco Giants are where few thought they would be at the beginning of the season...hell, at the beginning of the postseason. They are one win away from representing the National League in the World Series.

The Giants came into this series as heavy underdogs to the reigning two-time NL champion Philadelphia Phillies.

After shocking the world and hitting around Roy Halladay in Game 1, they have taken care of business so far at home and throw out the winner of the last two Cy Young Awards in Tim Lincecum.

It's fitting that in what became "The Year of the Pitcher," we would see fantastic post-season pitching up to this point of the playoffs.  Were you really that surprised that Roy Halladay fired a no-hitter in his first post-season appearance?  If not, you couldn't have been that surprised that Tim Lincecum threw a two-hit shutout, striking out 14 in his first post-season start.

Should Charlie Manuel and the Philadelphia Phillies start Joe Blanton or Roy Halladay in Game 4 of the NLCS? 

After the San Francisco Giants won Game 4, the Phillies are in danger of losing the series in San Francisco.   

The Giants will most likely stick to their scheduled starter, Madison Bumgarner.  

San Francisco could now possibly have Tim Lincecum pitching at home in Game 5 with the chance to advance to the 2010 World Series. 

The San Francisco Giants just took Game 3 from the Phillies, and they have to be feeling pretty good about themselves right about now. 

Growing up a Dodgers fan, I have to say I feel a bit queasy right about now.  It's because I have a feeling.  It is a wincing pain in my gut that this might be it.  Recent developments have me thinking this could be the year the San Francisco Giants clinch their first World Series. 

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Texas Rangers pitcher, Cliff Lee had one of the 2010 MLB postseason's best performances last night at Yankee Stadium.  He struck out 13 New York Yankees hitters, while only allowing two hits and zero runs in eight innings.

While that seems like an outstanding game, (which it is) a couple other performances have one-upped Lee when it comes down to the final stat line.

2010 is definitely the year of the pitcher (outside of 1968), a couple of hitting performances have been just as important. 

Did the slugger of your favorite postseason team make the list?

San Francisco Giants fans have to feel good about Tim Lincecum now. After a few rocky months, Lincecum is hitting the mid-90s again with his fastball and looking as dominant as he did during his two Cy Young years. I knew going into the game that, if they were both on, Lincecum would out-pitch Roy Halladay.

It was the matchup everyone was waiting for: Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay. Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter in this postseason's first game, while Tim Lincecum threw a two-hit shutout complemented by 14 K's.

In Game 1 of the NLCS, however, neither pitcher lived up to the expectations of a 1-0 game.

For those fans who were expecting a pitching duel of the century, Cody Ross and home plate umpire Gerry Davis’ minuscule strike zone made sure to perish the thought. In his first two at-bats, Ross hit blasts into the left field bleachers—the first being the first hit Roy Halladay had allowed in almost 12 innings, and the second giving Giants’ starter Tim Lincecum a 2-1 lead.

We panicked every year that they wouldn't win the division, but they did. We panicked during their July slump, but they overcame this by having a hot August and September.

Who were they?

The Philadelphia Phillies.

The panics have already started again in Philadelphia after a 4-3 loss to the San Fransisco Giants in Game 1 of the NLCS.

Regular season baseball is a funny game. Postseason baseball is knee-slapping, Will Ferrell in Anchorman game.