Game 1 of the NLCS was supposed to be an epic pitchers duel between two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and no-hit wonder Roy Halladay.
Instead, both pitchers did not have their best stuff, though Halladay continued where he left off with retiring the first seven Giants he faced.
Then, No. 8 hitter Cody Ross stepped into the batter's box.
Ross has an unimposing figure, being 5'10" and 195 pounds, and had a career batting mark of 3-for-16 against Halladay before the game.
However, that changed in a hurry.
Ross turned on two inside fastballs for home runs to help the San Francisco Giants win 4-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 30-year-old journeyman provided the necessary spark for the Giants to overcome Halladay. The first homer was in the third for a 1-0 edge.
After Carlos Ruiz tied it with his own blast, Ross put his team ahead 2-1 in the fifth.
In the sixth, Buster Posey singled and then Pat Burrell doubled him home. Juan Uribe finished the scoring with an RBI single for the 4-1 lead.
Jayson Werth had a two-run homer to cut the deficit 4-3, but Giants' relievers Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson shut the Phillies down.
Ross, a right fielder claimed on waivers from Florida on Aug. 21, also had key hits against the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS.
He homered and had the go-ahead RBI to win the series for San Francisco.
Not bad for Ross' first postseason.
And Halladay is now a peg lower after his legendary no-hitter, giving up eight hits and four runs in seven innings.
Having Ross and his teammates beat the Phillies' ace could give them confidence when facing Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.
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