SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Roy Halladay and four relievers held San Francisco in check down the stretch Thursday and Philadelphia kept its season alive with a 4-2 win over the Giants.
The Phillies reduced their deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, which moves back to Philadelphia for a sixth game on Saturday and, if needed, a deciding contest Sunday.
Philadelphia is trying to earn a spot in its third straight World Series and still has a chance to do so thanks to a strange three-run third inning that put the Phillies in front for good.
Halladay, who threw the second post-season no-hitter in baseball history to open the division series against Cincinnati, allowed six hits and two runs over six innings.
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Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge combined to give up a hit and strike out five over the final three innings.
Philadelphia trailed 1-0 heading into the third, but Raul Ibanez opened that inning with a single against San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum and went to second when Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch.
That brought up Halladay, who put down a sacrifice bunt that replays showed should have been ruled a foul ball. Catcher Buster Posey quickly fielded the ball, however, tagged Halladay at the plate and fired to third in a bid to get Ibanez.
The throw arrived in time, but third baseman Pablo Sandoval was unable to step on the bag before Ibanez slid in safely.
Both runners then scored when Shane Victorino's hot grounder glanced off first baseman Aubrey Huff for an error and Victorino came in with the go-ahead run on Placido Polanco's single.
Jayson Werth tacked on a ninth-inning homer for the Phillies.
