Duel of Aces Doesn't Materialize as Misfit Giants Carry the Day in Philadelphia

Filed under: MLBPHILADELPHIA -- So no jersey or game ball will be making its way to Cooperstown. Doc didn't throw another gem, and the Freak failed to make your jaw hit the floor. It wasn't quite the pitching duel we so eagerly awaited, not that anyone who inhales baseball this time of year should be complaining.

In the end, it was the Beard who captivated, mesmerized and, finally, sucked the air right out of a manic Citizens Bank Park. San Francisco closer Brian Wilson goes by the nickname "B-Weezy" and never mind why. Cody Ross, the Giants No. 8 hitter with the number 13 on his back, dreamed of being a rodeo clown when he was a kid. They're just two of the Giants' unique cast of characters - "misfits and miscasts" their manager lovingly calls them - and on Saturday night they managed to steal large slivers of the spotlight from the pair of aces who had been so breathlessly hyped.

"We thought it would be a close game, which it was. It's a long series here. And it's a start. And that's all it is right now," manager Bruce Bochy said after his Giants slipped away with a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

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