Giants, A's Stay Alive as Brett Anderson, Buster Posey, Serigo Romo Fuel Tight Wins

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 9, 2012

American League

ALDS: Oakland 2 Detroit 0 - Oakland's Brett Anderson out-pitched Detroit's Anibal Sanchez and the Oakland A's avoided elimination with a 2-0 win at home.

Brett Anderson

Anderson allowed just two hits and no runs over six full innings. Sanchez was tagged for single runs in the second and fifth innings, the first run an RBI single off the bat of rookie Yoenis Cespedes and the insurance a solo homer by Seth Smith.

With the 2-0 lead in hand, the A's went to their bullpen. After Ryan Cook and Sean Doolittle worked uneventful seventh and eighth innings, Grant Balfour closed the door in the ninth, earning the save.

Oakland pitchers totaled 11 strikeouts of Detroit batters, including Austin Jackson twice and Omar Infante three times, at the top of the Tiger lineup. Anderson walked two and struck out six, getting the win in his first post-season start.

The series continues Wednesday in Oakland with the Tigers ahead, two games to one. Start time for game four is 9:37 pm EDT.

National League

Buster Posey

Sergio Romo

NLDS: San Francisco 2 Cincinnati 1, 10 innings - Cincinnati's Homer Bailey took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished his work on the mound allowing one hit and one earned run over seven complete innings, fanning 10, but the Giants hung in and staved off elimination at Great American Ball Park when Buster Posey scored the game-winner off Reds' third baseman Scott Rolen's crucial fielding error.

In the top of the 10th, Rolen bobbled a rather routine ground ball off the bat of Joaquin Arias, after Posey and Hunter Pence had singled off Reds' reliever Jonathan Broxton to lead off the inning. Following a pair of strikeouts, the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, and, when Arias scooted down the line to beat Rolen's late throw, Posey crossed the plate with the go-ahead run.

Sergio Romo got the win, holding the Reds hitless over the ninth and 10th innings, sending the series to game four in Cincinnati with the Reds still up, two games to one.

Wednesday's game starts at 4:07 pm EDT. If the Giants win game four and force a deciding game five, Matt Cain goes to the mound for the Giants against Cincy's Mat Latos.