Juan Uribe is the latest Giants hero in 6-5 win over Phillies

First, he felt pain. Then, euphoria.

Or was it the other way around?

Standing in front of his locker in the aftermath of a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday that moved the San Francisco Giants to within a win of their first World Series in eight years, Juan Uribe said he didn’t remember.

By this time, the pain in his wrist had subsided. The emotion of watching Aubrey Huff slide home for the deciding run hadn’t.

“I feel great,” Uribe said.

Uribe became the latest of this cast of kids and misfits to play the part of the hero, hitting a sacrifice fly into the San Francisco night that extended his team’s advantage in the best-of-seven series, 3-1.

Out of the starting lineup for the second time in three games because of a bruised left wrist, Uribe was as unlikely a participant in the game’s key moment as the pitcher he faced.

That was Roy Oswalt, who shut down the Giants in the Phillies’ only victory in this series and is the scheduled Game 6 starter.

With the score tied in the eighth inning, Oswalt told pitching coach Rich Dubee that he was available to pitch.

“This time of year, you’ve got to pitch,” Oswalt said. “It doesn’t matter.”

His intentions were noble. The results were disastrous.

Oswalt warmed up alongside closer Brad Lidge in the ninth inning and entered the game for the start of the bottom half of the inning. He got Freddy Sanchez on a liner to right field, but gave up a single to Huff. Another single, this one by Buster Posey, moved Huff to third base.

Up came Uribe.

Uribe injured the wrist sliding into second base in the opening game of the series, but said the only time he felt pain was when he swung the bat.

He said he knew there was a chance he would be called on as a late-inning defensive replacement at shortstop. But he said he also knew he might be asked to hit, so he made a couple of trips to the batting cages between the Giants’ dugout and clubhouse.

“I took some swings,” he said. “But I swung softly.”

Uribe entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning and immediately made a mark on the game, making a deep throw to prevent Ross Gload from reaching base on an infield single.

Then came his turn at the plate.

Oswalt was merciless, throwing him a mid-90s fastball on the inside part of the plate. Then another. And another. And another.

Finally, Oswalt threw something else: a changeup.

Uribe had his pitch.

He lifted the ball to left field and raised his left arm as he ran down the first base line. Ben Francisco’s throw had no chance of beating Huff to the plate. Pablo Sandoval ran out the dugout and jumped up and down. The Giants’ dugout was about to empty.

The night was an important one for Posey, the rookie sensation who began the game one for 11 in the series.

Posey was four for five and drove in the Giants’ first two runs, knocking in Sanchez with a first-inning single and Huff with a third-inning double to put the Giants ahead, 2-0.

“What a great night he had,” Manager Bruce Bochy said of the young catcher. “He did all the damage for us, really.”

The Phillies will turn to ace Roy Halladay in Game 5 on Thursday. The Giants will send Tim Lincecum to the mound.

“Our ace,” Giants closer Brian Wilson said.

Oswalt said he would be ready to pitch in Game 6 — so long as there is a Game 6.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com