Local’s two hits lead Giants

GLENDALE — Freddy Sanchez and the San Francisco Giants are headed back to AT&T Park with homefield advantage in hand after splitting the first two games of the 2010 National League Championship Series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park over the weekend.

With the next three games at home, starting with Game Three on at 1:19 p.m. on Tuesday, the Giants now have a chance to close out the best-of-seven series without having to return to Philadelphia.

Sanchez, a Burbank High graduate and former Glendale Community College player, went two for four with a pair of singles in the Giants’ 6-1 loss in Game Two on Sunday night.

He accounted for two of the only three hits San Francisco could muster off Phillies starting pitcher Roy Oswalt, who finished with eight sharp innings pitched after taking a no-hitter into the top of the fifth inning, where he surrendered a solo home run to Cody Ross that tied the game.

After the Phillies scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to go up, 6-1, the Giants put together the beginnings of a rally in the top of the eighth when Pablo Sandoval walked with one out and Sanchez singled with two outs to put runners at first and second base.

Aubrey Huff would line out to center field to end the inning, however.

Sanchez, who started both games at second base, went 0 for five in the Giant’s series-opening 4-3 win on Saturday, leaving four runners on base. He did turn a double play in the third inning.

Game One saw San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum outduel Roy Halladay in a battle of past Cy Young Award winners, in which Ross homered twice to power the Giants’ offense.

Sanchez, who batted .292 on the season with seven home runs and 47 runs batted in to help the Giants win the National League West Division and make their first playoff appearance since 2003, is now batting .160 (four for 25) in the postseason, the first of his major league career.