Phillies Notebook: Manuel sees a bit of Phillies in Giants' effort

The Giants are either a lot better than anybody knew or playing much better than anybody expected. Through five games of the National League Championship Series, they have never backed down. They took the early lead in four of the five games. They won three of the first four. They play without fear. And they have a big admirer in the opposite dugout.

"I look at the Giants right now, they're a lot like us the first year we won," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

That would be 2008 when the Phils won the World Series. The Giants lead the NLCS, 3-2, heading into today's Game 6 at Citizens Bank Park.

When it looked as if the Phils were ready to take control of the series in Game 4, the Giants took the lead back, got the game and a 3-1 series lead.

"I felt like how they won the game, I felt like they had the determination and things were going their way and they had momentum on their side, they were going to win that game," Manuel said.

The Giants need to win another game to get to the World Series. The Phillies have to win two. By now, it is quite clear nothing will be easy or predictable.

Charlie Manuel said Roy Halladay's groin pull is not so bad that he could not pitch Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday, if the Phils get there.

"Oh, yeah, he made it clear to me," Manuel said. "He said, on his regular time, he said he'll be ready to go."

Could he even go in a possible Game 7 tomorrow if needed in relief?

"I think we'll have to wait and see a little bit, see where he's at and how he feels," Manuel said. "That would be hard for me to answer right now."

Roy Halladay's foul bunt that was ruled fair in Game 5 was "a break," Manuel said. It set the three-run rally in motion that won the game.

"That's luck," said Manuel who has been around long enough to know how much of a factor luck, one way or the other, can be. *