Giants capture NLCS in five games

SAN FRANCISCO -- Michael Wacha finally got to pitch in this year's playoffs. Pretty soon, he was gone -- and so were the St. Louis Cardinals.

Manager Mike Matheny opened himself up to second-guessing all winter, bringing in Wacha for the first time this postseason and putting him on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game.

Travis Ishikawa wrecked the move, hitting a three-run homer with one out that sent the San Francisco Giants over the Cardinals 6-3 on Thursday night in the clinching Game 5 of the NL Championship Series.

"Not difficult at all," Matheny said about his decision. "I put him in a real tough spot."

Wacha was the NLCS MVP last year as a rookie, pitching well deep into October until Boston beat him in the final World Series game. The 23-year-old righty missed two months this year because of a shoulder injury, and Matheny hadn't yet found a spot to use him in the NL Division Series against the Dodgers or in the first four games vs. the Giants.

Then with the score 3-3, Matheny called on Wacha and brought him from the bullpen. It was his first game since Sept. 26, and his first relief appearance of the year.

The Giants beat the Cardinals in the NLCS for the second time in three years.

After a strong start by Adam Wainwright, Matheny went to reliever Pat Neshek, who gave up a tying homer to Michael Morse in the eighth.

Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha throws against the Giants during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the NLCS on Thursday.

Pablo Sandoval singled to start the ninth off Wacha. Hunter Pence flied out before Brandon Belt walked, setting the stage for Ishikawa's long ball.

Ishikawa sent a 2-0 fastball from Wacha over the brick wall in right, bringing most of the 43,217 fans at AT&T Park roaring to their feet. Fireworks exploded in the air above center field as Wacha walked off the field with the rest of the Cardinals, stunned and silent after a chance to stay alive had gone awry.

Just like most of the series.

Sloppy defense and subpar pitching -- especially in Games 3 and 4 -- put St. Louis in a 3-1 deficit. A couple of questionable pitching changes and a beleaguered bullpen finished off the Cardinals.

Matheny pulled the rejuvenated Wainwright after his ace threw 97 pitches in seven innings. The right-hander gave up two runs and four hits, and had retired 10 straight to quiet a crowd that came for another pennant party by the bay.

The Giants Travis Ishikawa hits a walk-off three-run home run during the ninth inning of Game 5 of the National League baseball championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, in San Francisco. The Giants won 6-3 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Homers from Matt Adams and Tony Cruz -- who filled in for injured catcher Yadier Molina -- in the fourth gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead and seemingly was enough with Wainwright rediscovering his postseason prowess.

The bullpen couldn't make it last.

Morse hit a tying, pinch-hit homer leading off the eighth against Neshek. He skipped around the bases and was mobbed by teammates in the Giants' dugout before they pushed him out to salute the crowd.

The Cardinals missed a chance to rally back, stranding two runners in the ninth when reliever Jeremy Affeldt retired pinch-hitter Oscar Taveras on a groundout, fielding the comebacker and running all the way to first.

The Cardinals went 90-72 to win the NL Central, overcoming injuries and inconsistencies to hold off Pittsburgh's surge in September. They beat Cy Young Award favorite Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers twice in the NL Division Series before running into a Giants side they couldn't overcome.