An unlikely 22-year-old rookie, Florida’s Livan Hernandez,...

An unlikely 22-year-old rookie, Florida’s Livan Hernandez, was named most valuable player of the NL championship series.

“I’m very happy, but not for me. I’m happy for the team. I did my part, but we did this together. Everybody did their part,” Hernandez said after accepting the trophy.

Hernandez, a native of Cuba, won Game 5, striking out an NL championship series record 15 in the 2-1 victory on Sunday. He also picked up a victory in Game 3 with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in Florida’s 5-2 victory.

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“I’ll tell you how dumb I am,” Leyland said. “I was going to take [Kevin] Brown out and bring [Dennis] Cook in.” He was referring to the seventh inning, shortly after the Marlins had chipped away for three runs in the sixth to boost their lead to 7-3.

There ensued a heated debate in the Florida dugout. “Brownie’s such a competitor,” Leyland noted. “He said, ‘My stuff’s really starting to work. Give me a hitter.’ ”

When coach Milt May, who had been watching a television monitor, said that the pitcher’s ball was darting around better than ever, Leyland agreed to let his ace continue.

“I lobbied to stay in the game,” Brown said, “because I felt I was just getting comfortable, that I was making better pitches. It wasn’t about me. I just thought I had something more to give the team. I said, ‘Let me go one hitter at a time and if a guy gets on, yank me.’ Not that I would have been any happier.”

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Florida’s Charles Johnson, who set a major league record for catchers with 171 consecutive games without an error, including none in 123 games during the 1996 regular season, made his second of the National League championship series in Game 6.

Johnson’s error came in the second inning when Kenny Lofton stole second and his throw hit the runner and went into center field, allowing Lofton to go to third. Johnson also had an error in Game 2, misplaying a bunt by Lofton.