Giant Challenge Ahead

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants have just won the National League championship series. How are they going to celebrate?

They’re going to Disneyland.

Not to ride the Matterhorn, not to go on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, but to continue their own wild-card ride into the World Series, an All-California series against the Angels, also a wild card, beginning Saturday.

The Giants clinched the berth Monday night with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 before a Pacific Bell Park crowd of 42,673. Kenny Lofton singled home David Bell from second base with two out in the ninth inning to start the celebration.

Fireworks erupted over San Francisco Bay, Tony Bennett’s ageless rendition of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” blared over the public-address system, boats and cars blared their horns in a joyous chorus and the scoreboard flashed those words first made famous half a century ago by Russ Hodges: “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

On Monday night, in the wake of another Giant triumph, Manager Dusty Baker threw out the first challenge of a new rivalry by altering an old battle cry .

“Beat L.A.,” he said, “Southern L.A. It’s Orange County, but let’s beat L.A.”

Postgame victory parties almost always take place in clubhouses, but this one was too big to be contained by four walls. Players and fans refused to leave the field, the players bringing their bottles of champagne out into the sparkling, unseasonably warm San Francisco night to spray the fans and each other.

Giant pitcher Livan Hernandez led a victory tour around the warning track, players slapping hands with fans who leaned over the railing to offer their congratulations to the new National League champs.

In the center of it was Barry Bonds, whose record 73 homers last season and league-best .370 batting average this season never seemed quite enough to offset the fact that he had never been on a team that had won a postseason series.

“I’ve finally gotten to the World Series,” he said, “but I haven’t won it yet.”

He has been such a dominant player, the Giants have been referred to as Barry Bonds and the seven dwarfs, but the spotlight also shined on catcher Benito Santiago -- who was named most valuable player of the series after hitting .300 with two home runs and six RBIs -- and Lofton.

Lofton has been at the center of this series from the beginning.

When reliever Mike Crudale threw a pitch Lofton deemed too inside in Game 1, he created a near brawl.

Lofton hadn’t done anything since, going 0 for 17 since Game 1.

And it appeared as if he might be the goat of Game 5 when St. Louis catcher Mike Matheny, batting in the seventh inning of a scoreless tie, hit a fly ball into right-center field.

Lofton caught up to the ball, but it glanced off his glove, allowing Matheny to reach second.

The official scorer charitably called it a double, but it appeared it would be the key play of the game when Matheny scored.

He reached third base when Giant reliever Felix Rodriguez picked up Matt Morris’ sacrifice-bunt attempt and fired too late to third, trying to get Matheny.

Fernando Vina then hit a sacrifice fly to left to put the Cardinals in front, 1-0.

Morris had a perfect game for three innings before hitting Lofton to lead off the fourth. Morris had a no-hitter until Bell’s two-out single in the fifth.

And he still had a two-hit shutout heading into the eighth. With one out in the eighth, Morris gave up back-to-back singles to Lofton and Rich Aurilia, then hit Jeff Kent in the back.

That was Morris’ third hit batter of the game and now he was staring at Bonds with the bases loaded.

Relief time?

La Russa stuck with Morris and he got Bonds on a fly ball deep enough to get Lofton home with the tying run.

With one out in the ninth, Morris came to bat. His depth limited with third baseman Scott Rolen injured, and looking at possible extra innings, La Russa allowed Morris to bat.

He struck out.

With the score still tied in the bottom of the ninth, the first two hitters were retired by Morris.

But then he surrendered singles to Bell and Shawon Dunston, putting runners at first and second.

Finally out, came La Russa with his hook.

In came reliever Steve Kline.

His first pitch to Lofton was lined into right for a base hit. Bell, all gears grinding, rounded third and steamed for home.

J.D. Drew picked up the ball in right field and let loose with an off-line throw, although it would have taken a cannon shot to beat Bell.

As Matheny fielded the ball up the first-base line, Bell slid across the plate face first.

Bonds led the celebratory charge out of the dugout, followed by the seven dwarfs.

They were all going to the land of Snow White.