Giants’ youth prevails over Braves’ wisdom in National League division series clincher

For a few euphoric minutes, Tim Lincecum was betrayed by his youth.

He cursed.

He cursed again.

And again.

In a live radio interview.

“I’m sorry,” Lincecum said, laughing. “I can’t control myself.”

These are the new San Francisco Giants — young, exuberant and, as a result of their 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night at Turner Field, headed to the National League Championship Series to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Giants won best-of-five NL division series, 3-1.

The series marked the end of the 29-year managerial career of the Braves’ Bobby Cox, who said he would retire at the end of the season.

Soon after Giants first baseman Travis Ishikawa reached up to catch a high throw by third baseman Juan Uribe to record the final out, the fans started chanting Cox’s first name. Cox emerged from the dugout and tipped his cap to the crowd, which stood and offered him applause. The Giants, whose on-field celebration was about to move into the clubhouse, stood on the opposite side of the diamond and clapped.

“I saw them,” Cox said of the Giants. “And I gave them a thumbs-up, too.”

Cox was also the opposing manager the last time the Giants secured their passage to the NLCS. That was eight years ago, on this very field.

But the Giants team he saw Monday was nothing like the one that reached the 2002 World Series.

Those Giants were heavy on veterans. They could score runs. And they had Barry Bonds.

These Giants are a curious mix of kids like Lincecum, Matt Cain and Buster Posey and older castoffs like Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross.

“A bunch of idiots,” said Huff, a lightly-regarded free agent last winter who became the Giants’ No. 3 hitter.

The hero Monday night was Ross, a 29-year-old journeyman acquired off waivers from the Florida Marlins in August.

Ross drove in two runs, homering in the sixth inning and singling home what turned out to be the deciding run in the seventh.

“I’ve been in the Twilight Zone for the last month and a half,” Ross said. “I never thought I would be in this situation.”

Setting the stage was Madison Bumgarner, the Giants’ 21-year-old rookie left-hander.

The kid had some shaky moments early, but kept the Giants within striking distance by holding the Braves to two runs and six hits over six innings.

Pitching opposite him was a veteran making his 23rd postseason appearance, Derek Lowe.

Lowe had a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings, the only Giant to reach base to that point doing so on an error. But Ross ended Lowe’s bid, and pulled the Giants even at 1-1, with a home run that barely cleared the left-field wall.

Braves catcher Brian McCann responded with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning.

Then Lowe, who pitched in Game 1 and was throwing on short rest, ran out of gas.

After walking Huff and giving up a hit to Posey in the seventh inning, Lowe was visited on the mound by Cox. Lowe remained in the game but walked Pat Burrell to load the bases with one out, prompting another visit from Cox, who brought in Peter Moylan.

Moylan got Uribe to hit a grounder to the hole at shortstop, but Alex Gonzalez’s throw to second base was high. The score was tied again, 2-2. All runners were safe.

A two-out single by Ross put the Giants ahead, 3-2. The margin nearly grew to 4-2, but a throw by left fielder Matt Diaz beat Burrell to the plate.

When Giants closer Brian Wilson recorded the final out, the on-field celebration that ensued wasn’t particularly long or intense.

“We still have to go on,” Wilson said.

Game 1 of the NLCS is Saturday in Philadelphia. Lincecum, who pitched a two-hit shutout in his first career playoff game, is expected to take the mound for the Giants. Opposing him will be Phillies ace Roy Halladay.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com