Giants’ Matt Cain is a pain for Phillies in 3-0 win

When the time came for Matt Cain to step into the national spotlight, he was ready.

Before scaling to what he would call the peak of his major league career, Cain had endured six years of minimal run support from a light-hitting San Francisco Giants lineup. He was hardened by the countless no-decisions and one-run losses responsible for his sub-.500 career record.

So when Manager Bruce Bochy ran out to the mound at a crucial juncture of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday and looked into Cain’s eyes, he said he figured he wouldn’t see any doubt. He was right.

Six pitches later, Cain forced Shane Victorino to ground out to end the top of the seventh inning, leaving two runners stranded and sending the Giants on their way to a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The next two games are in San Francisco.

“This has got to be the top one, really,” Cain said. “To be able to pitch in the postseason is great and to be able to go out there, throw the ball well and help your team win is a great feeling.”

Cain held the Phillies to two hits over seven innings, striking out five, walking three and throwing 119 pitches.

The victory was the first in the postseason for Cain, 26, who didn’t give up an earned run in his NL division series start against the Atlanta Braves but got a no-decision.

This was also Cain’s first win over the Phillies, against whom he had been 0-3 with a 6.23 earned-run average in five starts.

“He’s a battler,” said Giants closer Brian Wilson, who saved his second game of the series. “He’s the kind of guy who can bounce back and make adjustments.”

Cain, an All-Star in 2009, has a fastball that reaches the mid-90s. But catcher Buster Posey said he doesn’t consider him to be a power pitcher.

“He’s a big-time control guy,” Posey said. “Even though he throws hard, he has great control. He controls four pitches very, very well. He’s pretty special.”

Even more so Tuesday, when he outpitched former World Series most valuable player Cole Hamels.

“It’s right up there with one of his best,” Bochy said of Cain’s start. “Great effort by him. We needed it because Hamels was pitching great too.”

Cain, who rarely caught breaks over a regular-season in which he was 13-11, caught some in the fourth inning.

A two-out single against Hamels by Florida Marlins castoff outfielder Cody Ross put the Giants on top, 1-0. The next hitter, journeyman first baseman Aubrey Huff, hit a ball that bounced off the glove of diving second baseman Chase Utley for a 2-0 lead.

Utley’s glove — or was it his eyes? — betrayed him again in the fifth inning. With two outs and Aaron Rowand on second base, Freddy Sanchez hit a grounder to Utley that evaded his glove, hit him on his right hand and skipped into center field. Rowand scored and the Giants were up, 3-0.

Hamels was overpowering at times, striking out eight, but was charged with three runs and five hits over six innings.

For the two-time defending NL champion Phillies, their fate could be decided by the possibly rusty Joe Blanton, who last pitched Oct. 3. Manager Charlie Manuel said he would stick with his plan to start the right-handed Blanton in Game 4 on Wednesday instead of having ace Roy Halladay pitch on short rest.

Blanton had a 4.82 ERA in the regular season.

After the defeat, the Phillies looked like a team on the brink of elimination; that is, they were quiet.

Outfielder Jayson Werth didn’t make himself available for questions. Utley spoke briefly. First baseman Ryan Howard said one word: “Nope.”

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com