The NLCS is set - Giants survive to face Phillies

The Braves self mutilation continued to aid the Giants efforts. First came 2B Brooks Conrad's debacle in Game 3 and last night SS Alex Gonzalez kept trying to hand the game to the Giants.

The Giants would oblige by trying to muff the game right back into the Braves hands. A veritable comedy of errors finally turned tragic for the Braves, who send Bobby Cox off into the sunset with a real stinker. He deserved better, but his great career stands on its own.

Derek Lowe pitched valiantly in defeat. Bumgarner nearly matched him on the other side. Burrell provided a portent of doom, doing his best J.T. Snow imitation getting thrown out at home.

Our #2 hitter can't bunt a guy over when we're trying to tack on an insurance run. Heck, he couldn't get him over at all. Then Renteria -- a major league SS -- can't make a Little League play, but gets bailed out by Gonzalez not running it out to 1B. AMAZING!!! Bad baseball, yet compelling drama and suspense.

For some reason, the baseball gods chose to punish Gonzalez more than Renteria. Tough choice there, BB gods. Could have gone either way.

Every game in this series was decided by one run, the Giants were fortunate to win three of them. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at Philadelphia and features a marquee matchup of aces - Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay.

These Giants, I can't call it "Bochy-ball", because there really is no positive characteristic to how this team plays.

Maybe "Botchy-ball" because of the way they seem to win in spite of the, at times surprisingly glaring ineptitude and botched opportunities?

They are slow, they don't run, don't hit and run, don't advance runners, kill rallies with DP's yet somehow score just enough runs to win. Keep it up, eight more times, the fundamentals be danged. The Tom Emasky people will not be asking for Giants highlight reels for their video series on baseball fundamentals.

Hopefully when the Phillies read the reports from their advance scouts, they either become grossly overconfident or pull multiple oblique muscles from excessive and prolonged laughter.

The Giants are fortunate not to have been stretched to five games. They get to start with Lincecum on the mound and have about the same amount of rest as the Phillies. So we're starting off even in those two areas. Otherwise, on paper, the Phillies are clear favorites. Fortunately, the games are not played on paper, they are played on fields. And on the field, the Giants and Phillies have split six games this season. So we have a chance.

For the Giants, regardless of how things turn out against the Phillies, this NLCS series win makes for a very successful season. I would have hoped for them to be in the NLCS in the spring, but not reasonably expected it. Even though I predicted a Rays - Giants World Series.

So the team has exceeded expectations and set up the next couple of years to be solidly in contention and poised to advance into the playoffs. That's all you can ask for.

Cody Ross -- the guy the Giants claimed so that the Padres couldn't -- provides the offense. That's the difference maker right there, Giants fans.

BTW, if there are any ROY ballots still out there undecided how to vote, I think Mr. Posey made the decision a little bit easier, if the Joe Morgan contrarian indicator wasn't enough for you.

GO GIANTS!! And Go Rays!!!