Giants beat Cardinals to stay alive

Marco Scutaro of the San Francisco Giants catches a line drive hit by Allen Craig of the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning in Game Five of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium on October 19, 2012 in St Louis, Missouri. AFP

ST. LOUIS, Missouri – San Francisco pitcher Barry Zito led the Giants to a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to keep their race for a World Series berth alive.

It was the fourth time this post-season the Giants have fended off elimination. They narrowed the gap on the baseball’s reigning World Series champions to 3-2 in the best-of-seven National League Championship series.

The Cardinals need just one win to return to baseball’s championship showcase, which starts next Wednesday. The winner of this series will take on the American League champions Detroit Tigers.

The Giants and Cardinals will meet again on Sunday in San Francisco, when the Cardinals will give the ball to ace hurler Chris Carpenter and Ryan Vogelsong will start for the Giants.

Zito scattered six hits and six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings.

He also contributed on offense pushing in a run with a bunt single that capped a four-run fourth inning.

Brandon Crawford drove in two runs and Pablo Sandoval went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and scored twice to help the Giants, who had fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Cincinnati in the best-of-five division series.

“We do have confidence from what we accomplished in Cincinnati,” said Hunter Pence, whose soft ground ball got the Giants’ fourth-inning outburst going. “That definitely gives you hope, which is a very powerful thing.”

Cardinals starter Lance Lynn failed to make it out of the fourth inning for a second straight start in this series.

An 18-game winner in the regular season, Lynn gave up four runs on four hits.

Yadier Molina accounted for two of the Cardinals’ seven hits.