Ishikawa's homerun lifts Giants to another NL pennant

Travis Ishikawa hit his first homerun of the postseason, a three-run shot, to end the National League Championship Series in five games to send the San Francisco Giants to the 2014 World Series with a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.  A role player during the Giants' World Series win in 2010, Ishikawa was with Milwaukee in 2012 when San Francisco won another championship.

The Giants will now face the Royals in an all wild-card World Series that begins this Tuesday night at 8 pm ET in Kansas City.  The Giants and Royals have played 12 times since interleague play began, with Kansas City winning nine -- including all three this season.  Jeremy Affeldt pitched for the Royals the last time they visited San Francisco, which was in 2005 when Giants' great Barry Bonds was still playing.

San Francisco & Kansas City will mark the first World Series matchup in which neither team won 90 regular-season games.  In addition, both teams are one win shy (177) of being the lowest combined total ever.