SAN FRANCISCO -- Third base was clearly the hot spot in Game 5 of the NL championship series.

	Santiago

From an obstruction call San Francisco wanted and didn't get to an ill-fated decision by Felix Rodriguez to throw to third on a bunt play, third base was the focus early in the Giants' 2-1 victory Monday night that sent them to the World Series.

The excitement started with two outs in the fifth inning of a scoreless game and Benito Santiago on first base for the Giants.

David Bell blooped a ball down the right-field line for San Francisco's first hit off St. Louis starter Matt Morris.

Santiago was running on contact and approached third base as right fielder Eduardo Perez picked up the ball. Third base coach Sonny Jackson put two hands up to stop Santiago.

Third baseman Miguel Cairo, however, was in the way and bumped Santiago as he rounded the bag.

Third base umpire Jeff Nelson immediately yelled, ''Obstruction! Obstruction!'' and pointed to third base.

Giants manager Dusty Baker argued that Santiago should have been awarded home because of the interference, but Nelson's ruling was correct, according to Rule 7.06.

''I was yelling 'obstruction,' too,'' umpire supervisor Steve Palermo said. ''It can't get better than this. Jeff Nelson shined tonight. Not only with his call and judgment, but with the application of the rule.''

The rule states that it's the umpire's judgment whether the runner would have advanced without the obstruction.

''In my judgment, the runner would not have scored,'' Nelson said. ''And even looking at the replay, I'm 1,000 percent convinced of that.''

If Santiago had kept running home, the Cardinals could have thrown him out.

''The fact that there was obstruction does not give that runner the right to keep running another 45 or 50 feet and to think, 'I'm automatically going to be called safe at home plate,''' crew chief Randy Marsh said. ''You put him where he would have actually obtained the base had there been no obstruction in that situation. Jeff used excellent judgment.''

Santiago didn't disagree with the call.

''He thought I would be out at home so he put me back at third base,'' Santiago said. ''I think he did the right thing.''

Third base also was crucial when the Cardinals scored the first run. After Mike Matheny opened the seventh with a double off center fielder Kenny Lofton's glove, Morris laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Rodriguez, who entered at the start of the inning, fielded the ball between the mound and the third-base line and tried to get an out at third.

His throw was accurate, but it was not in time to get Matheny.

Fernando Vina followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. However, the Giants rallied in the final two innings to win the game and the series.