SAN FRANCISCO – Marco Scutaro looked up through the pouring rain, caught Matt Holliday’s popup for the final out and punched his ticket to the World Series for the first time at age 36.

In an NL championship series that saw Scutaro absorb a hard and admitted late slide from Holliday that strained the second baseman’s left hip, what a fitting ending.

Scutaro tied the NLCS record with 14 hits to earn MVP honors, capping off his remarkable run with three singles and a walk in San Francisco’s 9-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night in the decisive Game 7.