BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : NATIONAL: San Francisco vs. St. Louis : The Price Is Right, and San Francisco Collects : Reliever Who Started Season in Minors Handcuffs St. Louis in Last 5 Innings

SAN FRANCISCO — Joe Price, who started the season in the minor leagues with doubts about his future, rewarded San Francisco Giants’ faith in him Sunday.

Price shut down the St. Louis Cardinals over the final five innings to give the Giants a 6-3 victory in Game 5 of the National League playoffs and a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Price allowed only one hit while striking out six and didn’t allow a runner past first after taking over from starter Rick Reuschel.

“It’s a great thrill,” Price said. “It’s every ballplayer’s dream. I may have pitched better games, but I don’t think I’ve pitched any bigger games.”

St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog was impressed with Price’s performance.

“I can’t say enough about Price. He came in and looked like Rube Waddell,” he said, referring to the Hall of Famer.

Price started the season with the Giants AAA club in Phoenix after he was released by Cincinnati. He said he was concerned about his future when he didn’t make the Giants roster for the season-opener, but was soothed by a talk with Giants General Manager Al Rosen.

“Al Rosen was very fair to me and encouraged me even the day they wanted me to go down to Phoenix,” Price said.

Rosen said he never doubted that Price would make a contribution, but knew it might take time.

“We had to convince him that we would do it at his pace and not rush him,” Rosen said. “He’s got a lot of heart. He’s one of those guys who is a really tough competitor.”

Price, who had elbow surgery near the end of the 1985 season, made 21 relief appearances with the Reds in 1986 before he was released.

At Phoenix, Price was 6-0 with a 2.49 earned run average and two saves in 17 games. He was recalled by the Giants on July 5 and won his first game by pitching two shutout innings of relief.

Price finished the season with a 2-2 record and one save, but had the lowest ERA on the club, 2.57.

Price said he wondered how long it would take to come back, but the 30-year-old never gave up hope.

“I feel people who work hard and are honest have a little bit of an edge because you don’t give up,” he said. “I’d be a fool to give it up just because of an injury. If I could possibly come back, I was going to.”

Price acknowledged that he has been overshadowed this season by other pitchers on the Giants staff who were traded to the club in midseason--Reuschel, Dave Dravecky and Don Robinson.

“I think I’m really lucky because I’m one of the few guys who didn’t get traded away,” he said. “So I must be doing something right.”

Price, who started his career with Cincinnati in 1980, was compared by Giants Manager Roger Craig to another oft-injured Giant--Atlee Hammaker.

“Nobody gave either one of them much of a chance of coming back after their operations,” Craig said. “Price worked hard and we never gave up on him. I never had any doubts about him.”