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SAN FRANCISCO » Farhan Zaidi compared watching the NLCS to being an actor who chose to attend a movie anyway after being passed over for a role.

“You’re watching that game and you sort of feel like that should be us,” Zaidi said. “It feels a little bit like so close and yet so far. It’s like we could be playing that game but I’m at home watching this game in my sweats.”

For most of the summer, Zaidi’s Giants looked like they would be the stars of October’s latest underdog script. A team that was projected to finish under .500 for the fifth consecutive season won 107 games and ended the Dodgers’ eight-year run as National League West champions.

In the first modern era playoff series between the rivals, the Giants took a 2-1 series lead, but twice missed opportunities to close out the Dodgers as Los Angeles advanced to meet the Atlanta Braves with a ninth-inning rally in Game 5 of the NLDS.

In the immediate aftermath of a controversial ending, the Giants expressed anger, frustration and disappointment. Days after having more time to process their emotions, Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler took pride in the accomplishments of a team that treated its fans to an unforgettable journey.

RAY CHAVEZ — BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb reacts after the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger struck out for the last out of the seventh inning of Game 5of the National League Divisional Series at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thursday.

JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO — BAY AREA NEWS GROUP The Giants’ Brandon Crawford throws out the Dodgers’ Justin Turner at first base in the second inning of Game 5 of the NLDS at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thursday.