ST. LOUIS — Through the first five games of the National League Championship Series, one run separated the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. By the end of the series, the teams seemed worlds apart.

The Dodgers wrapped up their 25th season without a World Series appearance. The Cardinals, with an emphatic 9-0 victory in Game 6 on Friday, captured their fourth pennant in 10 years. They won the championship in 2006 and 2011 and could soon add their 12th title.

“They have a system, and it works,” said A. J. Ellis, the Dodgers’ catcher, admiring the Cardinals in defeat. “If somebody gets hurt or somebody falls by the wayside, they have replacements. They have an organizational philosophy that’s obviously working, and these guys just keep coming, in waves and waves and waves.”

Ellis continued: “Carlos Martinez, you’ve never even heard of him before, and he shows up throwing 99 miles an hour. Shelby Miller didn’t even touch a baseball this entire series, and he’s one of the best young arms in all of baseball. It’s just a testament to their depth and what they’re doing over there and how committed they are to staying the course. It’s proving dividends because they’re playing every October.”