World Series Game 5: Notes

[I'm sorry, that it took so long to post this. The Blogger site was down for maintenance for about three hours.]

Here is the random scribblings and bibblings that blew through the transom of my gulliver while watching the game last night (editorializations in square brackets):

Top of 1st: Erstad-[The Giants] just missed a DP by a step.
Salmon-Away [pitch 1]. Up and away [pitch 2]. Up and over the plate [3]. Up-Ball [4]. K's on change.
Anderson-goes up for a bad pitch. Punched into left-center (fastball).
Glaus-1st pitch down the middle of the plate (backwards K). Pitch 3-little chin music (Kenny Lofton would have charged). K's on high heat.

Bottom of 1st: Lofton-foul ball right into fan's glove. Drops it: Don't sign him up.
Aurila-shows bunt on ball one [Lofton at first]. Long fly-nice catch Erstad. Lofton barely makes it back [to 1st].
Kent-2 pitches right down the pike-strike called. Looks like a deer in the headlights. 2-2 pitch looked pretty good > 3-2. Walks w/o taking the bat off his shoulder. Lofton does not go on 3-2-SF afraid that Kent will K? Bonds-McCarver advocates IBB. Buck points out yesterday's situation different since man already at third-isn't that obvious? Slow fluttering fastball, pulled down the line for a double [1-0]. Santiago-SF on 1st pitch. Kent scores easily [2-0]. This could break him out. Snow-2-1 Washburn has gotten a 2-ball count on every hitter bit Santiago and Aurilia. Ball 4 in the dirt, bases loaded. Bud Black to the mound-both pitching coaches look like they could still pitch. Bell-1st pitch almost past Molina high. Ball high, 2-0. 3-0, low. Washburn can't hit anything. 4th pitch-high strike called. Ball 4 high [3-0]. Schmidt-only 2nd 0-2 count for Washburn. K's. 34-pitch 1st (21 balls) for Washburn.

Top of 2nd: Spiezio-K's on change. Kennedy -had a good game vs Schmidt game 1, moved up to 6th. Molina-Good change on strike 2. Can't lay off high heat-K's. Schmidt's got it going.

Bottom of 2nd: Lofton-Foul down 3rd-base line, pops out of Eckstein's glove, and he lands on top of tarp. Nice poke into center, Washburn shaking head. Aurilia-[Line drive] Robbed by diving catch by Erstad. 2nd time Erstad robbed him. Kent-OK, let's see if he breaks out. Why is Buck surprised Kent and Bonds don't get along-they're two egomaniacs. Double off the wall on 3-1. Lofton has to hold up. Bonds-IBB. Nice animotronic chicken doll. Santiago-Nice hit right back up the middle. Erstad overthrow hits Sanders directing Kent, 5-0. Scot Shields-up in pen. McCarver-wonders what call would be if went into dugout. [Here's the rule: 7.11 The players, coaches or any member of an offensive team shall vacate any space (including both dugouts) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball. PENALTY: Interference shall be called and the batter or runner on whom the play is being made shall be declared out. ] Wasburn-staying in to finish [inning] since pitcher's spot due up? [6-0]

Top of 3rd:Got to have a PH for Washburn. Washburn is in? Career 5-for-14-who cares, he is getting rocked on the mound. Is Scioscia conceding? Eckstein-4-pitch walk. Erstad-needs a shave. W/o his Aurilia catches, what would the score be? Eckstein steals w/o a throw on 2-0. Pop down third/shallow left, Falls in, 1st and 3rd. Salmon-strike 1, nice fastball outside, freezes him. 2nd strike-nice low fastball with late movement. K's on outside fastball. Eckstein-in TSN Baseball Register: Hit over .300 first thee years [in minors]. Hit .246 in 199 games at PawSox and released. Signed to Edmonton, bats .346 in 15 games, and next yr starts for Angels. Still listed as 2B. Anderson-nasty change low-strike 2. 2 Balls almost get away far enough to score Eckstein.

Bottom of 3rd:Bell-Washburn still in. Deep to short, Eckstein throws-should have just help it. Weber and Donnelly on the bench look like members of DEVO [glasses reference]. Aurilia-third fly out to center, this one an easy catch for Erstad. Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers movies in a Gateway commercial

Top of 4th: Glaus-K's on high heat. 2nd K of Glaus, 6th in total for Schmidt. Buck-now jumping on the Giants bandwagon. "In every postseason series, the team w/ home field advantage has lost. The Angels have home field advantage in the World Series (Dot Dot Dot)." QED Bud Selig [in stands]-sticking his tongue out on national TV. Man he looks like Old Man Potter in It's a Winderful Life. Don Fehr-In stands, only wearing a sweater. What a man. How did the players lose to Selig? Spiezio-nice AB, works a walk. Shields-up in Anaheim BP. Hasn't pitched in 3 weeks. Why is Scioscia all of sudden so worried about overworking the bullpen? Terrell Owens-watching game. Signing autographs. Looks like he signed his shirt. On cell phone, excited to be on TV. Still on Owens. Are these guys bored with the game? Kennedy-Schmidt keeps going inside, Kennedy keeps fouling off-4 straight. Low fastball to K.

Bottom of 4th-Bonds-check-swing pop-up. First shot of Taco Bell Target. Santiago-2nd strike looks inside. HP Ump Mike Reilly inconsistent on inside strikes. Ball just foul-would have been a HR. Washburn-first 1-2-3 inning

Top of 5th:Palmeiro-PH [for pitcher] now that Washburn is settling in. Double off wall in right. McCarver and Buck-suddenly notice a game is in progress. Phil Rizzuto still telling stories about Billy Martin. Eckstein-fists a ball under Bell as he fell. Poll-"Should Giants re-sign Baker?" Salmon-hit off mound, just past Kent. Eckstein tests Lofton's arm-throw late to third [6-1]. Schmidt-is starting to tire. 22% say don't re-sign Baker, who are these idiots? Anderson-can't check on high fastball. Two weak swings on bad balls.K. Zerbe-up in pen, Schmidt due up fourth. Donnelly in Angels' pen. Glaus-2-0 hanger fouled back. Nice inside pitch, 3-2. Smells the bat on 3-2. High hanging fastball, off wall, double, 6-3. McCarver-Mentions the Leyritz game in '96 Series, Yanks came from 6 down to win. I was at that game. Says Boggs, last available position player, walked in winning run. I thought Andy Fox was on the bench? Spiezio-walks on some ugly pitches. Schmidt is gone. Zerbe in. Kennedy-why not bring in Gil? Too early?

Bottom of 5th: Donnelly [now pitching] and Molina have a conference before first pitch. That's not a good sign. Sanders-long ball just foul, like Santiago's last inning. K's. John lee Hooker-"Boom Boom" now playing. McCarver calls it Jazz-cretin. Snow-Mike Reilly (HP Ump)-calls almost same pitch twice, once a strike, once a ball. Donnelly and Molina-2nd conference. Nice pitch (splitter), moves away-K. Rodriguez-up for Giants [in BP]. Pitcher up next. Snow-getting looked at by trainer [in dugout] (fouled off his knee), might be hurt.

Top of 6th: Gil-PH, ball straight away. Lofton misplays again, can't pick it up, off glove, double. Eckstein-fouled off shin, goes to Bell. Foul ball. Good call by ump. Ground ball scores Molina, 6-4. Schoeneweis-in pen. Erstad-dribbler up first-base line. Zerbe makes a nice play to tag him and hold runner at 3rd. Zerbe gone. Salmon-Rodriguez 3-0. Wicked liner to Bell.

Bottom of 6th: Shinjo-K's on inside pitch. Reilly has been inconsistent there all night. Lofton-backs out w/o time. Called strike one. Aurilia-Liner off Glaus' glove. Finally catches a break. Kent-big AB. Schoeneweis is not up (will walk Bonds if Kent gets on). Line drive over the wall in left. Big HR, 8-4. Breaking ball didn't. Bonds-gap double. Weber-Looks shot. Santiago-IBB to get to pitcher's spot [double-switch earlier]. Obligatory Gene Clines HR recation. Dunston-in to PH-waste. Worrell is just getting ready, didn't they think about the pitcher's spot? K on inside heat-waste, esp. if Worrell not sharp.

Bottom of 7th: Taco Bell Target is sinking. Skipper! Monkeys hung in effigy. Damn dirty ape! Snow-right back at Weber, somehow he missed it and it missed him. Shields-up in pen again. Shinjo-nice bunt, falls [in box], but would still have been out. Lofton-1st ball off Molina's glove, bounces right back, Snow holds up [at 3rd]. Liner off the top of the lower tier of wall. Snow-picks up Baker's 3-year-old son standing around plate as he crosses home, 10-4. Aurilia-Shields in. K. Kent-Scot Eyre getting up in a hurry (they realize that pitcher's spot is coming up this time). Another liner to left [2nd HR], 12-4. Bonds-single past Eckstein in 2nd baseman's spot. Top 4 are 9-for-17, 2 BB, 2 HR, 10 R.

Top of 8th: Fox running a Mays-Bonds comparison, Bonds retrospective. Ready to hand Giants the hardware. Kennedy-likely last batter for Worrell (since leads off). K's. Good job by Worrell.

Bottom of 8th: Poll-Can Angels still win series? 56% say they can. I guess I'll keep watching. Angels-resting Salmon and Molina, defensive replacements. Shield still in to do mop up. Bell-bullet right back at shields. 1st and 2nd. Shnjo-grounder through Glaus (E). Snow slides around [Jose] Molina, 13-4. Aurilia-1st-pitch HR. Shields can't finish mop up? 16-4, all unearned due to error.

Postgame: Jeff Kent declines to speak to Steve Lyons [I don't blame him] after the game. If Bonds did that he'd be vilified by the press.

20-20 Hindsight: Looking back over the game notes, I am left feeling that Scioscia calculated the amount and the kind of effort from his team almost conceding the game when the Giants got a big lead. I would assume that was in an effort to prepare the team for the last two games at home. Let's see if that pays off.