World Series: Notes from Game Six

Wow, we're going to game 7. The Angels were stymied by Ortiz but came alive against the usually reliable Giants bullpen. The Giants build a lead, knock out the starter, knock out Rodriguez, and then are held in check for the longest two innings you'll ever see while the Angels score six to win.

Here are my notes from the game, assessment of my predictions, and my predictions for tomorrow.

Pregame: HP Ump-Tim McClelland

Top of 1st: Lofton-popup down 3rd base line. Important out.
Aurilia-popup to center. Another big out.
Kent-liner right back at Appier. Kent looks relaxed and ready.
Bonds-IBB, moves Kent into scoring position. Are the odds better that Bonds gets 2B, 3B or HR than makes an out? [I checked. In 2002, Bonds got an extra base hit in 14.5% of the non-IBB plate appearances, 27.4% he got a hit-in case they are worried about Kent taking third on a single-, and 34.6% of the time he generated an out. It seems like a poor gamble.]
Santiago-slider on ball one didn't miss by much inside, 2-0-almost hits Santiago, fastball way inside at his belt, 2 nice sliders, fouls out.

Bottom of 1st: Salmon-pitched carefully, nice comeback from 3-0 by Ortiz, Angels go meekly.

Top of 2nd: Sanders-seems like a nice guy discussing Baker
Bell-2nd pitch 4 inches outside, called a strike. K's on slider.
Appier-looks good.

Bottom of 2nd: Hits one to the middle of the warning track. Lofton has time.
Glaus-nice little change down the middle [strike 1], flips him on second pitch. McCarver says, "Glaus received the high hard one."-I emit Beavis & Butthead laugh. Being pitched carefully. Walk.
Fullmer-pitch 1, nice inside fastball. Ortiz is starting to miss spots-2nd pitch is way outside. Same for pitch 3. Santago points glove at him to say calm down. Popup on high fastball. Looked bad on 2nd high fastball.
Spiezio-Ortiz has thrown a first-ball strike to all 4 batters this inning. Pops Up.
Through first 2-0 runs, 1 hit, 3 baserunners, 61 pitches. Game 2-11 runs, 13 hits, 14 baserunners, 96 pitches. Ortiz: 31 pitches, 18 strikes. Appier: 30 pitches, 16 strikes.

Top of 3rd: Dunston-flies out on 1st pitch. Why is he in there? I guess b/c he's in the sons club.
Lofton-Glaus looks for bunt. Runs in and barehands a throw to 1st. Mike Schmidt would be proud.
Aurilia-Shows a little patience (last two hitters went on 1st pitch). 5-pitch walk.
Kent-1st pitch nice backdoor slider. Pitch 3, right off inside corner.

Bottom of 3rd: Kennedy-strikes out on fastball in the dirt after three straight fouls.
Eckstein-McCarver: "Doesn't have extra base hit, but seems like he does." Huh? Drippler to short on high fastball.

Top of 4th: Bonds-1st pitch bounces. 2nd pitch off plate inside-got strike call (slider fouled ump). 2-1. 3-1 (both low and inside). Ball 4 almost hits ankles. Do you think Appier remembers game 2 HR? 1st leadoff hitter in game to get on.
Santiago-bunts for base hit foul. How often do you see a catcher try to bunt for a hit? Bll 2 inside and low. Scioscia looks ticked off at call. Nice inside fastball, 2-2. DP: Glaus nice pick of bad hop, has time and takes it to get DP. Reminiscent of Santiago in game 4.
Appier-throwing well but lots of balls (28 of 55 pitches, plus 3 walks). Ginats should be more patient.

Bottom of 4th:Salmon-only 2nd 2-0 count by Ortiz. 1st hit off Otiz. Aurilia deep to his right, throw late.
Anderson-1st time Ortiz has fallen behind 1-0 to two straight hitters. Routine DP. Has created 7 outs in last 6 ABs.
Both pitchers finish 4th, go farther than both combined in game 2.
Ortiz 50 pitches. Appier 55.

Top of 5th: Sanders-Swings through high heat (0-1)
Bell-first two pitches same but called differently (1-1), McClelland being inconsistent on inside pitches. Swings through slider. Single to left of Eckstein, knocks it down, single. 3rd infield hit.
Dunston-all one on low fastball. Ump inconsistent low too. Appier-worried about Bell, 4 throws to first. Francisco Rodriguez-up in BP. HR right over fence down LF line. Why throw a low ball? Obligatory Gene Clines reaction shot. How many guys get to hit HR in the Series with their son in the dugout? Big hug from Bonds. (is that aloof?)
Lofton-3-1 gapper to right-center. Double. Appier gone-Wow, that's quick. He's upset. Mouths "God damn it!" Rodriguez in.
Aurilia-shows bunt on close ball1. Lofton steals third on one-bounce slider outside. Now infield in. 2-2, grounded slider to shallow short.
Kent-strike one on slider. Quickly 0-2. Slider in the dirt outside-WP & run scored, 3-0 Giants.

Bottom of 5th: Glaus-quick 0-2. Ball right off inside corner. Hits nice fastball to Lofton at wall. McCarver & Buck-ode to Lofton, forget that was killing them (only 1 hit) in the first three games.
Fullmer-another long fly ball.
Spiezio-3-0 (2nd bounced). Nice inside fastball, 3-2. Nice battle. Ground ball to 1st. Ortiz gets over to bag quickly, 3-1.

Top of 6th: Bonds smashes a high 0-1 slider. If they win tonight, he'll be MVP.
Gene Clines-obligatory hoot after HR. In upper register.
Snow-nice opposite field liner. Single. Rodriguez-slider is flattening out.
Don't understand why no one is up in Angel bullpen.
Sanders-swings through two sliders, 1-2. K's looking on slider.
Fox-showing '54 Giants parade. Ready to crown SF.

Bottom of 6th:Molina-lines to right, all 6 leadoff hitters have been outs. Ortiz has lead all off them off with a strike.
Kennedy-jammed but fists right past Kent. Bat shatters and goes toward 2nd. Did it effect Kent? 2nd hit.
Eckstein-huts it as far as he can, foul down left-field line; Prtiz-worried about runner, didn't he learn from Appier? Aurilia-takes his time on a dribbler, gets him. Kennedy-to second. 1st runner in scoring position for Angels.
Erstad-3-0, Ortiz is not even close. Gets low strike called (3-1). Third 3-ball count of game. Walk.
Rodriguez & Eyre up in BP.
Salmon-0-1 ball called, looked good. Chased shoulder-high fastball (1-2)-couldn't check. Strikes out looking at fastball down the pike. Huge out.

Top of 7th:Dunston-McCarver: "He waited 39 years for the biggest hit of his life"
Lofton-nice liner on soft high fastball to RF.
Why is Rodriguez still in? Too late to keep him in.
Lofton-SB on pitch out. Molina throw in dirt. Eckstein holds him at 2nd (can't get out of way) still gets to 3rd.
Aurilia-why is he bunting with the infield in? Fouled off. Hangs 2-2 slider. Called strike 3 on slider on black.
Donnelly-up in BP (finally).
Kent-1-2 slider hangs, fouled off. Nice liner.
Bonds-shift on, 1-1 fastball inside when Molina set up outside-could have been a strike though. 2nd called strike (2-2). K's on inside slider in dirt. Fans are happy-can they see scoreboard?

Bottom of 7th: Fox playing "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart during Bonds retrospective. What is this the Olympics?
Ortiz-starting to look shaky, will give him short leash; why isn't anyone up in BP?
Anderson-ball 1 way outside, 2-0 (Throw strikes!). Why does Anderson swing at high 2-0 pitch? Out.
Glaus-Nice liner to left.
Fullmer-Rodriguez now up in SF BP. Eyre too. Snow-holding Glaus with 5-run lead.
Ortiz-if they had the bullpen up to start the inning, he'd be gone. Baker is pulling him. Is Rodriguez ready? Baker gives Ortiz game ball.
Rodriguez-third pitcher to appear in first 6 WS games (Darrol Knowles and Dan Quisenberry others). Dueling F-Rods again.
Spiezio-Worrell & Eyre up; fouls 3 back, starting to time fastball, full count. HR right over rightfield fence. Sanders looked like he had it the whole way but ran out of room. Huge AB for Spiezio. Inside fastball, turned. Now it's a ballgame, 5-3 Giants.
Palmeiro-PHs for Molina, necessary now that no one on? Pull Rodriguez for lefty? 0-2 fouls off Santiago's arm, stays in. Works to 2-2 (Angel fans think that they are leading), K's on high heat outside.
Eyre-lefty in to face Kennedy. Why not bring in Gil if brought in Palmeiro? Too early? Gone. Brought in for one hitter and lost him. Worrell in.
This inning has slowed to a crawl. Does Rodriguez come in topitch 8th? Do they want him to?
Eckstein-soft liner to left. Angels fans cheer as Sanders puts it away.

Top of 8th: Donnelly in; Why not Percival? Giants need some runs back.
Santiago-knocked down ball 1. Knocked down, ball 2-did he go around? 3rd ball (3-2) high & tight, bounced ball 4.
Percival-doing push-ups, not pitching in BP.
Spiezio-must hold runner with lefty up.
Snow-goes on first pitch. Fly out.
Percival-now up in BP.
Sanders-K's on fastball waist-high inside.
Buck-"When you think about it, a kid from Brooklyn (Dunston) helped Giants take a 2-0 lead." (Yeah, and God spelled backwards is "dog". Kinda makes you think.)
Bell-0-2 fastball wide. The crowd is sure that it caught the corner, replay shows otherwise. K's. Donnelly comes up big with man on.

Bottom of 8th: Worrell-must pitch well because Nen can't go more than 1 inning (with heart of order up).
Erstad-lines one over fence in right, 5-4. Floating change-up.
Salmon-No one is up in BP for Giants. Single to shallow center (defense playing back). Chone Figgens (why doesn't it sound like Bone anyway?)-Pinch runs.
Nen-is now up in BP.
Anderson-why no lefty in? Grounder down the 1st-base line. Foul. Blooper to left, bobbled by Bonds. 2nd and 3rd, error on Bonds (for both runners or just the trailing one?).
McCarver-"The derring-do of Chone Figgens" (How long has been waiting to pepper his play-by-play with that one?)
Nen-Coming in.
Glaus-strike one on ball 2 ft outside (1-1). Corners in. Ball 2, 2 ft outside. Doesn't go (2-1). Lined to wall in left. Bonds bobbles again, 6-5 Angels. High fastball missed spot, too far inside. Will be MVP if Angels win.
SF BP-no one up?
Fullmer rips a foul at 0-2. Next pitch high-ripped down RF line, 1 ft foul. K's on low slider.
Spiezio-IBB to get to J. Molina (Wooten is emergency catcher, caught 25 games last year, 2 this year).
J. Molina-bunts first pitch foul. Bunts 2nd and 3rd, successfully. McCarver hates it but it does avoid the DP.
Kennedy-1-0 pitch in the dirt-Kennedy still swings. Tips to Santiago.

Top of 9th: If the tie it, can Nen come back out?
Dunston is set to lead off. I would pull him for Goodwin with Percival probably in.
Goodwin-DH vs. Percival (hmm?), 2-1-does Percival a favor swinging at a ball 2 ft outside. K's on fastball down the middle.
Lofton-frozen on 0-1 slow fastball. Angels fans now want everything to be called a strike. Tough AB for Lofton. Fouls out.
Aurilia-1-1 pitch close on outside corner. Takes him up the ladder. Strikeout. We've got a game seven.

Predictions: 1) Kent continues comeback.

He was 2-for-4 with an RBI, not bad.

2) Both pitchers go at least 4 innings.

Kevin Appier went 4.1 and Russ Ortiz went 6.1. Good.

3) The Angels' offensive returns.

It took its time about it but those seventh and eighth inning rallies qualify.

4) Francisco Rodriguez gives up the go-ahead run in the sixth or seventh inning.

Well, it wasn't the go-ahead run but he gave up two in 2.2 innings. The judges will accept that.

5) The Giants win 6-5.

Right score. Wrong team. 50% aint bad.

6) If the Angels win tonight, I think they win tomorrow as well.

This turned out to be a better prediction than my actual game 7 prediction. Go with your instincts, I always say, at least from now on.