Williams Keeps It Interesting Again : Philadelphia: Closer makes first World Series appearance memorable with key pickoff play.

If Mitch Williams was a ride at an amusement park, he would be the Rock-O-Plane, said Philadelphia reliever Larry Andersen, who once again shook his head at the wonder surrounding the Phillies’ closer.

“I was just sitting up on the bullpen bench, real comfortable, had my feet crossed, watching Mitch pitch,” Andersen said. “Everybody wants to keep talking about him, but they should get used to the way he pitches by now. He was the closer for a team that won 97 games, and he did it just like he did tonight.”

Sunday night, Williams made his first World Series appearance, a moment he said he had been waiting eight years for.

So what was it like?

“Just a baseball game, a regular baseball game,” Williams said.

Williams didn’t load the bases this time, but he lived up to his reputation on his way to his third save of the postseason. He already has two victories.

“It’s never really boring, “ Williams said. “I wasn’t bored.”

Williams entered the game in the eighth inning, with the Phillies leading, 6-3, John Olerud at the plate and Paul Molitor on second base.

Next thing he knew, Molitor had stolen third.

“I didn’t know he was on third until I saw him there,” Williams said. “I honestly didn’t care, but I should have held him close. I think they wanted to get to third to try and score on a wild pitch or passed ball.”

Molitor scored on a fly ball to right by Olerud, cutting the Phillies’ lead to two runs. Then Williams walked Roberto Alomar, who promptly stole second base uncontested.

“When I came in, all I was trying to do was not overthrow the ball,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to walk a guy and let them think they had a chance to win. So what do I do? I goosed a couple balls and was short instead of letting them go. I was doing all kinds of (stuff) out there. Then the next thing I do after Molitor scores is walk a guy. But I wasn’t surprised he stole second, because I know they like to run.”

With Tony Fernandez at bat, Alomar took off for third base, but Williams whirled and threw to third, getting Alomar easily.

“It’s a move I use, but I haven’t picked anybody off with it in three years,” Williams said. “These guys haven’t seen me pitch in five years, so they don’t know. But I go to third every once in a while to make sure a runner isn’t trying to steal, and he just happened to be going.”

But Williams, who called that pickoff move “lucky,” made it more hair-raising for his team the next inning, when he threw four consecutive balls to leadoff hitter Fernandez.

Pitching coach Johnny Podres came out to the mound, and Andersen left his comfortable place on the bench and began warming up in the bullpen. But Fregosi said he never came close to pulling Williams.

“I just had Andersen up in case, but I give Mitch a chance to pitch in and out of his games,” Fregosi said.

The team of Kim Batiste and Williams were together once again in the ninth, since Batiste came in for Dave Hollins at third base as a defensive replacement. The Phillies won two playoff games when Batiste made an error, so outfielder Pete Incaviglia said it’s a good omen if Batiste falters.

Ed Sprague hit a bullet to Batiste, who, depending on the angle, appeared to have a chance at a double play. But Batiste made a low throw to Mariano Duncan at second, and the Phillies could get only one out.

“Dunc almost turned that ball and Sprague crushed it--it almost got Batty killed,” Williams said. “Batty made a good play on that.”

Williams got another ground ball from Pat Borders, and this was became a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.

“The biggest quality of a short reliever is a short memory,” said Williams, who said he soon would be spending his time on his 600-acre ranch in Hico, Tex.

“Hitters smell fear, they are like sharks: As soon as they find a weakness, they will go for the throat.”