PLAY BY PLAY

FIRST INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 3, Angels 0--Alfonso Soriano flied out to the warning track in right. Derek Jeter lined a shot up the middle that narrowly missed Ramon Ortiz. The Angels put on the infield shift with Jason Giambi at bat. Jeter stole second, and because the shift was on, continued to third because there was no one covering third. What made it worse: It was ball four on Giambi, so Bengie Molina did not even have to throw at all. Bernie Williams walked, loading the bases. Ventura doubled to right-center, Jeter and Giambi scoring, Williams stopping at third. Mike Scioscia better have someone warming up (as long as it’s not Schoeneweis). Jorge Posada flied to the right-field fence, Williams scoring, Ventura to third. Ortiz is fooling no one. Mondesi was hit by a pitch. Johnson fouled out to Anderson. Three runs, two hits, two left.

ANGELS: Yankees 3, Angels 0--David Eckstein fouled out to the catcher. Darin Erstad swung at ball four and flied to center. Tim Salmon flied to left. No runs, no hits.

SECOND INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 3, Angels 0--Juan Rivera struck out. Soriano bounced slowly to third and was thrown out on a nice play by Glaus. Jeter grounded up the middle and Adam Kennedy made the grab and a twisting throw to get him. The two consecutive stellar defensive plays awakened the Edison Field crowd. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Yankees 3, Angels 1--Garret Anderson struck out on a curve in the dirt. Troy Glaus broke his bat while singling to left. It’s nice not to have to listen to Tim McCarver drone on incessantly. Fullmer doubled down the right-field line, Glaus stopping at third. Spiezio grounded to first, Glaus scoring, Fullmer to third. The crowd in the stadium is strangely silent. Must be waiting for the Rally Monkey. Molina grounded to second. One run, two hits, one left.

THIRD INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 6, Angels 1--Giambi walked. Williams doubled off the left-field fence, Giambi stopping at third. Where’s John Lackey? Ventura hit a laser to center that Erstad caught, Giambi beat the throw home. Williams took third on a wild pitch. Posada lined to Glaus. Mondesi walked, and here comes Scioscia. And there goes Ortiz. Lackey is in the game. Johnson singled to center, Williams scoring, Mondesi to second. Rivera singled to left, Mondesi scoring. This is getting embarrassing. Soriano struck out swinging. Three runs, three hits, two left.

ANGELS: Yankees 6, Angels 3--Kennedy singled to center. The Yankees have already gone through their batting order twice, the Angels are just finishing their first turn through. Kennedy stole second. Eckstein lined to first. Erstad grounded a single just under Soriano’s glove and into right. Kennedy, wisely not wanting to test Mondesi’s throwing arm, stopped at third. Salmon doubled to left, Kennedy and Erstad scoring. Anderson grounded to second and decided to jog to first. Soriano bobbled the ball but had plenty of time to throw Anderson out because Anderson was dogging it. Glaus was hit by a pitch. It could be bases loaded with one out, but thanks to Anderson’s laziness, it is first and third, two out. Judging by the crowd, Game 3 was either noisemaker night, or loaf of French bread night. Fullmer struck out swinging. Two runs, three hits, two left.

FOURTH INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 6, Angels 3--Jeter grounded to short. Giambi grounded to second. Williams walked on what appeared to be strike three. Scioscia and Mickey Hatcher were visibly annoyed. Ventura popped to shallow right, Kennedy making the catch. No runs, no hits, one left.

ANGELS: Yankees 6, Angels 4--Spiezio fouled to right. Molina flied to right. Fox then switched to a shot of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan in the booth. Why? Who wants to see these guys? All they are doing is talking. Then they showed the guys calling the game on the radio? Huh? This is cutting-edge television. Kennedy homered to right. Eckstein grounded to second. One run, one hit.

FIFTH INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 6, Angels 4--Posada grounded to first, pitcher covering. Jeff Weaver is warming up in the Yankee bullpen. Mondesi flied to center. Jon Miller just identified John Lackey as Jeff Weaver. Not once, but twice. Johnson struck out swinging on a curve in the dirt. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Yankees 6, Angels 4--Jeff Weaver pitching. Or is that John Lackey? Mussina is hurt, so Weaver gets all the time he wants to warm up. This leads to some exciting television, where we get to learn all of Fox’s fall lineup. Hey, a guy in the stands is holding a “Yes We Can” sign. Sir, 1979 just called. It wants its slogan back. Finally, the inning begins. Erstad grounded to short. Salmon struck out swinging. Anderson walked. I believe the last walk he drew was in 1997. Glaus flied to left. No runs, no hits, one left.

SIXTH INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 6, Angels 4--Rivera singled to left. Rivera went on the pitch, allowing him to make it to second safely when Soriano grounded to short. Jeter took a called strike three on the inside corner. Apparently, Jeter thinks umpires aren’t supposed to call strikes when he is at the plate. Uh oh, Scott Schoeneweis is pitching now! Giambi grounded to second. No runs, one hit, one left.

ANGELS: Yankees 6, Angels 5--Fullmer flared a single into left. Spiezio walked. The home plate umpire has a very erratic strike zone. Molina sacrificed, runners on second and third. Kennedy flied to left, Fullmer scoring, Spiezio holding at second. Eckstein was hit by the pitch. Mike Stanton now pitching. The Rally Monkey makes his first appearance. He has really moved up since leaving “Friends.” Erstad flied to center. One run, one hit, two left.

SEVENTH INNING

YANKEES: Yankees 6, Angels 5--Francisco Rodriguez pitching. Williams argues with the plate umpire after a called strike two. Aren’t the Yankees supposed to be a classy team? Williams struck out swinging. Ventura struck out swinging. Does Rodriguez remind anyone else of Fernando, 1981? Posada lined to second. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Angels 6, Yankees 6--Salmon struck out swinging. Anderson doubled down the right-field line. Glaus was walked intentionally, putting the go-ahead run on base. Shawn Wooten hit for Fullmer. There’s a fan in a gorilla suit in the stands. His parents must be proud. Wooten popped to second. Spiezio blooped a single to center on a full-count pitch, Anderson scoring. Molina flied to center. One run, two hits, two left.

EIGHTH INNING

YANKEES: Angels 6, Yankees 6--Mondesi flied out to left. Johnson struck out swinging. Rivera took called strike three. Wow. In two innings, Rodriguez made the Yankees look feeble. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Angels 9, Yankees 6--Kennedy flied to right, but, in a scene familiar to Dodger fans, Mondesi couldn’t make the play, and it was ruled a double. Eckstein laid down a perfect bunt, Kennedy taking third. Erstad doubled down the right-field line, Kennedy scoring. Never question the power of the Rally Monkey. Steve Karsay now pitching. Salmon homered to left. Anderson grounded to second. Glaus flied to right. Mondesi managed to hold on to this one. Three runs, three hits.

NINTH INNING

YANKEES: Angels 9, Yankees 6--Troy Percival pitching. Soriano grounded to third. Jeter flied to left. Giambi flied to left. No runs, no hits, the halo shines tonight.