PLAY BY PLAY

FIRST INNING

GIANTS: Angels 0, Giants 0--Kenny Lofton took a called strike three, but thought it was ball four and walked toward first. He should wear a Farmer John patch on his uniform. Rich Aurilia grounded to short. My 18-month-old has a stronger arm than David Eckstein, but he gets the job done. The Angels don’t win without him. Jeff Kent grounded to the pitcher, Kevin Appier threw a one-hopper to first, but Scott Spiezio made a great defensive play, digging the ball out of the dirt to save an error. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Angels 5, Giants 0--Eckstein singled to right. Darin Erstad doubled to right-center, Eckstein scored easily. Someone must have told Erstad to stop swinging for the seats. That was a classic Erstad hit. Tim Salmon singled to right, Erstad stopping at third. Garret Anderson singled to right, Erstad scoring, Salmon to second. Troy Glaus flied to deep center, Salmon taking third. Brad Fullmer singled to center. Lofton made a nice diving attempt, but couldn’t come up with the ball. Salmon scored, Anderson to third. Spiezio singled to right, Anderson scoring, Fullmer to third. With Bengie Molina at the plate, the Angels pulled off a delayed double steal. Spiezio took off for second, Benito Santiago didn’t look the runner back to third, and when he threw to second, Fullmer basically walked home. Molina flied to deep right, Spiezio to third. Russ Ortiz threw a ball that went behind Adam Kennedy, but when he ducked to get out of the way, the ball hit his bat and he hit an excuse-me grounder. David Bell threw him out easily in one of the stranger plays you’ll ever see. The Angels were in such a groove this inning that their bats hit the ball even when they weren’t trying. Five runs, six hits, one left.

*

SECOND INNING

GIANTS: Angels 5, Giants 4--Joe Buck tells us that a five-run lead is the “best-case scenario for Kevin Appier.” What about a six-run lead? Is that worse? A seven-run lead? Barry Bonds walked. Santiago flied to center. J.T. Snow singled to right, Bonds was running on the pitch and took third. On an 0-and-2 pitch, Reggie Sanders homered to left. Bell homered to center. Shawon Dunston hit a grounder up the middle, Kennedy making a nice grab-and-throw to get Dunston, who dove head-first into the bag. Why do major leaguers do that when all it does is slow you down? Lofton singled to center. Aurilia took strike three. Four runs, four hits, one left.

ANGELS: Angels 7, Giants 4--Eckstein beat out a bunt between the mound and the third-base line. Erstad flied to center. Salmon homered just inside the left-field foul pole. Anderson popped to first. Glaus doubled to center. Chad Zerbe pitching. Glaus took third on a passed ball. Fullmer grounded to first, pitcher covering. Two runs, three hits, one left.

*

THIRD INNING

GIANTS: Angels 7, Giants 5--Kent homered to left on a breaking ball that didn’t break. Bonds walked on four pitches. John Lackey pitching. Guess this means he won’t be starting Game 4. Santiago lined to short, Bonds was doubled off first. Smart baserunning. Eckstein thought there were three outs and ran off the field. Whoops. Snow flied to center. Lackey restores order. One run, one hit, none left.

ANGELS: Angels 7, Giants 5--It’s official, the Mark McGwire commercial where he pals around with that guy has been played more often than any commercial in history. Spiezio grounded to second. Molina grounded to short. Kennedy grounded to the pitcher. No runs, no hits.

*

FOURTH INNING

GIANTS: Angels 7, Giants 5--Sanders singled to left. With Bell at the plate, Sanders stole second. Bell grounded to the pitcher, Sanders stayed at second. Dunston grounded to short, Sanders was caught in a rundown and tagged by Glaus. Lofton flied to deep left-center. No runs, one hit, one left.

ANGELS: Angels 7, Giants 5--Eckstein grounded to short. Erstad grounded to third. Time for a “Sounds of the Game.” Bud Black finally referred to a pitcher by name. Probably because Lackey’s back was to him so he could see the name on his uniform. Salmon singled to left. Anderson grounded to second. No runs, one hit, one left.

*

FIFTH INNING

GIANTS: Giants 9, Angels 7--Aurilia hit a little blooper that bounced in front of Erstad, then got past him. It was charitably called a double. Kent took a called strike three. Bonds was intentionally walked. Ben Weber pitching. Santiago singled to left, loading the bases. Snow singled to right, Aurilia and Bonds scoring, Santiago to third. Sanders struck out swinging. Bell hit a roller up the middle, Snow beat Kennedy’s throw to second, Santiago scored. Dunston singled to left, Snow scored. Bell took third and Dunston second on Anderson’s bad throw home. The Giants must have kidnapped the Rally Monkey. Tim McCarver is giving the game to the Giants already. Which team did he broadcast 20 games for this season? Way to remain neutral. It’s like the days Tom Heinsohn was the color man on Laker-Celtic games. Dunston grounded to second. Four runs, five hits, two left.

ANGELS: Giants 9, Angels 8--Could these John Hancock commercials be a little more depressing? If they aren’t showing premature babies, they’re showing a wife reminding her husband to buy insurance before he dies. Thanks a lot. Glaus singled to center. Michael Eisner is sitting with Gray Davis in the stands. There’s something funny about Gray Davis being at Edison Field. Fullmer singled to shallow center. Glaus took third when Lofton bobbled the ball. Score it a hit for Fullmer and an error on Lofton. Glaus was shaken up when he slid on top of the ball. Judging by where the ball hit him, he should probably try out for the Vienna Boys Choir today. Spiezio flied to center, Glaus scoring. Molina grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Molina just can’t seem to get a key hit in this series. One run, two hits.

*

SIXTH INNING

GIANTS: Giants 9, Angels 8--Francisco Rodriguez pitching. Aurilia struck out on three pitches. Kent struck out. Bonds grounded to first. The crowd loves Rodriguez. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Angels 9, Giants 9--Kennedy grounded to first. Eckstein grounded to short. Erstad doubled down the right-field line. The Fox “Fan Cam” is the biggest waste of television time since “The Chevy Chase Show.” Jay Witasick pitching. Salmon walked. Aaron Fultz pitching. Anderson singled to right, Erstad scoring. Salmon was caught in a rundown between second and third and tagged out by Bell. One run, two hits, one left.

*

SEVENTH INNING

GIANTS: Angels 9, Giants 9--We came back from commercial and the count was already 0-and-1 on Santiago. But at least we know what day “Boston Public” airs. Can someone please get the baseball contract away from Fox? Santiago struck out. Snow grounded to first. Sanders struck out swinging. Rodriguez has faced six batters, has four strikeouts. By the way, the Angels and Giants have both outscored the Dallas Cowboys today. And there’s no Jerry Jones in the dugout, so it’s a win-win situation. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Angels 9, Giants 9--Felix Rodriguez pitching. Glaus popped to shallow center, Kent making the catch. Fullmer hit a foul into the stands that was caught by George Brett. Because George Brett really needs a ball, instead of any of the little kids sitting around him. He can put it on his mantel next to his batting titles. “That’s the foul ball I caught in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series!” Fullmer walked. Spiezio flied to deep right-center. Molina flied to right. No runs, no hits, one left.

*

EIGHTH INNING

GIANTS: Angels 9, Giants 9--Bell popped to short center, Erstad made the catch. Dunston popped to first. Lofton grounded to the pitcher. No runs, no hits.

ANGELS: Angels 11, Giants 9--Kennedy flied to center. Eckstein singled to right. Erstad flied to left. Salmon homered to left. The Rally Monkey is alive!!!!! The Edison Field crowd is ecstatic. Tim Worrell pitching. Anderson popped to short. Two runs, two hits.

*

NINTH INNING

GIANTS: Angels 11, Giants 10--Alex Ochoa in right. Troy Percival pitching. Aurilia flied to deep left. Kent flied to left. Bonds homered to DEEP right. That ball wouldn’t have been out of every park, though. It would have been playable at Yellowstone. Bonds smugly watched the ball and slowly made his way around the bases. Hey Barry, look at the scoreboard. Santiago popped to short right, Kennedy made the catch. One run, one hit, 1-1 Series.

*

--Houston Mitchell