PLAY BY PLAY

FIRST INNING

ANGELS: Angels 0, Giants 0 -- When will “Star Spangled Banner” singers learn that it’s not the time for them to show off their voices? It’s not an audition for “American Idol.” David Eckstein grounded to short. Darin Erstad grounded to second. Tim Salmon grounded to third. Bell made a low throw to first and J.T. Snow couldn’t dig it out. Error on Bell. Snow usually makes that play. Eric Karros would have pulled his foot off the bag and been running back to the dugout before the ball even got there. Garret Anderson, grounded a single to center, Salmon taking third. The Angels go from first to third better than any team in years. Troy Glaus grounded to second, Jeff Kent flipped to Rich Aurilia for the force at second. No runs, one hit, one error, two left.

GIANTS: Angels 0, Giants 0 -- Kenny Lofton beat out a slow roller to second. After failing on a sacrifice attempt, Aurilia singled to right, Lofton taking third. With the Angels scoring eight runs a game, playing for one run doesn’t make sense. Kent struck out swinging. At last count, Kent has stranded 1,247 runners on base in this World Series. Barry Bonds was intentionally walked. For those of you scoring at home, and those of you alone, that makes two IBB’s for Bonds in the last two games, and two for Bengie Molina. Benito Santiago grounded into a 6-3 double play. That was huge. After watching him take the ball to second, you had the feeling Eckstein said to himself “No way I’m throwing this to Benji Gil.” No runs, two hits, two left.

SECOND INNING

ANGELS: Angels 1, Giants 0 -- Scott Spiezio hit a bouncer up the middle, Aurilia made a nice play to get him. Gil singled to right. Bengie Molina used his nine-iron to hit a ball that was in the dirt into center, Gil to second. Tiger Woods couldn’t have done it better. John Lackey, who has never batted as a pro before, SINGLED TO RIGHT! Kirk Rueter should just retire now. Now Lackey has more key hits in this Series than Jeff Kent. The bases are loaded. Eckstein flied to short center, Gil scored on a terrible throw by Lofton. Venus de Milo has a better arm than Lofton. Erstad grounded to the pitcher. One run, three hits, two left.

GIANTS: Angels 1, Giants 0 -- Snow grounded to first. Some fans in the stands have black and orange noise sticks. Can’t they come up with their own ideas? They have to steal the noise sticks gig from Angel fans? Reggie Sanders singled up the middle. Bell’s bat shattered on a grounder to short. The bat almost hit Glaus as Eckstein threw to first for the out. Sanders to second. Rueter grounded to second and ran hard to make it a close play at first. But he was out. No runs, one hit, one left.

THIRD INNING

ANGELS: Angels 3, Giants 0 -- The Taco Bell target is still in McCovey Cove. The folks at Target should put a big taco in McCovey Cove, just to get even. Salmon singled to center. Anderson hit a slow roller to second, Kent got the force at second. Glaus homered to center. Finally, Glaus homers with someone on base. Lofton glared at a fan, apparently believing the fan prevented him from making the catch. Lofton’s ego goes up the more his playing ability goes down. Spiezio lined to center. Gil singled to center. Gil is seven for 10 in the postseason. Molina flied to right. Two runs, three hits, one left.

GIANTS: Angels 3, Giants 0 -- Lofton singled to right. Aurilia hit a drive to left-center that bounced off the heel of Erstad’s glove on his diving attempt at a catch. It was a great try by Erstad. Anderson was right there to back him up and immediately grabbed the ball and threw it in, preventing Lofton from scoring. Two good plays by Angel outfielders. Runners on second and third. Kent lined back to the pitcher. Bonds was walked intentionally, thereby passing Molina in the intentional walk sweepstakes. Santiago grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. The Giants just can’t seem to get a clutch hit. No runs, two hits, three left.

FOURTH INNING

ANGELS: Angels 3, Giants 0 -- You would think Tim McCarver would have learned a little something about silence in all his years catching Steve Carlton. Lackey grounded to the pitcher. Eckstein tried to bunt for a hit, but Bell threw him out. Erstad grounded to second. A quick inning. No runs, no hits.

GIANTS: Angels 3, Giants 0-- They just showed the MasterCard Most Memorable Moment commercial. The campaign is over! Voting has ended! Ripken won! Stop with the commercial! Stop! Snow grounded to second. Sanders flied to right. Bell flied to left. No runs, no hits.

FIFTH INNING

ANGELS: Angels 3, Giants 0 -- Salmon took strike three. Anderson singled to shallow left. Glaus grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. No runs, one hit.

GIANTS: Angels 3, Giants 3 -- Rueter hit a chopper off the plate between first and the mound. He beat the throw to first. Lofton bunted down the third-base line. The ball hugged the line, then went foul by about an inch, but by the time Glaus picked it up, the ball had just caught a piece of the line again and was a fair ball. Good call by the ump, and great camera work by Fox. It’s the best thing Fox has done the whole Series. Runners on first and second. Aurilia singled to right, Rueter scored, Lofton to third. Kent flied to right, Lofton scored. Molina just watched as the ball went by him, allowing Aurilia to take second. Molina did point out where the ball was going to Lackey. Bonds was walked intentionally. Santiago singled to center, Erstad’s throw home hit the mound or they might have had Aurilia at the plate. Bonds to second. Snow flied to right. Bonds could have tagged and taken third, but didn’t. Sanders struck out swinging. Three runs, four hits, two left.

SIXTH INNING

ANGELS: Angels 3, Giants 3-- Spiezio singled to center. After failing on two sacrifice attempts, Gil struck out. Molina hit a shot to first, which Snow beautifully turned into a 3-6-1 double play. Snow should be working for Allstate. No runs, one hit.

GIANTS: Angels 3, Giants 3 -- Ben Weber pitching. The cast members of “Firefly” are at the game. They are longtime Giant fans. They aren’t there and in great seats just because their show is on Fox. Bell lined a ball down the left-field line. Anderson hustled to get the ball and threw Bell out at second. Tom Goodwin, batting for Rueter, walked. That’s one more walk than he drew when he was with the Dodgers. With Lofton batting, Goodwin stole second. Lofton flied to center, Goodwin to third. Aurilia lined to third, Glaus made a nice leaping catch for the out. No runs, one hit, one left.

SEVENTH INNING

ANGELS: Angels 3, Giants 3 -- Felix Rodriguez pitching. Orlando Palmeiro, batting for Weber, struck out. Eckstein popped to second. Erstad grounded to first. No runs, no hits.

GIANTS: Angels 3, Giants 3 -- Francisco Rodriguez pitching. Kent struck out swinging. Bonds grounded to first. That’s why you pitch to him. Rodriguez gave him five consecutive sliders. Bonds grounded out on a 2-and-2 pitch. Santiago flied to left. No runs, no hits.

EIGHTH INNING

ANGELS: Angels 3, Giants 3 -- Tim Worrell pitching. If you’re a Dodger fan, the phrase “Worrell is pitching” still makes you cringe. Salmon flied to right-center, Lofton made a nice running catch. Anderson grounded to first. Glaus flied to left. No runs, no hits.

GIANTS: Giants 4, Angels 3 -- Snow singled to right. The first pitch to Sanders got by Molina for a passed ball, Snow to second. Sanders squared around to bunt, which might have distracted Molina, but a major league catcher has to catch that pitch. Sanders popped a bunt attempt into foul territory, Spiezio made a great play to catch the ball. Why is Sanders bunting in that situation? That’s not why Reggie Sanders is on the team. If you want someone to bunt, send in Shinjo to hit for him. Bell singled to center, Snow scoring on the ugliest slide you will ever see. Ramon Martinez, batting for Worrell, struck out and Bell was thrown out trying to steal. Molina has a great arm, but the run the Giants scored is on his shoulders. One run, two hits, one left.

NINTH INNING

ANGELS: Giants 4, Angels 3 -- Robb Nen pitching. Spiezio fouled to third. Adam Kennedy singled to right. Fullmer, batting for Molina, grounded into a tailor-made 6-3 double play. No runs, one hit. It’s now a best-of-three Series.

-- Houston Mitchell