Angels’ Game 5 Victory Is Quite a Timely Win

A night to remember, or forget?

5 p.m. The Angels had an ex-New York policeman sing the national anthem in the series opener and lost. They went to Joelle James, who I’ve been saying is the best national anthem singer in Southern California the last four or five years, in Game 2 and won. They brought her back for Game 5 to sing the anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the seventh. Who knew she’d last longer than Bartolo Colon?

5:03 Don Baylor, wearing an Anaheim jacket, takes the mound and throws the ceremonial first pitch to Vlad Guerrero. Baylor then waves to Joe Torre. Hey, make up your mind -- Angels or Yankees?

5:10 Colon walks from the bullpen to the dugout and gets a standing ovation. He’s joined by catcher Bengie Molasses. Colon beats Molasses to the dugout by a good 10 yards.

5:16 Derek Jeter singles, makes it to third, but the Los Angeles Angels’ fans come to their feet demanding a strikeout. Colon throws a 95-mph heater past Hideki Matsui. You people just have to learn to ask.

5:37 Colon throws 23 pitches but surrenders in (shoulder) pain giving way to the kid, Ervin Santana. It’s a setback for Vic the Brick, who said earlier on the radio the Cy Young Award would go to whoever pitched better: Colon or Mariano Rivera. No matter to Brick, of course, that the award goes to the best regular-season pitcher and the votes have already been submitted. By the end of this game, he’ll be suggesting Santana is the Cy Young winner.

5:51 Santana is walking everyone until some Bubba drives in a run. Jeter’s sacrifice fly makes it 2-0 much to the delight of Fox because it means a possible appearance by the Rally Monkey. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already wired it for sound.

6:06 My request to interview the Sleepwalker before the game was denied again, but there’s no denying its value as a motivational tool. Garret Anderson wakes up and homers. I’m waiting for him to wave to the press box until I realize how much energy it would take for him to raise his arm.

6:16 Gary Sheffield runs into Bubba trying to grab Adam Kennedy’s fly ball, which falls for a triple. It’s the only way Molasses, who singled earlier, could score from second. Steve Finley also scores -- almost passing Molasses. It’s 3-2 Angels after two, and it’ll be interesting to check the TV ratings to see how many fans turned to the Chargers’ game and how many stuck with baseball. What were Dodger fans watching?

6:20 Someone just mentioned the Ducks are playing their first home game next door. I’m told that’s a hockey team.

6:24 Sheffield lines a ball to left and a hustling Anderson -- and you’ve never seen those words together before -- prevents Sheffield from stretching it to a double. What next, the sleepwalker diving for a ball?

6:44 Anderson drives in another run with a sacrifice fly. I guess I’m going to have to go to Chicago just so I can request an interview with him before Game 1.

6:50 The Angels use aggressive baserunning to score two more runs and the Yankees go to Randy Johnson. They tried that a few days ago and that’s why they’re not going to the World Series this year.

7:32 Santana has thrown 80 pitches and the Angels are winning, 5-2, after six innings. Do you believe in miracles? You probably think the Chargers are going to rally to win.

7:39 The Angels have gone 16-4 since I called them out for being potential chokers. “You sure stirred them up,” Angel owner Arte Moreno said. “Keep it up.” We’re probably going to have to talk about a playoff share down the road -- the money, of course, going to Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA.

7:52 Jeter homers. Kelvim Escobar gets the call; the Dodgers would’ve been calling on Giovanni Carrara.

8:15 It’s 14-10, Steelers. If the Chargers can come back -- why not the Yankees? Just in case, Manager Mike Scioscia goes to K-Rod with two out in the eighth and the tying run at the plate. I wonder what George Steinbrenner is thinking? K-Rod gets Ruben Sierra out. I think I know what Steinbrenner is thinking, I just wonder where Sierra will be playing next year.

8:34 Three more outs and the Angels are Chicago bound.

8:37 Jeter singles and A-Rod is the tying run at the plate. Lucky for the Angels that the big dud is the tying run at the plate. He hits into a double play. Now wouldn’t you like to know what Steinbrenner is thinking?

8:38 Noise and more noise. The Yankees are down to their last strike and Jason Giambi singles. Sheffield singles. I wish Scioscia would take my calls in the dugout so I could remind the guys this is not time to choke.

8:45 Down to the last strike on Matsui, a diving stop by Darin Erstad, toss to K-Rod, and they are playing that music that Laker fans love so much when things are going well -- but since they won’t be using it any time soon, why not the Angels?

8:46 I hope the Angel brass is smart/superstitious enough to have already signed James to sing the Game 3 anthem Friday.

8:51 The champagne is flying in the clubhouse. Scioscia takes a half a dozen bottles to his office. I guess he’s thirsty. Scot Shields holds his cellphone camera over his head and snaps. Anderson’s locker is on the other side of the room, and every Angel is armed with a bottle of champagne in between. Maybe I better wait and talk to him in Chicago.

9:07 The Chargers lose; it really is a great night.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at

t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to

latimes.com/simers.