WORLD SERIES GAME 7!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Todd]

Time: 7:30 p.m. EST Venue: Edison International Field

It's now up to Livan Hernandez and John Lackey.

One day after the Anaheim Angels rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the seventh inning to beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5, the 2002 World Series comes down to a Game 7 matchup tonight (8:02 ET) between the Giants' Hernandez and the Angels' Lackey.

Hernandez will be making his second start of the series, and Lackey will appear for the third time. Both will be looking to pitch better than they have.

"I'm not happy I have to pitch, because I'm not happy that we lost, but I'll try the best I can," Hernandez said. "I've been in lots of big games. I think I can pitch in a big game. I just have to keep us in position to win."

Hernandez lasted only 3 2-3 innings in Game 3, giving up six runs, five hits and five walks in the 10-4 loss. After going just 12-16 during the regular season, Hernandez is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three postseason starts.

Giants manager Dusty Baker set up his rotation so Hernandez could pitch the seventh game. Hernandez won the MVP of the NLCS and World Series in 1997 for Florida, but was tied for the NL lead in losses this year.

The loss in Game 3 was Hernandez's first in the postseason after going 6-0 in eight previous playoff starts. Before Game 6, Baker was leaning toward using Hernandez but also said Game 4 winner Kirk Rueter or Game 5 starter Jason Schmidt would be ready.

Lackey will pitch on three days' rest, after giving up three runs and nine hits in five innings of a start in Game 4. He also allowed two runs in 2 1-3 innings of relief in Game 2.

"I'm going to go as hard as I can and as long as I can and see what happens," Lackey said. "It's pretty cool. Everybody wants to be in the World Series."

Ramon Ortiz, who picked up the win for the Angels in Game 3, was scheduled to start this game, but has been bothered by tendinitis in his wrist since his last start and Angels manager Mike Scioscia opted instead for Lackey.

The Giants needed just nine more outs in Game 6 to wrap up their first championship since 1954, when they still played in New York. Shawon Dunston's two-run homer in the fifth and Barry Bonds' solo shot in the sixth gave San Francisco a 4-0 lead. Jeff Kent's RBI single in the seventh appeared to give the Giants enough.

However, Scott Spiezio hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-3, and Darin Erstad's leadoff shot started the winning rally in the eighth. Tim Salmon followed with a single, and pinch-runner Chone Figgins advanced to third on Garret Anderson's bloop single down the left-field line. When Bonds bobbled the ball and dropped it, Anderson took second.

Dusty Baker brought in closer Robb Nen, and Troy Glaus greeted him with a two-run double to the gap in deep left-center to complete the comeback and force the deciding game.

"There was confidence, definitely," Baker said. "But the game was not over. That was a heck of a comeback by them."

Now, Bonds and the Giants have less than 24 hours to recover from one of the biggest collapses in World Series history.

"We can deal with it," Kent said. "What can you do? This is a team that's resilient, a veteran ballclub that's not emotionally attached to losses."

None of the dramatics of Game 6 will matter if Anaheim can't win the franchise's first championship Sunday. Neither will Bonds' dominant postseason if he doesn't win his first career title.

"If we're still caught up in tonight when we take the field tomorrow, we'll be in trouble," Angels shortstop David Eckstein said. "We need to step away from this and get focused on what we have to do."

The home team has won the last seven Game 7s in the World Series since Pittsburgh won 4-1 at Baltimore in 1979. The Angels have history on their side in another way, too. Six of the last seven times a team came home down 3-2 in the Series, the home team won.

"Our goal today was to get to Game 7," Glaus said. "Now we're giving ourselves that chance."

How they got here
Giants - wild card; beat Atlanta Braves 3-2 in division series; beat St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in league championship series.

Angels - wild card; beat New York Yankees 3-1 in division series; beat Minnesota Twins 4-1 in league championship series.

Projected lineups
Giants -- CF Kenny Lofton (.261, 11 HRs, 51 RBI, 29 SBs), SS Rich Aurilia (.257, 15, 61), 2B Kent (.313, 37, 108, 102 runs), LF Bonds (.370, 46, 110, 117 runs), C Benito Santiago (.278, 16, 74), 1B J.T. Snow (.246, 6, 53), RF Reggie Sanders (.250, 23, 85), 3B David Bell (.261, 20, 73), DH Dunston (.231, 1, 9).

Angels -- SS Eckstein (.293 avg., 8 HRs, 63 RBI, 21 SBs, 27 HBP), CF Erstad (.283, 10, 73), RF Salmon (.286, 22, 88), LF Anderson (.306, 29, 123, 56 doubles), 3B Glaus (.250, 30, 111, 144 Ks), DH Brad Fullmer (.289, 19, 59), 1B Spiezio (.285, 12, 82), C Bengie Molina (.245, 5, 47), 2B Adam Kennedy (.312, 7, 52).

Giants starting pitcher
Hernandez (12-16, 4.38 ERA). The Cuban right-hander was 5-7 with 4.89 ERA in 15 road starts during the regular season. This start will be his first away from home during the postseason.

Angels starting pitcher
Lackey (9-4, 3.66). The rookie right-hander is 1-0 with 2.60 ERA in four appearances, spanning 17 1-3 innings, in the postseason.

Giants streaks and notes
LF Bonds walked twice in Game 6 to set a record with 12 in a World Series.
Bonds has homered eight times in this postseason, but the Giants have only two wins in those games. San Francisco has won all eight games in which Bonds hasn't homered.
SS Aurilia is 4-for-4 with two doubles against Lackey in this series, while CF Lofton is 3-for-4.
Angels streaks and notes
1B Spiezio is 11-for-15 in the postseason with runners in scoring position.
Anaheim's victory Saturday marked the first time a team facing elimination came back to win after trailing by five runs.
CF Erstad's homer was the fourth of the game and record-setting 21st of the Series.
Home/road records
Giants -- 45-35 on the road in regular season, 5-3 in postseason.

Angels -- 54-27 at home in regular season; 7-1 in postseason.

[Biff Mayhem]

Chat with all the usual suspects . I'll be there but show up anyway! :)

[Todd]

only if your bring a hot single female for me

[Todd]

San Francisco Giants 0, Anaheim Angels 0


San Francisco AVG
Lofton, CF .333
Aurilia, SS .286
Kent, 2B .320
Bonds, LF .500
Santiago, C .174
Snow, 1B .348
Sanders, RF .250
Bell, 3B .350
Feliz, DH .000



Anaheim AVG
Eckstein, SS .308
Erstad, CF .296
Salmon, RF .375
Anderson, LF .286
Glaus, 3B .417
Fullmer, DH .364
Spiezio, 1B .300
Molina, B, C .222
Kennedy, 2B .318


GIANTS
Hernandez


Anaheim
Lackey

[mattie]

top 1st~

*lofton grounds out (1)
*aurilia grounds out (2)
*kent flies out (3)

1,2,3 for lackey

bot 1st~

*eckstein gets a lead off walk!
*erstad sac bunt (1)
*salmon walks
*anderson flies out, eckstein out at 2nd (2, 3)

no score end of 1

[mattie]

top of 2nd~

*bonds line drive to 2B (1)
*santiago gets a base hit
*snow base hit (santiago on 3rd)
*sanders sac fly (santiago scores; 1-0 giants) (2)
*bell strikes out (3)

bot of 2nd~

*glaus strikes out (1)
*fullmer flies out (2)
*spiezio walks
*molina doubles (spiezio scores, TIE GAME 1-1)
*kennedy flies out (3)

TIE GAME end of 2

[mattie]

top of 3rd~

*feliz grounds out 3rd (1)
*lofton grounds to 1st (2)
*aurilia flies out (3)

bot of 3rd~

*eckstein lead off single
*erstad base hit
*salmon hit by pitch (bases juiced)
*anderson gets a bases clearing double (4-1 angels)
*glaus intentianol walk
~~pitching change for giants; chad zerbe~~
*fullmer base hit (glaus out at 2b) (1)
*spiezio base hit (anderson out at home) (2)
*molina flies out (3)

4-1 end of 4

[mattie]

top of 4th~

*kent strikes out (1)
*bonds base hit
*santiago base hit
*snow strikes out (2)
*sanders flies out (3)

bot of 4th~

~~pitching change for giants; kirk rueter~~
*kennedy strikes out (1)
*eckstein flies out (2)
*erstad strikes out (3)

4-1 angels end of 4

[MotorCityOrangeman]

Rally Monkey

[mattie]

top of 5th

*bell flies out. (awesome catch by erstad) (1)
*feliz strikes out (2)
*lofton walks
*aurilia flies out (3)

bot of 5th

*salmon grounds out (1)
*anderson grounds out (2)
*glaus walks
*fullmer grounds out (3)

4-1 end of 5

[mattie]

top of 6th

~~pitching change for angels; brendan donnelly~~
*kent grounds out (1)
*bonds pops out (2)
*santiago walks
*snow doubles (santiago on 3rd)
*goodwin (pinch hitting for sanders) strikes out (3)

bot of 6th

*spiezio flies out (1)
*molina doubles
*kennedy grounds out (2)
*eckstein line drives to 2B (3)

4-1 angels end of 6

[Todd]

Bell flies out, Feliz strikes out,lofton flies out,


4-1 angels in the 7th

[Todd]

Erstad flies out, salmon strikes out, Anderson flies out, 4-1 after 7

[Todd]

Rodriguez comes into pitch, Aurila strikes out, Kent strikes out, Bonds walks, Santiago strikes out, 4-1 after 8

[Todd]

Worrell comes into pitch, Glaus strikes out, Fullmer grounds out, Spiezo grounds out, 4-1 Angels after 8

[Todd]

Percival comes in to win the world series, Snow hits a single, Goodwin hits into a force at 2nd, Bell walks, Shinjo strikes out, Lofton flies out to center, THE ANGELS WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Biff Mayhem]

Remember when Kenny Lofton played for Cleveland and Atlanta? He didn't win the World Series there either!

[Todd]

i know its cheesy but some where Gene Autry most be smiling :)

[MotorCityOrangeman]

The monkey no longer needs to rally...

ANAHEIM ANGELS, 2002 WORLD CHAMPIONS

[Ranger]

Bud screws up in the presentation, LMAO!!!!

"I would like to present the trophy to the Cali... Anaheim Angels"

[Todd]

Troy Glaus was the MVP

[estrepe1]

Originally posted by Todd
i know its cheesy but some where Gene Autry most be smiling :)

I felt the Autry thing was overdone. He has been gone 4 years. I thought it was only last year the way they all acted.....

oh well

CONGRATS ANAHEIM!

[Todd]

yeah i know what you mean but Autry poured his heart into winning a world series and never did , so this is kinda a tribute to him

[estrepe1]

Yeah it would have been cool if what they did at the podium was all i heard about it to that point, but they talked about him all series long over and over it was either Autry or Barry Bonds....

I know it seems shallow or something but I was quite annoyed by it.

[Oblong]

Fox kept showing the brats in the dugout crying.

Those mean Angels.

[Biff Mayhem]

Originally posted by Oblong
Fox kept showing the brats in the dugout crying.

Those mean Angels.

I think the kids were crying because Barry Bonds told them it was their fault ;)

[smr-nj]

Originally posted by Biff Mayhem


I think the kids were crying because Barry Bonds told them it was their fault ;)

That would be even funnier if I didn't have to think for a moment if that could possibly be true. (because it probably could.)

[Biff Mayhem]

Now that I think about it, I wonder what happened. I really don't think a three year old has a firm enough grasp on what transpired to get that emotional about it.

[smr-nj]

Barry probably whispered in his ear " I'm going to kill your daddy."

[Oblong]

I would have told the kids that the rally monkey is mean and bites. Since the Giants lost, they had to go "face the monkees".