KOD10 World Series: Games 1 & 2

10/17 – 10/18 – Ebbets Field

Game 1 – Angels 6, Dodgers 4

The KOD10 World Series opened up at Ebbets Field with the NL Champion 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers hosting the AL Champions 2002 Anaheim Angels. Don Newcombe and Jarrod Washburn took the mound for their respective teams. The Angels jumped out ahead, scoring first. Stringing together singles, sacrifice flies and a solo David Eckstein HR, Anaheim built a 4-0 lead after 3 and a half innings. But Roy Campanella heroically tied the game with a solo HR in the bottom of the 4th and a 3-run HR blast in the bottom of the 5th. The score remained tied until the top of the 8th  inning. With 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd base, Darin Erstad claimed the spotlight as the Series’ first hero and floated a single up the middle, scoring both runners. It was made all the more bitter for the Brooklyn fans because both runs were unearned. Brendon Donnelly and Troy Percival continued the solid relief work they’ve shown all season and shut the door on the Dodgers the rest of the way to give Anaheim a 1-0 game lead in the Series. Ben Weber picked up the win in relief; Don Newcombe took the loss (something that he historically has grown used to in the Fall Classic).

Game 2 – Dodgers 4, Angels 1

Facing the prospect of losing the first 2 games of the Series at home, the Dodgers handed the ball to Carl Erskine, while the Angels went with their staff ace Kevin Appier. Both pitchers began the game firing bullets, and it was still scoreless after 3 and a half innings. Brooklyn struck first in the bottom of the 4th. With Pee Wee Reese on 2nd base and 1^st base open, the Angels chose to pitch to NL MVP candidate Duke Snider, who parked one over the RF fence onto Bedford Avenue to give dem Bums a 2-0 lead. Troy Glaus got back one of the runs in the top of the 5th with a solo shot off Erskine. But that was as close as Anaheim would get this day. A Don Hoak RBI single and an infield groundout would score 2 more for the Dodgers to make it 4-1 after 8 innings. But in the end, this one belonged to Erskine who gave up only 3 hits in 7 innings of work. Clem Labine pitched a scoreless 2 innings to earn the save. With the series now tied 1-1, the teams headed across the country for southern California.

--submitted by Douglas Zaner--