KOD10 World Series Games 3-5

10/20 – 10/22 – Edison International Field

Game 3 – Angels 5, Dodgers 4

The Series continued in Anaheim with Ramon Ortiz starting for the home team, vs lefty Johnny Podres. Darin Erstad’s HR with the bases empty gave the Angels the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame. But the Dodgers came back to take the lead in the top of the 3rd scoring twice on RBI singles by Jim Gilliam and Duke Snider. The score remained 2-1 and Johnny Podres remained in control until the bottom of the 6th when with 2-outs, suddenly he lost it. Garret Anderson tied the score with a solo shot. Scot Spiezio singled and Troy Glaus walked to end the day for Podres. Don Bessent came on in relief and walked Shaun Wooten to load the bases. Brad Fullmer came on and delivered a clutch pinch hit, singling home both Spiezio and Glaus to make the score 4-2 Anaheim. The Dodgers cut the lead to 1 run in the top of the 7th inning on a Sandy Amoros triple and a Pee Wee Reese single. But the Angels answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame on a Spiezio single, making it 5-3.

The Dodgers refused to quit and loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 8th inning off Ben Weber. In what proved to be the crucial AB of the game, Rube Walker then grounded into a 5-4 double play, scoring Campanella from 3rd base. But pinch hitter George Shuba popped up, ending the threat. Troy Percival pitched a perfect 9th inning for the save, giving Ortiz the win and the Angels a 2-1 games lead.

Game 4 – Angels 8, Dodgers 7 (14 innings)

When a 7-game series is at 2 games to 1, the 4th game is absolutely pivotal, as it means the difference between one team being only 1 game away from a series win with 3 chances to get it, or a tied series that effectively becomes a best out of 3. For the crucial Game 4, Anaheim went with rookie John Lackey who was 5-1 on the season with a sparkling 1.85 ERA, while Brooklyn answered with their ace Don Newcombe, going on 3 days rest.

From the beginning of the game it was clear that Lackey didn’t have it, while Newcombe cruised despite the short rest. Roy Campanella his is 3rd HR of the series in the first inning, and Dodgers seemed to be running all over the base paths. After 5 innings the Bums had banged out 10 hits and benefited from 2 walks, a balk and a wild pitch. Pee Wee Reese had 3 hits and 2 RBIs, and Jackie Robinson had also been on base all 3 times with a single and 2 walks. Meanwhile, Newcombe scattered 5 hits, with Benji Molina’s RBI double being the only meaningful hit. The score stood 6-1 Brooklyn after 5 and a half innings. The day and the gamed seemed to be all Brooklyn.

But in the bottom of the 6th inning, Newcombe lost his  concentration, perhaps thinking a bit too much about the California girls in the stands. And the Halos seized the opportunity to crawl back in the game. 6 of the first 7 Angels’ batters reached base, including doubles by LHBs Rafael Palmeiro, Brad Fulmer and Adam Kennedy. The rally was capped with a David Eckstein suicide squeeze. By the time dust had settled the score was knotted at 6 runs each.

Still, the home town Anaheim crowed didn’t get to cheer very long, as Sandy Amoros led off the very next inning with a HR off Aaron Sele, in relief of John Lackey. And just like that the Dodgers were back on top 7-6. Newcombe seemed to regroup and held onto the 1-run lead entering the bottom of the 8th inning.

Then with 1 out on the bottom of the 8th inning, the listless Anaheim crowd was suddenly brought to life. What the Rally Monkey couldn’t do, David Eckstein could, as he hit an improbable line drive that just barely cleared the left field fence. And just like that the teams were tied once again, this time at 7. It remained tied after 9 innings, when at this point the Dodgers chose to hand the game over to their best reliever Clem Labine, while the Angels turned it over to Scott Schoeneweis, their last available pitcher (except for closer Percival).

What then followed was one missed scoring opportunity after the other by both teams. 4 times Brooklyn had a runner on 2nd base and couldn’t get the base hit needed to score him. Thrice during this time a Brooklyn base runner was thrown out on the bases – twice when Jackie Robinson was out trying to steal second, and once when Carl Furillo strayed a bit too far off 1st base and was called out when Jose Molina threw behind him. 3 times Anaheim had the winning run on 2nd base and couldn’t get the base hit to drive him home, including a runner on 2nd and 3rd  situation with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th inning.  It looked like nobody wanted to win this one.

In the bottom of the 14th inning, pinch hitter Shaun led off with a double. But when the Spiezio flied out and Glaus grounded out, it looked like yet another wasted opportunity for the home team. However, with Labine’s pitch count nearing 100 yet another unlikely Halos’ hero Jose Molina lined a double down the left field line to score Wooten and give Anaheim a walkoff 8-7 win that exhilarated the exhausted Edison International Field crowd.

Pee Wee Reese finished with a double and 5 singles, while Jackie Robinson reached base in all 7 of his plate appearances (2 singles and 5 walks). Garrett Anderson had 4 hits to lead the Angels hitters. Yet in the end, the victory belong to Scott Schoeneweis, who threw almost as many scoreless innings in relief as he has letters in his last name, and to backup catcher Jose Molina, who gunned down 3 Dodger base runners and knocked in the winning run. The Series now stood at 3 games to 1 with the Angels clearly sitting in the catbird seat.

Game 5 – Dodgers 5, Angels 1

Anaheim, at the top of their rotation, hoped to end the Series at home and went with Jarrod Washburn to start the game. With their backs against the wall for Game 5, Brooklyn manager Marc Weiss surprised both critics and fans, and chose 25-year old rookie Roger Craig as his starter. Both pitchers brushed aside the pressure, rose to the occasion, and matched each other goose egg for goose egg. After 7 innings the score stood 0-0 as the tension mounted with each inning played. But Washburn ran out of gas first, and the 8th inning opened with the usually reliable Ben Weber on the mound in relief. Jackie Robinson led off the inning with a double, and set the tone for what was to follow. After Snider grounded  out, Campanella walked, Furillo singled,  Gil Hodges singled, Rube Walker singled, Gilliam suicide squeezed successfully, and Hoak singled. By the time Reese grounded out to end the inning, the Dodgers had broken open the game with a 5 spot. The Angels scratched out a meaningless, unearned run in the bottom of the 9th to spoil the shutout. Craig may have been destined to lose 24 games in future season. But tonight he had given his team exactly what they needed. The Angels led the Series 3-2. But now it was all heading back east to Flatbush.

--submitted by Douglas Zaner--