Angels can't get the big hit in Game 1

Manager Mike Scioscia (right) and coach Ron Roenicke look on from the dugout. AP

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- After a postseason filled with big hits, the Anaheim Angels came up short against San Francisco in Game 1 of the World Series.

The result was a 4-3 loss to the Giants on Saturday night.

"It just didn't happen," said Anaheim's Darin Erstad, who went 1-for-5, struck out twice and flied out against closer Robb Nen to end the game. "What do you do? We tried. We chased some pitches, including myself."

Giants starter Jason Schmidt allowed nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, but Anaheim managed only three runs off him. The capable San Francisco bullpen held the Angels hitless after that.

The Angels constantly talk about putting pressure on the opposition by using the hit-and-run or attempting to steal on a regular basis.

And they often play small-ball to perfection, moving runners up with the bunt or by hitting to the right side.

It all happened that way several times in this game.

But the big hit just wasn't there.

The Angels, who entered the World Series hitting .328 with 60 runs in nine postseason games, left a runner at second base in the second and another at third in the third.

Then, they left runners at second and third in the fourth and first and third in the fifth.

"The only things that were uncharacteristic -- we had runners at third with less than two outs and didn't score," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Guys on third base with less than two outs, we've been very good bringing them in.

"We did some things we needed to. A couple of at-bats, we didn't get it done. I saw a lot of positive things tonight. The score wasn't where we wanted it to be."

After Troy Glaus homered with one out in the second, Brad Fullmer singled and stole second after Scott Spiezio made the second out.

But Bengie Molina flied to left.

Adam Kennedy doubled off the scoreboard in right-center to open the third on the first pitch he saw since going 4-for-4 with three homers in Anaheim's ALCS-clinching 13-5 victory over Minnesota.

David Eckstein fought off an inside pitch to ground to second, advancing Kennedy to third, but Erstad struck out and Tim Salmon flied to center.

Garret Anderson singled to start the fourth and went to third on Spiezio's two-out double, but Molina grounded to third.

Eckstein singled with one out in the fifth and took third on Erstad's hit-and-run single. But Salmon fouled out when first baseman J.T. Snow jumped quickly to his feet after slipping in front of the Giants' dugout to make the catch, and Anderson struck out.

After Glaus hit his second solo homer in the sixth to trim San Francisco's lead to 4-2, Fullmer walked and one out later was running when Molina hit a grounder to third.

That forced David Bell to throw to first on what would have almost surely been a double-play considering Molina's lack of speed. And it resulted in a run when Fullmer scored from second on a single by Kennedy.

The Angels didn't threaten again.

"Our game is getting runners in scoring position, getting them in," hitting coach Mickey Hatcher said. "It didn't happen for us today. We'll turn the page and come back tomorrow. I'm not worried about it. We did a good job against Schmidt."

But not with runners on base.

"We had some opportunities, he made pitches when he had to, he got out of trouble each time," Fullmer said.

"Schmidt definitely beared down, made the big pitches when he needed to," Eckstein said.

Considering how well the Angels responded to series-opening losses earlier this month, they shouldn't be discouraged.

The New York Yankees scored four runs in the eighth to beat Anaheim 8-5 in the opener of their division series before the Angels won three straight for their first-ever triumph in the postseason.

Then, the Angels lost to Minnesota 2-1 to begin the AL Championship Series. But they responded with four straight wins over the Twins to earn the first World Series berth in their 42-season history.

"I'm not going to say we're right where we want to be, but we've been here before. Nobody's going to panic," Fullmer said.

"We lost, but we've got more games to play,' Eckstein said.

Glaus became the 27th player to hit a homer in his first World Series at-bat just minutes after San Francisco's Barry Bonds became the 26th.

Glaus' sixth-inning homer gave him six in the postseason -- all with the bases empty -- to tie the record shared by Bob Robertson (1971), Lenny Dykstra (1993), Ken Griffey Jr. (1995), Bernie Williams (1996) and Jim Thome (1998).

 

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