Great Scott

Spiezio provides spark for Angels' comeback

Scott Spiezio is 11-for-15 with runners in scoring position in the World Series. AP

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The Anaheim Angels didn't start hitting until the seventh inning in Game 6 of the World Series.

Once Scott Spiezio got the Angels going, they were unstoppable.

Spiezio hit a three-run homer off Felix Rodriguez in the seventh, and the Angels scored three more times in the eighth to beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 and force a decisive Game 7 on Sunday.

The Angels' rally from five runs down was the biggest in Series history for a team facing elimination.

"I didn't hit it perfect, I hit it enough to get it over," said Spiezio, who has 19 RBIs to tie the postseason record set by Cleveland's Sandy Alomar Jr. five years ago.

"I was praying, I was saying, God, please, just get it over the fence. Seemed like it took forever," Spiezio said. "Rodriguez has been tough on me this whole series. He's been in every game. Seems like I faced him every time he's come in. I haven't hit one on the barrel yet, I've just missed some balls."

He didn't miss this one.

Spiezio, 11-for-15 for a .733 average with runners in scoring position in the postseason, worked the count full before hitting his homer on Rodriguez's eighth pitch -- a low fastball.

"It was a good pitch, but the guy's a good hitter, you know?" Rodriguez said.

Spiezio is 4-for-5 with runners in scoring position in the World Series.

"That was a good at-bat, the at-bat of the game," San Francisco's Jeff Kent said.

Manager Mike Scioscia and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher have often spoke of the Angels' resilience.

Never was it more apparent than Saturday night.

"I could sit back as a coach and try to come up with philosophies," Hatcher said. "I am speechless, I just don't know what to say. I'm in awe. `Get somebody on, get something going.' That's their motto."

The Giants seemed a lock to win their first Series since 1954 when Russ Ortiz, armed with a 5-0 lead, struck out Garret Anderson to begin the seventh.

Ortiz had allowed only two hits and faced three over the minimum at that point.

That's when the Angels came alive.

First it was Troy Glaus and Brad Fullmer with singles, putting an end to Ortiz's night.

Then, the switch-hitting Spiezio hit a high fly into the right-field seats -- just beyond the reach of Reggie Sanders -- to cut the Giants' lead to two runs.

"I was in the on-deck circle, I didn't think it was going," Anaheim's Bengie Molina said. "It just kept carrying, carrying, carrying."

Darin Erstad homered off Tim Worrell to open the eighth, giving the Angels 24 homers in their 16 postseason games.

Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson followed with singles, with left fielder Barry Bonds' error allowing Anderson to reach second after pinch-runner Chone Figgins went to third.

Giants manager Dusty Baker opted for closer Robb Nen, and Glaus foiled the strategy by hitting a two-run double to left-center to put the Angels ahead.

Troy Percival blanked San Francisco in the ninth for his sixth postseason save in as many chances.

"You're battling out to out. Our bullpen has been taxed a little bit. We're getting it done," Scioscia said. "I thought if we could get some hits strung together, we could get back in the game. I didn't know it would happen as quickly as it did. It was great to see."

When asked if he had ever seen anything like his team's comeback in such a big game, Scioscia replied: "I can go back to the Kirk Gibson game in '88. I think there was about as much electricity in that stadium as there ever was. I think tonight surpassed that."

Gibson's two-out, two-run homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series was one of the most memorable moments in baseball history.

The Angels also overcame a five-run deficit against the New York Yankees in the division series, winning the third game 9-6 after trailing 6-1 after 21/2 innings.

This time, they waited to rally.

To reach the seventh game, the Angels have had to overcome many obstacles.

First was their miserable 6-14 start -- worst in franchise history.

They wound up winning a club-record 99 games to earn the AL wild card.

Then, they had to beat New York after losing Game 1 of the division series to end the Yankees' streak of four straight World Series berths.

Next, the Angels lost to Minnesota in Game 1 of the AL championship series before winning four straight.

And now, they had to overcome a 5-0 deficit with one out and nobody on in the seventh.

Six of the last seven times a team came home down 3-2 in the Series, the home team won the next two games to claim the title.

The Angels are in position to make it seven of eight.

 

Related information

Stories

Angels rally from 5-0 defict to force Game 7

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video