Even proposition

Giants' Game 4 win makes this Series suddenly something

SAN FRANCISCO -- Things change so quickly in a good World Series. The feel, the emotion, the momentum of a worthwhile Series can flip in the moment it takes a line drive to find the outfield grass.

This particular World Series has all the early markings of a good one. The pitching's not so hot, granted. Maybe the time zone's not right for a few million people. And other than the incomparable Barry Bonds, this Series is lacking in star appeal.

But Wednesday night, in another classically chilled San Francisco evening, the Giants changed things, bouncing back from near extinction to move this Series from the realm of a ho-hummer to a possible humdinger. The Giants and Anaheim Angels are tied at two games apiece in the race to four wins, tied a day after it looked like the Giants had no answer for the Angels' ceaseless offense.

CNNSI.com's John Donovan Closer Look: Kirk Rueter and Kenny Lofton kickstarted the Giants with a pair of infield hits in the fifth inning. Viewpoint: The Angels threatened to turn this Series into a forgettable rout, but the Giants' win means this Fall Classic might be one to remember. SI's Stephen Cannella An L for K-Rod: The Giants took away Francisco Rodriguez's aura of invincibility in a Game 4 victory. Giants go small Click the image to launch the clip The Giants used a three-run fifth inning composed solely of singles to tie the series at two games apiece. Start David Bell is glad the Giants were finally able to get to Angels pitcher Francisco Rodriguez. Rich Aurilia says the Giants don't care who comes through as long as they earn a victory. Giants closer Robb Nen says his team was finally able to cool off the Angels' hot bats. Video Plus Visit Video Plus for the latest video and audio. HEROES & GOATS HERO GOAT David Bell Bengie Molina The Giants finally solved K-Rod when Bell singled up the middle to plate the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning. His eighth-inning passed ball allowed J.T. Snow to move into scoring position and eventually score the winning run. BY THE NUMBERS 1 Postseason home runs hit by Troy Glaus with men on base. He has hit six solo shots for a total of seven. 3 Double plays turned by the Giants in Game 4 after inducing only two in the first three games. 4 The record for most walks in a World Series game, shared by six hitters. Barry Bonds was walked three times, all intentional, on Wednesday. 5 Pitchers who have started World Series games on their birthdays, including Anaheim's John Lackey on Wednesday. The others were Tim Belcher (Dodgers, 1988), Ed Figueroa (Yankees, '78), Johnny Podres (Dodgers, '55) and Brickyard Kennedy (Penguins, '03). 7-0 The Giants' record this postseason when Bonds does not hit a home run. 12 Consecutive Giants retired by Francisco Rodriguez before allowing a single leading off the eighth inning.

The Giants have their best pitcher going in Game 5 on Thursday, too, fireballer Jason Schmidt, who won Game 1.

From near extinction to alive and kicking. These are the things that make a memorable Series.

"Winning two games means absolutely nothing," said shortstop David Eckstein, the media-appointed Everyman who does just about everything for the Angels. "We don't get caught up in all that, even when it is the World Series."

After the Angels' 10-4 win in Game 3 on Tuesday, things looked awfully bleak for the Giants. They had given up 16 hits in that game, and 16 more in an 11-10 loss in Game 2. The headlines around the Bay Area blasted it all.

"What the Halo?" asked one.

"Hell's Angels," said another.

"Angels of No Mercy," a third read.

The Giants were confused. They were battered. And they looked exactly like that in the early part of Game 4.

They loaded the bases in the bottom of the first Wednesday night only to have their catcher, Benito Santiago, hit into a spirit-dousing double play. In the bottom of the third, after the Angels jumped out to a 3-0 lead and after Bonds' second intentional walk, the Giants again had the bases loaded for Santiago. Again, he grounded into a double play to end the inning.

But the Giants, evidently, didn't read the headlines. They didn't feel the thing slipping away. Their slippery starter, Kirk Rueter, settled down, refusing to give in to the relentless Angels hitters. He retired them in order in the fourth and got an inning-ending double play of his own to set them down in the fifth.

And then it was Rueter getting on in the bottom of the fifth, spinning an infield hit in front of the plate, perfectly placed between pitcher and catcher. Then leadoff man Kenny Lofton laid down a bunt that looked like a putt on a green at the local muni, bouncing here and there and back and forth and finally staying fair for an infield hit.

The Giants came back. Out-hit the Angels, even. Won the game, 4-3. Sent the Series back to Southern California for at least a Game 6 at Edison Field on Saturday.

"That was huge tonight, to get back to 2-2," said the Giants' manager, Dusty Baker. "We definitely wanted and needed the game tonight to start the Series all over again. We certainly didn't want to go down 3-1 then have to win three in a row."

A lot goes into making a great World Series. You have to have a star. Bonds' early power show -- he has homered three times and was walked intentionally three times Wednesday -- certainly fills that bill. You have to have close games. Three of the four in this Series have been decided by a run.

You have to have late-game heroics, like David Bell's game-winning hit in the eighth Wednesday. You have to have some comebacks. We've had a couple of those.

The truly great Series have to go at least six games, too, preferably seven. Game 6 is coming up. Someone will be facing elimination that night.

What we have now is a Series, plain and simple. Not a great one. Not yet. But not the stinker we could have had if Rueter's spinner had not hit in just the right place, or if Lofton's bunt had gone foul.

Things have changed, all right. Right now, in this World Series, everything is better.

John Donovan is a senior writer for CNNSI.com.

Comments? To e-mail Donovan, click here.

 

Related information

Stories

Cannella: Giants finally hang L on K-Rod Closer Look: Infield singles spark Giants Giants edge Angels, even World Series at 2-2

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video