SAN FRANCISCO – The World Series shifted from Anaheim’s Edison Field to Pac Bell Park for Game 3 last night after the Angels and Giants split two in Southern California.
National League rules replaced those used in the American League, which means America got a chance to watch pitchers bat. The temperature dropped into the 50s and the China Basin wind howled at a jazzed sold-out crowd. The balls were juiced or they were normal, depending on who was talking about the issue.
However, the one constant was Barry Bonds and how the Angels were going to treat the game’s best player in his home park.
After he homered in his first-ever World Series at-bat in Game 1, Bonds whiffed on an 89-mph Jarrod Washburn fastball that was high, grounded to first and drew a four-pitch walk from Scott Schoeneweis in the ninth inning with one out and the Giants clinging to a 4-3 lead.
In Game 2 Angel pitchers didn’t give him much to hit until the ninth when he batted with the bases empty, two outs and the Angels up by two runs, when he hit possibly the longest homer in Edison Field history and cut the Angels’ lead to the final margin of 11-10. Prior to the blast that immediately became part of World Series lore, Bonds walked in the second and third innings, was walked intentionally in the fifth and hit a bullet to first base on the first pitch he saw from sensational rookie Francisco Rodriguez.
Which brought us to last night when Bonds faced Ramon Ortiz, who led the majors by giving up 40 homers.
So for the third straight game Angels manager Mike Scioscia had to decide what he was going to do with Bonds, who had two hits (both homers) in five at-bats and had drawn four walks in the first two games.
Since the day the Angels beat the Twins in the ALCS and advanced to the World Series for the first time in franchise history, Scioscia has been asked about Bonds. That didn’t change prior to Game 3.
“I think there are some things you can try to do with Barry, but your margin of error isn’t very comfortable because he can take you out to any part of the ballpark and on any pitch,” Scioscia said.
“It’s not like there is a book on, ‘OK, if you are going to challenge Barry, here’s what you have the best chance of doing to contain him.’ Every pitch is going to be different. You can’t compare what Schoeneweis is going to do compared to [Brendan] Donnelly. Every pitch is going to be different.
“Every pitcher has to have not only a gameplan of what they are trying to do but if you are going after him, understand the importance of executing your pitches, and it’s a challenge. We have talked about it a long time; it’s a challenge.”
Nobody could blame Scioscia if he was sick of talking about Bonds by now. But while Bonds isn’t the only Giant who can hurt the Angels, he is clearly the biggest threat.
How could Scioscia live with himself if Bonds struck the deciding blow in a game that helped the Giants win the World Series? Chances are very good Scioscia won’t have to do that unless the bases are loaded in the late innings. And even then it may be wise to make baseball’s best hitter chase and give up just one run instead of a possible four.
“He is swinging the bat as well as I’ve ever seen anyone swing the bat,” Scioscia said. “He’s incredible.”