SAN FRANCISCO – While we were distracted by the Mets’ sorry, shotgun marriage to Art Howe, someone replaced all the starting pitchers in the World Series with Kenny Rogers. The rotations in the 98th Fall Classic have been more big useless than Big Unit.
Jason Schmidt began the fourth inning last night with a three-hit shutout and a six-run lead. He didn’t even get the three outs necessary to earn the victory. And he was the better starting pitcher in Game 5. Jarrod Washburn allowed the Giants to go 5-for-9 with five walks and two sacrifice flies over the first two innings.
That should have placed the Angels hopelessly behind. But there is no hopelessly behind in this Series. That should encourage Anaheim, which must come from behind with a two-game winning streak back home at Edison Field to get a parade in Disneyland.
After blowing almost all of their substantial early lead, the Giants received a pair of two-run homers from Jeff Kent to stabilize en route to 10 runs over the final three innings of a 16-4 rout of the Angels. The Giants are now one win from their first title since 1954. Dusty Baker, who has refocused his team after it lost two of the first three games, could be ending his decade-long run with the Giants as a champion, though that still did not spur the Mets to wait to see about him.
But as much momentum, confidence and joy as was being experienced in San Francisco, it was nothing like the Yanks were feeling last season after their unfathomable comebacks in Games 4 and 5 in New York gave them a three-games-to-two edge. However, the Yanks never got that last victory as Randy Johnson won twice in Arizona.
Much will change for tomorrow’s Game 6 back in southern California. It certainly will be warmer. The ThunderStix will turn from orange to red, the noise from gigantic back to angelic. Well, as angelic as 40,000-plus pairs of plastic tubes smashing together can sound. At Pac Bell, Rally Monkeys were hung in effigy; in Anaheim they will be brandished in ecstasy.
But no one is likely to change into Randy Johnson. Both teams desperately need a starter – or two – to work deep and effectively into a game. That does not seem likely.
The Angels’ Kevin Appier will start Game 6, and about the only positive about him this postseason (6.23 ERA) is at least he is not Jay Witasick. Ramon Ortiz (9.00 ERA this postseason) is scheduled for Game 7, but had an MRI on his right wrist yesterday and it would surprise no one if rookie John Lackey had to start on short rest. He looked spent after 98 pitches and five innings Wednesday.
“I’m not worried about anything,” Angels pitching coach Bud Black said.
When asked before Game 5 if 20-year-old standout Francisco Rodriguez could one day start, Angels GM Bill Stoneman said, “We will worry about that in the future.” Maybe the future is now.
Matters are only slightly more appealing for the Giants. They do have their health. Russ Ortiz, set to go in Game 6, yielded seven runs in 1 2/3 innings in Game 2. Livan Hernandez, who would start a decisive Game 7, lost for the first time in the postseason, getting bombed for six runs in 3 2/3 innings in Game 3. The Giants do have Game 4 winner Kirk Rueter in reserve if necessary. He owns the one quality start in this series, hitting the parameters of six innings, three earned runs.
That feels like a two-hit shutout these days. Giants starters have pitched to an 8.72 ERA in the World Series, the Angels are at 9.14. Both team’s starters have worked the same 21 2/3 innings, meaning they have combined for fewer than 50 percent of the innings in this series.
“It’s tough to stop the hitting cycle right now,” Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti said.
So, this weekend could be about attrition as much as offense. The World Series just may come down to if anyone can get started.