Final Score in Los Angeles of Anaheim: Angels 7 Yankees 6
The Yankees were 8 outs away from the World Series but the Rally Monkey performed an enema that no spitball or conspiratorial umpiring would undo under the Los Angeles Thunderstick Tsunami of Anaheim.
The game featured easily the worst on-field managerial decision of Mike Scioscia's career: he pulled John Lackey in the 7th inning with 2 on and 2 out in a 4-0 game to bring in reliever Darren Oliver, whose first pitch cleared the bases. Shades of Gene Mauch '86... With a looming infamy staring him straight in the face, the Yankees scored four more times in the inning as Kevin Jepsen got out of trouble after allowing his inherited runners to score.
But instead of Scioscia facing a true fan firing squad for the first time in his Angel career, the Donnie Moore game again replayed itself as a 7-6 victory for the team down 3 games to 1.... YES... With 9 outs between them and the American League pennant, the New York Yankees bullpen (stroked Linda Lovelace style by mainstream baseball analysts as a dominant strength of the AL East champs) shriveled small-sack-style and coughed up three runs in the bottom of the same "magical" inning. Kendry Morales drove in the go-ahead run after the Angels big bats (Abreu, Hunter, Guerrero) had finally done their job to the satisfaction that they might get mentioned in between the non-stop media fawning over the Yankee lineup that was held in check by a Lackey who raged at his skipper on the mound, rage RAGE against the dying of the light, and they did not go gentle onto that good night!
And one funny note: the stereotype of SoCal fans as mellow was washed when Tim McCarver and Joe Buck's driveling analysis was regularly downed out by the loud Anaheim crowd.