This Date in Angels Postseason History - October 6

A look back on October 6 in Angels postseason history...

1979
Angels lose 8-0 to the Orioles
Down 2 games to 1 at home in a best of 5 series, the Angels suffer one of their worst defeats, losing to the Orioles 8-0. Chris Knapp starts and gets an early hook in the third inning. In the bottom of the fifth, the Angels load the bases on a two singles by Brian Downing and Bobby Grich and a walk to Merv Rettenmund but Rick Miller flies out and Jim Anderosn grounds into a double play. It is the closest the Angels will get in Scott McGregro's 6-hit complete game shutout. A five run seventh inning ends the suspense and does the Halos in.

1982
Angels beat Brewers 4-2
In a two-hour and six-minute contest, the Angels beat the Brewers in the only postseason game in club history that featured no relief pitcheers. Starters Bruce Kison and Pete Vuckovich each tossed a complete game. A solo homerun by Reggie Jackson in the bottom of the third inning made a 2-0 ballgame 3-0. All of the Brewers scoring was in the top of hte fifth on two-run inside the park homerun by Paul Molitor.

In the ninth, Kison got Cecil Cooper to groundout, Ted Simmons to pop out and Ben Oglivie to ground out, taking the Angels to Milwaukee only having to win one game of three to get to the World Series.

2004
Angels lose to Red Sox 8-3
From my old blog THE HALOFAN, a short PREGAME PREVIEW and a POSTGAME REACTION

A gut-wrenching loss to put the Angels down 0-2 in the best of 5 series, the Halos actually had the lead or were tied for a majority of the game. As a spectator I recall this was the game Bartolo Colon was squeezed, and was shocked to see he only walked three, although one of those was with the bases loaded to Manny Ramirez and scored Bill Mueller to start the scoring in the top of the second inning.

In the fifth, a 2-run Vladimir Guerrero single broke a 1-1 tie, scoring Bengie Molina and David Eckstein. With Vlad at first and Darin Erstad at 3B Garret Anderson hit a screaming liner straight into the mitt of Kevin Millar who stepped on the bag for an unassisted double play. A two-run Jason Varitek Homerun off of Colon the very next frame was the beginning of the end. Francisco Rodriguez got the loss for allowing the tiebreaking run, a Manny Ramirez sacrifice fly that scored Johnny Damon in the top of the seventh.

To emphasize that all hope was lost, the Red Sox scored four times in the top of the ninth to make the 4-3 maybe an 8-3 tragedy. The next stop was Fenway Park.

2008
Angels Lose to Red Sox 3-2
Here is the actual GAME THREAD and GAME THREAD 2 and GAME THREAD 3

This is the game where Aybar infamously missed the ball on suicide squeeze play.

With the Angels down 2 games to 1 in the best of 5 ALDS and with a potential game five back home in Anaheim, the score was tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth when Kendrys Morales pinch hit for Juan Rivera and hit a double off of Justin Masterson. Reggie Willits was called in as a pinch runner and Howie Kendrick promptly bunted him over to 3B for the first out. Manny Delcarmen was brought in to face Erick Aybar. He took a ball and then failed to hit a high pitch a Reggie Willits aced down the line. Jason Varietk alertly tagged out a retreating Willits (recorded in the box score as an unassisted Caught Stealing) and with two gone and the bases empty, a humiliated Aybar grounded out.

Scot Shields allowed a ground rule double and a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth and the Red Sox advanced to the ALCS.

AND SO...
...we are 1-3 on October 6