15 Years Later: Game One of LA Angels vs. SanFran Giants

Fifteen years ago, the LA Angels took on the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. This series will cover each game, as it happened. Today is the anniversary of Game 1, so to Anaheim we go.

The LA Angels sent out their ace in Jarrod Washburn for Game 1. Against him, Jason Schmidt took the mound for the Giants. In front of nearly 45,000 Halo faithful, the Wild Card darlings took the field for their first World Series appearance.

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The game started off with some offensive fireworks. Barry Bonds and Reggie Sanders both took Washburn deep in the second inning. This came after days of analysts around the league debating whether or not the Angels would try pitching to the unquestionable best hitter in the league in Bonds. The Angels quickly learned the danger in doing so.

Despite this, Halo hero Troy Glaus responded, sending a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the second.

After that, Washburn and Schmidt settled in, dominating their way through the opposition’s lineup. However, allowing home runs is not just a thing the current Angels do. Washburn allowed one more home run, this one for two runs, in the sixth inning. Washburn was pulled, leaving the Halos in a 4-1 hole.

However, the Angels were comeback kids even back then. They responded with Adam Kennedy driving in a run. Glaus then hit his second home run of the night, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the Angels pulled within one. And with the bullpen the Angels possessed, the offense knew they would have a chance.

While the Angels bullpen did not allow a hit after Washburn’s chaotic sixth inning, the Giants’ bullpen held the Angels offense in check as well. They did not allow the Angels to get another ball in play, and suffered a 4-3 defeat to start.

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Following the game, spirits weren’t low in Anaheim. The Angels had lost Game One of their previous two series against the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins (ironically the two teams who kept them out of the postseason this year).

Following the game, Giants’ first baseman J.T Snow said “They keep the pressure on you,” Snow said. “Every time we scored, they came back. It’s going to be an exciting series.”

Boy, was he right on that one.