GAME 6: If I live to be a thousand (or more likely, 55), I will never again see a team like the Anaheim Angels. Through 6 1/2 innings, a feeling of unqualified gloom settled at Joxer's: Ross Ortiz was cutting a gem; Bones had hit his fourth of the series, this time off of the heretofore fearless and invincible K-Rod; and the Angels were down, 5-0. After that, pure orgasma !! The Angels get a couple of men on, knock out Ortiz. Scott Spiezio, a career journeyman, hits a wind-aided three-run homer to get the Angels back in--the bar gets loud again. In the eighth, Darren Erstad crushes a Tim Worrell fastball, and the Batterychucks are starting to feel the pinch of having used their top middle relievers in the Game 5 blow-out. Tim Salmon singles. Garrett Anderson, ripped by the local fishwrap for not coming through in the clutch in the World Series (by Bill Platchke, natch; Anderson had a glorious September, while his beloved Shawn Green disappeared during the Dodgers tank-job, yet that hack somehow always manages to rip the African American), bloops a single into right that Bones mishandles, putting the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position. Baker panics for the second straight game, bringing his closer, Robb Nenn, with no one out in the eighth. Troy Glaus, again, comes through, blasting the ball into the right-center field gap, giving the Angels the lead. And in the ninth, Percy completely out-classes the top of the Giants order. Allah Akbar !!!

Tonight is a bit more problematic. The Halos start John Lackey on three days rest. Lackey pitched well for five innings in Game 4, but he is a rookie. Livan Hernandez goes for the Giants on four days rest, and he was unbeaten in post-season play until his poor outing in Game 3. The Angels have definitely got the momentum back, but in this series, that and $4.25 gets you a cappuccino at Starbucks. The Giants will have to get the Angels on the ropes early and knock them out, or they will probably have to settle for watching another team from California celebrate a world championship. GO ANGELS !! RALLY MONKEY IS ALL-POWERFUL AND KIND !!!