SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants don’t have a Rally Monkey and the Anaheim Angels wouldn’t let them use their Rally Barry on Wednesday night at Pacific Bell Park.
That didn’t prevent the Giants from pulling out a 4-3 victory that evened the best-of-seven World Series at two games each with Game 5 scheduled for tonight.
David Bell delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning and sent rookie reliever Francisco Rodriguez to his first loss in six postseason decisions.
J.T. Snow opened the eighth with a single to right field and landed on second base when catcher Bengie Molina was charged with a passed ball.
Reggie Sanders failed to advance the runner when first baseman Scott Spiezio made a sensational diving catch, but Bell then lined a 1-0 fastball through the middle for an RBI single.
Robb Nen, who reportedly had problems getting loose in Game 1 of the World Series, came on with little notice in the ninth inning and registered his second save of the World Series and his seventh of the postseason.
The Giants had tied the score with a three-run fifth inning that included a tying RBI single by Benito Santiago, who earlier had hit into a pair of double plays with the bases loaded after the Angels intentionally walked Barry Bonds.
Bonds was allowed to swing in just one of his four plate appearances. He was intentionally walked three times, bringing his postseason intentional-walk total to an amazing 11 in 14 games.
The only time the Angels pitched to him, Bonds grounded out against Rodriguez in the seventh inning.
An inning later, without benefit of any rally gimmicks, Bell delivered the Giants’ biggest hit of the season.
Earlier, with the Giants down, 3-0, Rueter reached base on an infield single to start the bottom of the fifth. Momentum swung in the Giants’ direction when Lofton laid down a bunt that hugged the third-base chalk line. Glaus, the third baseman, patiently waited for the ball to roll foul. When it did, reached down to pick it up.
In the second it took him to do so, however, the ball mysteriously rolled back into fair territory.
Once again, Lackey was in trouble, and this time there would be no great escape.
Aurilia delivered his third hit of the night, an RBI single into right-center field. Kent ended some of his personal frustration with a sacrifice fly to right field, pulling the Giants within a run.
Up stepped Bonds.
Cue the chicken music.
Issue the intentional walk.
You know the routine.
Santiago had another chance.
This time, he reached out for a 1-0 fastball from Lackey and delivered a game-tying RBI single into center field.
Giants manager Dusty Baker pointed at his catcher and said, “You’re the man, you’re the man.”
Santiago clapped his hands and pointed back.
The game was even, and soon the World Series was, too.