2011 WORLD SERIES RECAP

ANGELS (7-2) VS.  DODGERS (7-3)

GAME ONE
10-22-11

ANAHEIM - A COUPLE OF SURPRISE STARTERS OPENED THE "LALA LAND" WORLD SERIES - AND THE MOST EXPERIENCED HURLER TOOK ONE ON THE CHIN.

THE ANGELS' KYLE DAVIES, 2-0 WITH A 1.93 ERA IN THE PLAYOFFS, TOOK THE MOUND OVER SCHEDULED STARTER SCOTT BAKER - AND MORE LIKELY STARTER JAVIER VAZQUEZ - AND PROCEEDED TO COUGH UP ALL THE RUNS THE DODGERS WOULD NEED IN THE OPENING INNING.

TRAVIS SNIDER ROCKED DAVIES WITH A THREE-RUN BLAST AS THE DODGERS CRUISED TO A 10-3 WIN AND A 1-0 SERIES LEAD.

WHILE ANGEL MANAGER MIKE SCIOSCIA KEPT HIS STARTER A SECRET UNTIL A FEW HOURS BEFORE GAME TIME, HIS DODGERS COUNTERPART BOBBY VALENTINE HAD NO QUALMS STARTING JOURNEYMAN NELSON FIGUEROA, WHO HAD LASTED JUST FOUR INNINGS IN HIS ONLY PREVIOUS 2011 PLAYOFF START.

FIGUEROA DOUBLED UP WITH EIGHT STRONG INNINGS, GIVING UP JUST A PAIR OF RUNS ON SEVEN HITS.

A TWO-RBI HIT BY LASTINGS MILLEDGE GAVE FIGUEROA A 5-0 CUSHION IN THE TOP OF THE THIRD BEFORE THE ANGELS SCORED THEIR RUNS ON BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLES BY MIGUEL MONTERO AND RYAN ROBERTS.

SNIDER THEN CAPPED OFF HIS 5-RBI NIGHT IN THE FOURTH WITH A TWO-RUN SINGLE AND THE ANGELS WOULS ADD SOLO RUNS IN THR FIFTH, EIGHTH AND NINTH INNINGS.

DAVIES LASTED JUST 2 2/3 INNINGS, GIVING UP FIVE RUNS ON SEVEN OF THE DODGERS' 16 HITS.

GAME TWO
10-24-11

ANAHEIM - TRAVIS SNIDER WAS AT IT AGAIN FOR THE DODGERS, BUT THIS TIME THE ANGELS WERE ABLE TO COUNTER.

AFTER KNOCKING A THREE-RUN, FIRST-INNING HOMER IN THE OPENING GAME THAT ACCOUNTED FOR ALL THE NEEDED ANGEL RUNS IN A 10-2 WIN, SNYDER RIPPED A TWO-RUN DOUBLE TO OPEN UP A 2-0 LEAD IN THE TOP OF THE INITIAL FRAME MONDAY NIGHT.

THE ANGELS ANSWERED BACK SHORTLY TO MAKE IT 2-2, THEN THE DODGERS MADE IT 4-2 BEFORE TWO MORE ANAHEIM RUNS TIED IT AT 4.

CHRIS DAVIS UNTIED IT WITH AN RBI-DOUBLE TO EVEN THE SERIES AT A GAME APIECE.

GAME THREE
10-25-11

LOS ANGELES - UNHERALDED DAVE BUSH CONTINUED HIS STRONG PITCHING, STSRIKING OUT 13 HITTERS IN SIX INNINGS TO HELP THE DODGERS POST A 5-3 WORLD SERIES WIN OVER THE ANGELS.

THE DODGERS LEAD THE "LALA LAND" CHAMPIONSHIP TWO GAMES TO ONE. FRANK FRANCISCO, WITH 55 REGULAR SEASON SAVES, PICKED UP HIS FOURTH IN POSTSEASON PLAY.

SCOTT BAKER TOOK THE LOSS FOR THE ANGELS, WHO FELL TO 8-4 OVERALL IN THE PLAYOFFS WHILE THE DODGERS IMPROVED TO 9-4.

EVAN LONGORIA POWERED THE DODGERS AT THE PLATE, GOING THREE-FOR-FOUR WITH A HOME RUN.



GAME FOUR
THE ANGELS KNOTTED THE SERIES AT 2-2 WITH A 9-7 WIN.

GAME FIVE

LOS ANGELES - DESTINY FOR THE DODGERS IS ONE GAME AWAY.

A THREE-RUN DOUBLE BY LASTINGS MILLEDGE HELPED POWER HELPED POWER LOS ANGELES TO A 9-2 WIN AND A 3-2 WORLD SERIES LEAD OVER THE ANGELS.

GAME SIX
10-29-11

ANAHEIM - DESTINY WAS NOT TO BE FOR THE DODGERS.

ANGELS PITCHER JAVIER VAZQUEZ IMPROVED TO 3-0 IN THE POSTSEASON, GOING 8 1/3 STRONG INNINGS AS ANAHEIM POSTED A 6-1 WIN TO TIE THE WORLD SERIES AT THREE GAMES APIECE.

10-30-11
ANAHEIM - IF NOT FOR A TORRENTIAL DELUGE, THE ANGELS MAY HAVE WOKEN UP THIS MORNING TO FIND THEMSELVES KINGS OF THE WORLD.

AS IT HAPPENED, AN EARLY 3-0 LEAD WAS WASHED AWAY, AS GAME SEVEN WAS POSTPONED AFTER A 53-MINUTE RAIN DELAY - AND IT POURED STEADILY THEREAFTER FOR HOURS.

11-1-11
ANAHEIM - MOTHER NATURE HAS A NEW FRIEND FOR LIFE IN ANGELS PITCHER JAVIER VAZQUEZ.

TWO DAYS AFTER PITCHING MORE THAN EIGHT INNINGS IN AN ANGELS GAME SIX WIN, VAZQUEZ NEARLY WENT THE DISTANCE IN GAME SEVEN, TOSSING 7 2/3 SHUTOUT INNINGS AS ANAHEIM EDGED THE DODGERS 1-0 IN A TENSE THRILLER THAT MADE THE ANGELS WORLD SERIES CHAMPS.

GUTTY NELSON FIGUROA ALLOWED THE FIFTH-INNING RUN SCORED BY ALEXEI RAMIREZ IN GOING EIGHT INNINGS, GIVING UP FIVE HITS AND STRIKING OUT 10,

VAZQUEZ ONE-UPPED HIM, HOWEVER, ALLOWING SIX HITS WITH NINE STRIKEOUTS WHILE NOT ALLOWING A RUN. CLOSER BRIAN WILSON PICKED UP HIS FIFTH POSTSEASON SAVE A BIT UNEASILY, ALLOWING A PAIR OF NINTH INNING HITS, BUT STRIKING OUT THE SIDE TO GIVE THE ANGELS THE WORLD SERIES WIN.