The teams combined for those 13 runs at Angel Stadium Thursday, even though runs were scored in only three halves of innings: The Angels got four in the first before New York recorded an out; the Yankees got six in the seventh, all with two outs; and then Los Angeles got three in the bottom of the seventh to win it.
Brian Fuentes got a 24-pitch, 14-ball, 10-strike, seven-batter save for the Angels.
The top of the Angels order - Chone Figgins (.105) and Bobby Abreu (.143) - is not hitting at all in the series. The middle - Torii Hunter (.316) and Vladimir Guerrero (.304) - is starting to hit. And backup catcher Jeff Mathis is hitting a cool .600. He had hit safely six straight times until New York finally got him out in the eighth inning of Game 5.
For New York, Mark Teixeira (.174) got two hits Thursday. Alex Rodriguez (.368) and Melky Cabrera (.381) have been the Yankees' hitting stars.
Tonight, it is Joe Saunders, who started Game 2, for the Angels, against Andy Pettitte, who started Game 3 for New York.
"I wouldn't say we're the favorites," Saunders said after Game 5.
No, they are not. But they are alive. When it gets to be late October and only three teams are still playing - the Phillies will be in the World Series next Wednesday, in case you missed it - it is good to be one of them.
"I was in the bullpen [Thursday]," Saunders said. "And I was the emergency after the emergency guy. So you go down to the bullpen and hope you don't have to pitch."
Now, he does have to pitch. And so does Pettitte, who will be going for a record 16th postseason win.
"All that experience or whatever is not going to help me when I go out in the first inning, and help my pitches be where they need to be," Pettitte said. "Hopefully, it's just there. Hopefully, I get everything going and give this team a quality start, a good start, and give us a chance to win that ballgame."
