ANGELS OUTSLUGGED DYE'S BIG BLAST SPARKS WHITE SOX CHICAGO 8, ANGELS 5.

Byline: Doug Padilla Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - At least the Angels can take solace in the fact they finally got into the Chicago White Sox's bullpen.

Just like in last season's American League Championship Series, everything seemed to go the way of the visitors in a 8-5 White Sox victory. At least it wasn't a complete game, though.

The White Sox pounded the Angels last season with an unprecedented performance from their starters as they delivered four consecutive complete games, three on the Angels' home turf. Freddy Garcia, who pitched the third of the four consecutive, had less heavy lifting to do this time around.

The right-hander lasted six innings, leaving the final three for the relievers. The White Sox bullpen pitched just two-thirds of an inning in the entire five-game ALCS.

Jeff Weaver, whose offseason vacation already had started the last time the two teams met, had no day at the beach against the World Series champions. Weaver gave up eight runs on eight hits with two walks in 2 1/3 innings.

Things started out well for the Angels, at least, until the game left the first inning. Weaver gave up a single to Scott Podsednik to open the game but Jose Molina picked him off of first as Weaver struck out the next two hitters.

Vladimir Guerrero took advantage of Garcia's penchant of always challenging a team's top slugger when he lifted a two-run home run to left field that cleared both bullpens. His team-leading sixth home run of the season would be one of the few highlights.

After just one at-bat Friday, Guerrero had as many hits as he had in 20 at-bats of the ALCS.

As Weaver began to crumble, Garcia started to settle down. Weaver gave up five runs in the second inning, two on a single by Podsednik and two more on a double by Tadahito Iguchi. Garret Anderson cruised back on Iguchi's drive but failed to haul it in at the wall.

The White Sox added three more in the third inning, two on a mammoth home run to center by World Series MVP Jermaine Dye that landed on the green batter's eye.

Garcia's only other run allowed came on a ground out by Guerrero in the third inning. Casey Kotchman, who hit a long foul ball down the right-field line in the fourth inning, nearly connected on a three-run home run off Garcia in the sixth. His drive to the short wall in right was hauled in by Dye, who bruised his ribs on the play.

Garcia (4-1) won his 103rd game to pass Wilson Alvarez for most victories by a Venezuelan-born pitcher.

Finally into the bullpen, the Angels started to make things interesting in the seventh inning. Guerrero delivered his fourth RBI on a single to center off reliever Brandon McCarthy and Anderson followed with his own RBI single off Neal Cotts. But Tim Salmon popped out to center as the tying run to end the threat.

Kelvim Escobar, who lost both Games 2 and 5 of the ALCS, will have a shot at revenge against the White Sox today but insists he isn't thinking about the past.

``We've turned the page; it's a new year,'' Escobar said. ``Whatever has happened in the past is in the past. I don't think there is anything you can do about that. They are the champions and everybody is looking to beat them because they are the champions. We're just looking to make a statement this weekend.''

Escobar even insists he isn't looking for revenge when A.J. Pierzynski comes to the plate despite the two being linked in some odd plays in the ALCS and Escobar saying this spring that he never has cared for how the White Sox catcher conducts himself.

Pierzynski reached first base in Game 2 when umpire Doug Eddings said a third strike from Escobar was in the dirt. In Game 5, Escobar tried to tag Pierzynski along the first-base line but didn't have the ball in his glove.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen later was quoted as saying Escobar was out of sorts on the play because he was trying to make a hard tag on Pierzynski.

``I'm going to go out there and pitch my game and do my thing,'' Escobar said. ``Whatever happened last year is last year.

``I think (the tag play) happened so quick that I didn't realize I didn't have the ball in the glove. When the ball hit me, I saw that I could pick up the ball and tag him because he's not a fast runner, but he ran faster than I thought and that's how I missed him.''

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Chicago's Tadahito Iguchi hits a two-run double off the Angels' Jeff Weaver in the second inning Friday.

Francis Speaker/Associated Press

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ANGELS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX 

- Doug Padilla