WORLD SERIES GAME 4: ANGELS HELD AT BAY BELL'S BIG HIT CAPS OFF GIANTS' RALLY TO TIE SERIES SAN FRAN. 4, ANGELS 3.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Giants had no reason to believe Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez was a mere mortal. Not after watching him retire 12 consecutive Giants hitters.

But after Rodriguez sent Jeff Kent, Barry Bonds and Benito Santiago to the dugout in the seventh inning Wednesday night, the Giants suddenly discovered Rodriguez is human after all.

David Bell's eighth-inning single off Rodriguez drove home J.T. Snow from second base, snapping a tie and carrying the Giants to a 4-3 victory over the Angels in Game 4 of the World Series in front of 42,703 at Pacific Bell Park, tying the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

It was Rodriguez's first loss of the postseason after five victories, something that was almost unimaginable only hours earlier. The streak of 12 consecutive batters he retired began with nine in a row in Game 2 Sunday.

``Well, you might be a little spoiled by Francisco because he's been incredible,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He's virtually gotten everybody out. We know that's not the life of a pitcher.''

The Angels built an early 3-0 lead, two of the runs coming on Troy Glaus' homer off Giants starter Kirk Rueter with one out in the third inning. But the Angels managed only four more hits (all singles) the rest of the game against Rueter and the Giants bullpen, and San Francisco rallied to ensure the Series will return Saturday to Anaheim for Game 6.

The Giants' winning rally in the eighth started with Snow's leadoff single. Snow said having faced Rodriguez in Game 2 helped, despite the poor results.

``We know he's good, and he's got great stuff,'' Snow said. ``But you better believe you can get him. You can't go up with negative thoughts in your head. Any time you see a guy for the first time, it's tough. Tonight, we made adjustments.''

Snow said he looked for a slider because he noticed Rodriguez threw them more often than he or his teammates expected in Game 2. Snow got a slider and singled to right field.

``He was waiting for a slider and he hit it well,'' Rodriguez said. ``But it was down the middle. If it's down and away, he's not going to hit the ball like that.''

The next batter, Reggie Sanders, missed a sacrifice-bunt attempt. The pitch deflected off catcher Bengie Molina's glove, allowing Snow to go to second as Molina was charged with a passed ball.

``It was just one of those nights when the catcher didn't catch the ball,'' Molina said, blaming himself. ``(Rodriguez) looked the same. We just had a bad play on my part.''

With the bunt still on, Sanders bunted one in the air foul near the Angels' dugout, where first baseman Scott Spiezio made a spectacular diving catch to hold Snow at second.

That brought up Bell, who hit a Rodriguez fastball just to the left of the diving shortstop David Eckstein, scoring Snow to give the Giants a lead.

``When you throw a fastball up in the zone, it's going to go straight,'' Rodriguez said. ``If I throw the ball the way I usually do, it's middle-away.''

Bell added: ``I was just trying to get a pitch I could handle and hit it hard. He's had a lot of success so far. So to get a win tonight was big. I think to get a run off him is important, too.''

Angels starter John Lackey found trouble in the early innings but made big pitches. In the first inning, singles by Kenny Lofton and Rich Aurilia gave the Giants runners on first and third with nobody out.

But Lackey struck out Kent, and after an intentional walk to Bonds that loaded the bases, he got Santiago to hit into an inning-ending double play.

The strategy worked so well, Lackey and the Angels went with it again in the third inning. A single by Lofton and a double by Aurilia gave the Giants runners on second and third with nobody out.

Lackey got Kent again, but this time on a line drive that Lackey caught himself. After another intentional walk to Bonds, Santiago hit into another double play to end the inning.

The Angels batters seemed to pick up where they left off Tuesday. They got three hits in the second inning, including one by Lackey, loading the bases with none out. But they scored only one run in the inning, Benji Gil coming home on Eckstein's sacrifice fly.

Glaus hit his two-run homer in the third, giving the Angels a 3-0 lead. It was Glaus' seventh homer of the postseason, tying Bonds for the most by any player in a single postseason.

But the Angels stalled after the third. In the next five innings, they managed only two singles, and both times the baserunner was erased on a double-play ball.

GAME 5 - TODAY

Angels (Washburn, 18-6) at Giants (Schmidt, 13-8), 5:22 p.m., Ch. 11

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) Center fielder Darin Erstad and the Angels lost Game 4 of the World Series on Wednesday in San Francisco despite having taken a 3-0 lead.

Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer

Box:

GIANTS 4, ANGELS 3