Schedule and 2002 Results
Regular Season Records: Anaheim 99-63, San Francisco 95-66
Game 1 on Saturday 19 October: San Fran. wins at Anaheim, 4-runs-3
Game 2 on Sunday 20 October: San Fran. loses at Anaheim, 11-runs-10
Game 3 on Tuesday 22 October: Anaheim wins at San Fran., 10-runs-4
Game 4 on Wednesday 23 October: Anaheim loses at San Fran., 4-runs-3
Game 5 on Thursday 24 October: Anaheim loses at San Fran., 16-runs-4
Game 6 on Saturday 26 October: San Fran. loses at Anaheim, 6-runs-5
Game 7 on Sunday 27 October: San Fran. loses at Anaheim, 4-runs-1

SERIES NOTES: Game 7 Notes: The Anaheim Angels defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-runs-1 to win the 2002 World Series, 4-games-3. The Anaheim Angels thus win their first World Series title. A total of 85 runs were scored in the 2002 World Series, breaking the record for most runs by both teams in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds) of 82 runs, set in the 1960 World Series by the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees. The LWWLLWW win by Anaheim is the third in best-of-7 MLB Finals history, the fourth in best-of-7 MLB playoff (all rounds) history, and the fourteenth in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff (all rounds) history. Anaheim thus becomes the eighth consecutive team to win a best-of-7 MLB Finals (World Series) Game 7 at home -- before the St. Louis Cardinals started this eight-series run in the 1982 World Series, home teams in best-of-7 World Series Game 7 play were only 10-17 (.370), including a 1-7 (.125) stretch in the eight best-of-7 World Series seventh games directly preceding 1982. With the Anaheim series victory, teams in the best-of-7 format MLB/NBA/NHL Finals that play Game 1 at home and take a 2-games-1 series lead extend their series-winning streak to 29 straight. With the Anaheim series victory, teams in the best-of-7 format MLB/NBA/NHL Finals that play Game 1 at home and take a 3-games-nil or a 2-games-1 series lead extend their series-winning streak to 41 straight. The Anaheim Angels are the third MLB/NBA/NHL team to win a best-of-7 Finals-round series LWWLLWW @ HHVVVHH: The previous two were the MLB St. Louis Cardinals (in the 1982 World Series), and the 1988 Los Angeles Lakers (in the 1988 NBA Finals); the Lakers thus set a favorable precedent for their MLB neighbors fourteen years ago. As a result of their 2002 MLB Semifinals and Finals performances, the Anaheim Angels now own a home-game best-of-7 MLB playoff record of 6-1 (.857) through all rounds -- an MLB-best, given how the Angels' opponents in the 2002 American League Championship Series (the Minnesota Twins) are now 15-3 (.833) after splitting their home games in that series with the Angels. The Anaheim Angels now own a 2-0 best-of-7 overall series record and a 1-0 best-of-7 Finals-round record; the San Francisco Giants now own a 2-4 best-of-7 overall series record and an 0-3 best-of-7 Finals-round record. The Anaheim Angels now own a 1-0 best-of-7 Game 7 record (all rounds); the San Francisco Giants now own an 0-3 best-of-7 Game 7 record (all rounds).

Game 6 Notes: Surmounting a five-run deficit after 6.5 innings for the first time by a home team in the 737th best-of-7 MLB playoff game (Finals or Semifinals), the Angels defeated the San Francisco Giants in Anaheim 6-runs-5, thus tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 872 at 3-games-all. This win by the Anaheim Angels has no precedent in best-of-7 MLB playoff games; previously, home teams down five runs after 6.5 innings in such games had an 0-30 game record. Through six games of the 2002 World Series, the San Francisco Giants have plated 43 runs: Those 43 runs are tied for third place with the New York Yankees (1936 World Series) on the list of most runs by one team through six games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series (first: 46 runs by the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series). Through six games of the 2002 World Series, both teams have scored a total of 80 runs: Those 80 total runs are second on the list of most runs by both teams through six games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series (first: 81 runs by the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1993 World Series). The MLB record for most total runs by both teams in a best-of-7 format playoff series is 82, by the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series; thus, barring a 1-run-nil final score in 2002 World Series Game 7, the Giants and the Angels will tie or break this 42-year-old record on Sunday 27 October 2002. The last road team to win a World Series Game 7 on the road was the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, at Baltimore vs. the Orioles. Since then, home teams are 7-0 in seventh games of World Series. The San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series, with their WLLWWL @ VVHHHV performance through six games, continue to track the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series -- the Brewers in that series are the only other MLB team in a best-of-7 playoff series to open a series WLLWWL @ VVHHHV. Beginning with the 1982 World Series, teams in the MLB/NBA/NHL Finals that open those Finals on the road and trail 2-games-1 after three games have an 0-28 series record; a loss by the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 would make that record 0-29. How closely have the 2002 Giants tracked the 1982 Brewers in World Series play? Each was down 2-games-1 after opening on the road. Each trailed late in Game 4 (San Francisco by 3 runs; Milwaukee by 4) but rallied to win at home. Each won Game 5 at home without ever trailing in Game 5. And while Milwaukee lost Game 6 on the road by a (then) record-tying dozen-run margin in 1982, San Francisco lost Game 6 on the road by allowing an unprecedented best-of-7 comeback win by a home team down five runs after 6.5 innings. Nonetheless, not every precedent is against San Francisco in this situation: In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff history, the only team to open a series WLLWWL @ VVHHHV and win Game 7 on the road was a Bay Area neighbor of the Giants -- the 1994 NHL San Jose Sharks -- which defeated the Red Wings in Detroit to win best-of-7 series 655 (an NHL Preliminary-round series). San Jose finished 18 regular-season NHL points behind Detroit in 1994 and had never played in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series before, so the victory over Detroit was deemed a noteworthy upset. The San Francisco Giants are now 1-1 in best-of-7 MLB Finals-round Game 6 play (0-1 on the road); the Anaheim Angels are now 1-0 in best-of-7 MLB Finals-round Game 6 play (1-0 at home).

Game 5 Notes: The San Francisco Giants once again hosted and defeated the Anaheim Angels, this time by a final score of 16-runs-4, to take a 3-games-2 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 872. The San Francisco Giants are thus now 4-1 overall (4-0 at home) in best-of-7 MLB playoff Game 5s, and are 1-1 in the MLB Finals (1-0 at home). The Anaheim Angels are thus now 1-1 overall (0-1 on the road) in best-of-7 MLB playoff Game 5s, and are 0-1 in the MLB Finals (0-1 on the road). San Francisco's 16 runs in Game 5 and both teams' combined 20 runs in Game 5 are new best-of-7 playoff Game 5 highs. With 38 runs through the first five games, San Francisco ties the Cleveland Indians from the 1997 World Series for the most runs scored by one team through the first five games of a best-of-7 format MLB playoff series. The 69 combined runs in the 2002 World Series to this point are behind only the 71 combined runs through the first five games of the 1997 World Series.

Game 4 Notes: The San Francisco Giants hosted and defeated the Anaheim Angels 4-runs-3 to tie MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 872 at 2-games-all. The Giants trailed at home 3-runs-nil after four innings: In best-of-7 MLB playoff games in which the home team trailed by three runs after four complete innings, the game record of the home team was only 5-30 (.143), so the San Francisco victory amounts to a comeback worthy of note. With their Game 4 victory, the San Francisco Giants improve their best-of-7 MLB playoffs Game 4 record to 5-1 (4-1 at home) for all rounds, 2-1 (1-1 at home) for the MLB Finals. With their Game 4 defeat, the Anaheim Angels see their Game 4 record fall to 1-1 for all rounds and 0-1 for the MLB Finals (the California Angels were 1-0 in Game 4, from the 1986 American League Championship Series). In Finals-round best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff competition, teams tied 2-games-all @ HHVV (such as Anaheim) are riding a 14-series winning streak. In Finals-round best-of-7 MLB (only) playoff competition, teams tied 2-games-all @ HHVV (eg. Anaheim) are on a 7-series winning streak.

Game 3 Notes: The Anaheim Angels visited and defeated the San Francisco Giants 10-runs-4, thereby taking a 2-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 872 (the 2002 World Series). The Anaheim Angels and their predecessor franchise, the California Angels (from 1986), are now a combined 3-0 in Game 3s of best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds), which would tie the Kansas City Royals for the best overall Game 3 record in MLB, NBA, and NHL best-of-7 playoff action. Conversely, the San Francisco Giants are now 1-5 in Game 3s of all rounds of best-of-7 MLB playoff series (and 0-3 in best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 3 action -- a mark better only than that of the 0-5 MLB Philadelphia Phillies). A total of 734 best-of-7 format MLB playoff games have now been played, and this one was the first in which the road team scored 4+ runs in the top of both the third and fourth innings. By combining for 42 runs through their first three games, the Giants and Angels have scored more runs in the first three games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series (any round) than any other pair of combatants except one -- the Florida Marlins and Cleveland Indians, which together scored 43 runs through the first three games of best-of-7 series 747 (the 1997 World Series). With 24 runs through the first three games of the 2002 World Series, the Anaheim Angels tie the New York Yankees (1932 World Series) for fourth-place in most runs by one team through the first three games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series (#1 on the list is the New York Yankees from the 1960 World Series, with 30 runs scored through the first three games). San Francisco trailed by 5+ runs from the middle of the sixth inning through the end of the game: A comeback by the Giants to win the game would have been unprecedented for a home team trailing by that margin that late. Anaheim leads this series 2-games-1 @ HHV: Until best-of-7 series 868, in which the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 NBA Semifinals, MLB/NBA/NHL teams leading a best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1 @ HHV had a 23-series winning streak. In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 Finals-round playoff series, teams leading 2-games-1 @ HHV (such as Anaheim) are on a 28-series winning streak, which began with the 1982 World Series.

Game 2 Notes: The Anaheim Angels hosted and defeated the San Francisco Giants 11-runs-10 to tie their best-of-7 series at 1-game-all. Anaheim took a 5-run lead after one inning: That size of lead remains perfect from the perspective of the home team, because home teams leading by five runs after one inning still have yet to be beaten. This game is only the third best-of-7 MLB playoff game in which run totals for both clubs reached double-digits, following 1993 World Series Game 4 (Toronto 15, Philadelphia 14) and 1997 World Series Game 3 (Florida 14, Cleveland 11). The 21 total runs by San Francisco and Anaheim in this game tie for the fourth most runs in a best-of-7 format MLB playoff game, with 1956 World Series Game 2 (New York Yankees 8, Brooklyn Dodgers 13). The 2002 World Series is the first best-of-7 MLB Finals for the Anaheim Angels, while the San Francisco Giants are now 1-2 in best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 2 competition (and 0-2 on the road in such games).

Game 1 Notes:The San Francisco Giants defeated the Anaheim Angels 4-runs-3 in Anaheim to take Game 1 of the 2002 MLB Finals (MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 872). In best-of-7 MLB history, teams winning Game 1 by one run on the road have a 13-9 (.591) series record overall, and a 10-6 (.625) series record in the Finals. In best-of-7 MLB history, teams winning Game 1 by a 4-runs-3 score on the road have a 2-3 (.400) series record overall, and a 2-1 (.667) series record in the Finals. While the Anaheim Angels are making their debut in the World Series, the San Francisco Giants have been to the World Series before. Nevertheless, Game 1 for the Giants was their first World Series game victory in forty years . . . since Game 6 of the 1962 World Series vs. the New York Yankees. San Francisco improves its game record in the best-of-7 MLB Finals to 4-8 (2-4 on the road).

Pre-series notes: In the 2002 regular season, the Anaheim Angels finished 3.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants. Since the American League team was slated to open the 2002 World Series at home, it happens that the MLB League Champion with the better regular-season record (the Anaheim Angels) is the team playing Game 1 at home. In the 93 previous best-of-7 format World Series (MLB Finals), the League Champion with the better regular-season record opened at home 45 times and opened on the road 46 times; the combatants had equal regular-season records in 1949 and 1958. From 1939 through the 2002 MLB Semifinals round, an MLB team finished 3.5 games ahead of its best-of-7 playoff opponent on four previous occasions: MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 16 (1923 World Series: New York Yankees ahead of New York Giants), series 321 (1976 World Series: Cincinnati Reds ahead of New York Yankees), series 473 (1986 American League Championship Series: Boston Red Sox ahead of California Angels), and series 820 (2000 American League Championship Series: Seattle Mariners ahead of New York Yankees). In the first three of those four series, the better regular-season team opened at home and won the series; in the last of the four, the better regular-season team opened on the road and lost the series. Thus, the 2002 San Francisco Giants are in the same situation as the 1923 New York Giants, but are hoping for a better ending, while the 2002 Anaheim Angels have a favorable precedent in the 1986 Boston Red Sox . . . which defeated, ironically, the California Angels. The best-of-7 playoff series records are 1-0 for the Anaheim Angels (1-1 for the Anaheim/California Angels), and 2-3 for the San Francisco Giants (6-12 for the San Francisco/New York Giants).