BOT 1st: I'm coming in a little late, so I'm not sure what the lineups look like. Whoever's batting for the Giants, they got to John Lackey in the top of the inning to the tune of three runs. SF 3, ANA 0

TOP 2nd: Lackey is gone after one inning, replaced by Jake Woods... I've managed to piece together the Angels lineup:

1. Erstad (1B)
2. Figgins (2B)
3. Guerrero (RF)
4. Anderson (LF)
5. Finley (CF)
6. Cabrera (DH)
7. B. Molina (C)
8. McPherson (3B)
9. Izturis (SS)

BOT 2nd: Anderson doubles, reaches third on a throwing error, and comes across on a Bengie Molina ground out. SF 3, ANA 1

BOT 3rd: Woods set the Giants down 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, and Benitez comes into the game for San Francisco... Darin Erstad comes to the plate. Speaking of the Punter, Chronicles has details on Erstad's obsession with "productive outs" in an LA Times article that is eerily similar to this one from last May... ERSTAD DRAWS A WALK! He's dissaponted he wasn't able to make one of those productive outs, no doubt... Never too early to start defending that MVP - Vlad knocks a two-run double to tie up the game... Finley drives in Vlad with another double. SF 3, ANA 4

TOP 4th: Shields in for Woods, who was quite impressive. He could be making a play for that last spot in the bullpen, and being a lefty, he's got a very real shot at it.

BOT 4th: Through 3 1/2 innings, and I've gone through an entire box of Tagalongs. Damn you Girl Scouts... Quinlan in for Erstad. Why not Kotchman? You're guess is as good as mine... DaVanon walks with the bases loaded to drive in a run. Hennessy is really strugling to find the plate... Pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman drives in a pair with a solid single... That's it for Hennessy, lifted for Armoando Almanza (whoever that is). SF 3, ANA 7

TOP 5th: Wholesale changes for the Angels:

1. Quinlan (3B)
2. DaVanon (CF)
3. Kotchman (1B)
4. Merloni (2B)
5. Mathis (C)
6. Cabrera (DH)
7. Pride (LF)
8. Prieto (RF)
9. Izturis (SS)

And Yan in on the mound.

BOT 5th: Rory Markas has just now noticed the Stoneman/Expo connection on the Angels. The Angels now have four players from the Stoneman era Expos - Guerrero, Cabrera, Pride, and Yan. Plus Colon, Izturis and Rivera, who are also Ex-pos (though not during Stoneman's time with the club). I must say, being the dumping ground for one of the worst organizations in baseball is not the greatest feeling in the world.

TOP 6th: Tagalong ice cream? Oh Girl Scouts, you are pure evil... Steven Shell into the game for the Angels. He's probably the single most intriguing player in camp, IMO. I can't wait to see him in person.

TOP 7th: Mendes (?) knocks a two-run shot off Shell to make this a game... Shell recovers nicely and gets the next three. SF 5, ANA 7

BOT 7th: The Giants now have (Fred) Lewis and (Doug) Clark in the outfield. Cute.... Pride hits triple, and Nick Gorneault follows up with an infield single. SF 5, ANA 8

TOP 8th: Mark Watson is in to pitch for the Angels. He came over as a free agent from the Reds, having been with the Brewers, Indians, Mariners, Rockies and Cubs organizations as well. His Baseball Cube page. See also: LOOGY... Watson promptly loads the bases with no outs... The Giants score one on a sac fly... another run scores on a wild pitch. I gotta say, Watson isn't making much of a case for himself... Watson out, Joel Peralta in... He gets the final out, preserves the one run lead. SF 7, ANA 8

JERED WEAVER NEWS: Markas is saying that Mike Scioscia is resigned to not having Jered Weaver, saying "It just didn't get done." He also claims the Angels have taken there offer off the table completely, which seems like an awfully stupid decision.

BOT 8th: Former Angels Al Levine is in for the Giants. I've always felt that Levine was the most under-appreciated member of those late-90's Angels clubs... He makes my point by setting the Angels down 1-2-3.

TOP 9th: Peralta still in, trying to get the save... Strikes out Lewis for the first out... Broken-bat groundout back to the pitcher for the second out... After a walk and a bloop single, the Giants have runners on first and third with two outs... A hard single drives in the tying run. Damn... Another run will cross the plate before the third out is recorded on a rundown. The Giants take a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth. SF 9, ANA 8

BOT 9th: Angels go down with a whimper. FINAL SCORE: SF 9, ANA 8

A less than auspicious start to the 2005 season...