ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Rally Monkey was hopping and dancing.

	Scott Spiezio drove in his 19th playoff run, tying Sandy Alomar's postseason mark.

The fans -- every last one of them decked out in bright red, save for the occasional mutant Giants rooter -- were still pounding their plastic cheer sticks like they were conducting some odd experiment on the power of group therapy.

It was loud -- too loud, considering the Angels were losing 5-0, the Giants were eight outs away from clinching their first World Series title since moving to San Francisco in 1958, and a team known for its hustling, gritty play was going down in undistinguished style, getting mopped up by the likes of Shawon Dunston in the season-ending defeat.

Giants starter Russ Ortiz was on cruise control, screaming through the Angels like he did on the Orange County freeways as a teenager. The game was over, the Giants were going to win, Barry Bonds would get his ring ... but, oh, the Angels did have a hell of a season, didn't they?

And yet the cheering continued. Troy Glaus singled to left field and the cheering continued. Brad Fullmer singled to right and the cheering continued.

"I think there was about as much electricity in the Kirk Gibson game in '88 as there ever was," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think tonight surpassed that."

Exit Ortiz, enter Felix Rodriguez, who throws just as hard as the Angels' phenom of the same last name who had stolen the postseason spotlight.

Stepping up to the plate: Scott Spiezio, who like the Angels' fans wears red; part of his goatee has been dyed the color and so are streaks in his hair.

A spectacular Spiezio

A rundown of Scott Spiezio's offensive exploits during the postseason: Game 2 Division Series vs. Yankees 3-for-5 with three RBI, including solo homer in second inning, run-scoring single in third and RBI double in ninth. Angels win 8-6. Game 3 Division Series vs. Yankees Two-out RBI single in bottom of seventh ties game at 6-6. Angels go on to win 9-6. Game 4 Division Series vs. Yankees 2-for-4, including run-scoring single in Angels' decisive eight-run fifth inning that eliminated the Yankees. Game 2 ALCS vs. Twins 2-for-4, including an RBI double that started a three-run rally in the second inning. Angels win 6-3. Game 4 ALCS vs. Twins RBI double in seventh gives Angels 2-0 lead. Anaheim goes on to win 7-1. Game 5 ALCS vs. Twins 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. Has solo home run in fifth and two-run single in seventh. Angels eliminate Twins, 13-5. Game 2 World Series vs. Giants 1-for-3 with two RBI. Has run-scoring single in five-run first, adds sacrifice fly in fifth. Angels win 11-10. Game 3 World Series vs. Giants 2-for-5 with three RBI. Has two-run triple in third and then a run-scoring single in fourth. Angels wallop Giants 10-4. Game 6 World Series vs. Giants Three-run home run in seventh inning jumpstarts Angels' rally from five runs down. Angels win 6-5 to force Game 7.

And talk about streaks -- the Angels first baseman has been on a hot one all postseason, entering Game 6 hitting .347 in the playoffs with 16 RBI in 14 games.

The switch-hitter dug in his spikes at home plate, gearing up for one of Rodriguez's flameballs. The Dominican right-hander has been one of baseball's best relief pitchers for several years. He had struggled in the first half while battling some minor injuries but was dominant down the stretch and had a 2.08 ERA in 12 postseason appearances, while limiting opposing batters to a .163 average.

Spiezio took ball one, then fouled off two pitches. He fouled of another, took ball two. Fouled off another heater and then took ball three.

Rodriguez went to the stretch. Back in the Giants clubhouse in San Francisco, there is a picture of the cartoon character "Felix the Cat," labeled "Felix 'The Cat' Rodriguez."

Cats may have nine lives, but it was Spiezio who provided a ninth life for the Angels as he turned on the next delivery and sent a high, arching flyball towards right field. The crowd, already on its feet, rose to its toes. Reggie Sanders drifted back to the corner. He rose to his toes.

Said Spiezio: "I was praying. I was saying 'Please, just get over the fence.' Seemed like it took forever."

Sanders couldn't reach the ball as it sailed just beyond the fence.

A three-run homer. A ballgame now, 5 to 3. Maybe, just maybe … and, of course, the Angels did win, scoring three more runs in the eighth to become just the fifth team ever to rally from a five-run deficit to win a World Series game.

"Spiezio had some decent cuts, but Felix was getting some balls in good location away," Scioscia said. "I think he pulled that pitch a little more over the plate and Spiez didn't miss it. He fought a bunch of tough pitches off. They were coming in hard, too. He had good heat on those."

Freeze the moment. Freeze Scott Spiezio's game-turning three-run homer. The Sandfrog goes deep off the Cat. If the Angels win Game 7, remember that heroic blast. Remember it just for getting us to a Game 7.

"You know, I thought if we could get some hits strung together, we were going to back in the game," Scioscia said. "I didn't know it was going to happen as quickly as it did."

When he was fouling off all those pitches, Spiezio said, "I told myself I was right on it. He finally got one in my zone and I got the bat head on it."

It was an amazing at-bat, to foul off those fastballs from Rodriguez. However, as tough as Rodriguez has been this postseason, he hasn't been able to put batters away, as he had fanned only six in 13 innings as he faced Spiezio.

The ball landed in the first row of seats. Maybe it was only half as far as the titanic shot Bonds hit earlier in the game. They all count the same and this counted for three runs. It was Spiezio's first homer of the World Series and third of the playoffs. He has eight RBI in the Series and 19 for the postseason, which ties Sandy Alomar's postseason mark.

You never know in baseball.

You never know who will become a World Series hero.

You never know who will strike the memorable hit and if it will be a seeing-eye blooper over a drawn-in infield or an extra-inning home run.

Sometimes it's the greatest player in the game.

And sometimes it's Scott Spiezio.

David Schoenfield is baseball editor for ESPN.com.