ESPN.com - MLB Playoffs 2002 - Glaus getting timely hits with regularity
ESPN.com

Saturday, October 12
 
Glaus getting timely hits with regularity

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Another playoff game, another clutch hit for Troy Glaus.

Troy Glaus
Glaus

The Anaheim third baseman came through again Saturday night in Game 4 of the AL championship series, breaking a scoreless tie in the seventh inning with an RBI single and helping the Angels move within one win of their first World Series berth in the franchise's 42-year history.

Glaus came up with runners at first and third and one out and lined a 91-mph delivery from Brad Radke into left field, scoring Darin Erstad. Scott Spiezio added an RBI double, and the Angels broke it open with a five-run eighth for a 7-1 victory.

"Radke's such a good pitcher, he's got dominant stuff and he can shut it down for a long time,'' Glaus said. "You just try to squeak one across and hope we can hold on.''

Glaus' timely hit came just one night after his leadoff homer in the eighth inning against J.C. Romero sent the Angels to a 2-1 win.

During the regular season, Glaus put the Angels ahead 28 times and tied the score eight other times.

"He's been outstanding all year,'' Spiezio said. "Some people might say he might not have had the best year, but when you have clutch hits like that, it's an outstanding year -- if he hits 70 home runs or not. If you get that many clutch RBI, it's just huge for a team. That's the most important thing.''

Glaus, who set a career high this season with 111 RBI despite hitting 11 fewer homers than last year, opened the postseason with a pair of solo homers at Yankee Stadium in an 8-5 loss in Game 1 of the division series.

The next night, he hit the second of back-to-back homers in the eighth against Orlando Hernandez to give Anaheim a lead. The Angels went on to win 8-6 and take the series three games to one.

"It's a great time to have some big bats be there for us, and it's big for Troy to contribute,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been a big part of our offense all year and he's having a terrific series. He's swinging the bat about as well as you can expect.''

The four homers by Glaus in these playoffs are just two shy of the record for players in their first postseason. Ken Griffey Jr. hit five in the 1995 division series for Seattle and added one in the ALCS.





Series Page

 More from ESPN...
Angels' Lackey strong-arms Twins in Game 4 win
Sixteen years later, the ...

Angels rookie Lackey delivers game of his life
John Lackey picked the ...

Notebook: Angels not looking past Game 5
ALCS notebook

 ESPN Tools
Email story
 
Most sent
 
Print story
 
Daily email