CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME
Giants beat Cardinals to advance to World Series
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants have just won the National League championship series. How are they going to celebrate?
They're going to Disneyland.
Not to ride the Matterhorn, not to go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but to continue their own wild-card ride into the World Series, an All-California series against the Anaheim Angels, also a wild card, beginning Saturday.
World Series
Saturday, Oct. 19
San Francisco at Anaheim, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 20
San Francisco at Anaheim, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 22
Anaheim at San Francisco, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Anaheim at San Francisco, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Anaheim at San Francisco, 7:30 p.m., if necessary
Saturday, Oct. 26
San Francisco at Anaheim, 7 p.m., if necessary
Sunday, Oct. 27
San Francisco at Anaheim, 7 p.m., if necessary
The Giants clinched the berth Monday night with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 before a Pacific Bell Park crowd of 42,673. Kenny Lofton singled home David Bell from second base with two out in the ninth inning to start the celebration.
Fireworks erupted over San Francisco Bay, Tony Bennett's ageless rendition of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" blared over the public-address system, boats and cars blared their horns in a joyous chorus and the scoreboard flashed those words first made famous half a century ago by Russ Hodges: "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
On Monday night, in the wake of another Giant triumph, Manager Dusty Baker threw out the first challenge of a new rivalry by altering an old battle cry.
"Beat L.A.," he said, "Southern L.A. It's Orange County, but let's beat L.A."
Postgame victory parties almost always take place in clubhouses, but this one was too big to be contained by four walls. Players and fans refused to leave the field, the players bringing their bottles of champagne out into the sparkling night.