The Anaheim Angels wiped themselves off the dubious list of Major League franchises without World Series Championships to their name with a 4-1 Game 7 victory over the San Francisco Giants Sunday evening in Anaheim.
After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning only to relinquish a run to the Giants in the top of the third, the Angels broke things open in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run rally.
In that inning, with the bases loaded, Anaheim left fielder Garrett Anderson doubled in three runs to bring the score to 4-1. After that, the Angels never looked back.
In the bottom of the ninth, Angels fans came to their feet as reliever Troy Percival took the mound to face the bottom half of the Giants' order. After a tenuous situation in which two runners reached base, Percival made the final out with a Kenny Lofton flyout at 8:19 p.m. PDT as Angels fans rejoiced in their first championship since the team took up stakes in southern California in 1961.
Following the game, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig presented the World Championship to Michael Eisner, CEO of the Angels' principal owner, Disney Corporation.
Selig also named Angels third baseman Troy Glaus World Series MVP. Glaus batted .385 with three doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs in the series.
