JT Snow & Darren Baker in game 5 of the World Series

In honor of the 2002 Team Reunion coming up on July 1 we wanted to look back at some of the “great” moments during the 2002 season (Big picture: we made it to the World Series!). In the first World Series between two Wild Card teams, the Giants and Anaheim Angels lived up to the moniker, combining to set numerous offensive records in a memorable seven-game Fall Classic.

Anaheim emerged from the fireworks with it’s first World Championship in franchise history, while San Francisco was saddled with heartbreak after seeing a title slip away just five outs from the pinnacle.

The clubs split the first two contests in Anaheim, with Barry Bonds grabbing the spot- light in his first appearance on the World Series stage. San Francisco’s left fielder clubbed a solo homer in his first at-bat to spark a 4-3 Giants win in Game #1, then connected for a mammoth ninth- inning shot in Game #2. Not to be outdone, the Angels’ Tim Salmon homered twice as Anaheim won an 11-10 slugfest to even the series.

When the scene shifted north, the Angels seemed to take control with a convincing 10-4 win in Game #3. As they had all season, the Giants battled back in Game #4, rallying from a 3-0 deficit to earn a 4-3 victory on David Bell’s two-out, RBI-single in the eighth inning.
 Game #5 belonged to San Francisco, as the home club delighted the 42,713 fans at AT&T Park with a 16-4 rout. Jeff Kent tied Giants World Series records with four runs, two homers and four RBI, Rich Aurilia drove in three runs to establish a franchise playoff mark with 17 RBI overall, and J.T. Snow had two of his series-high 11 hits.
 The Giants were eight outs from their first World Series title since 1954, as Shawon Dunston’s two- run homer, Bonds’ record eighth post season clout (fourth of Series), and Kent’s RBI-single propelled SF to a 5-0 lead in Game #6. But the ultimate prize was wrested away as Scott Spezio’s three- run, seventh-inning homer and series MVP Troy Glaus’ two-run, eighth-inning double highlighted Anaheim’s rally to a 6-5 victory.

San Francisco scored first in Game #7, but ultimately could not overcome the pitching of John Lackey and the bat of Garret Anderson, who delivered the deciding three-run, third- inning double in Anaheim’s 4-1 triumph.