I kind of feel like Joe Saunders right about now.

When we went down to the clubhouse following Torii Hunter's walk-off grand slam, Saunders was the first Angels player to emerge from the off-limits area and two other reporters and I went to talk to him. Saunders did pitch eight brilliant innings, allowing just one run and was in line to get the victory until Francisco Rodriguez and his two bum ankles cost the lefty.

Saunders was so excited, he was speechless. Finally, he uttered a couple good-natured swear words (if there is such a thing, and in this case sometimes those words can only describe a game like the one we all just witnessed) and finished it off with "Fabulously awesome."

The lefty, normally a quote machine and a good-natured guy who likes to chat with the media - even before his starts which is taboo - just couldn't put sentences together he was so happy.

That's kind of how I feel, finally sitting back after watching Monday's game. Even as a writer, it was difficult to put into words the way Monday's game developed.

Moments before I had begun writing a story focusing on Torii Hunter's eighth-inning homer breaking a 1-1 tie and giving the Angels a 2-1 win. Then, Francisco Rodriguez blew the save, revealing before the game that he sprained his right ankle to go along with his balky left ankle.

So, I was in the process of re-writing my game story to focus on Rodriguez's ankle problems and how that could be an issue for the Angels. Once I banged out most of that story, I went back to my notebook - already sent in hours before with Rodriguez as the lead story on that - to re-work it because it would be foolish to have both Angels stories on the same guy and the same problems leading to the same loss.

Mind you, this is all happening in the span of a few minutes - and on deadline since the night game was growing later.

When Gary Matthews Jr. walked and Vladimir Guerrero came up and singled, I had a feeling I was going to be re-writing again. After Garret Anderson walked and Hunter hit his slam, I'm sure my mouth was in a big "O" and not just because I had to go and re-write everything all over again.

Think about this - in the span of about 20 minutes the Angels went from a win, to a loss, to a loss with their closer injured, to one of the most dramatic wins any team can ever experience.

A walk-off grand slam to win it? That's fairy tale stuff.

And, in my fourth year of covering baseball and about my 25th year of being a sports fan, this has to rank as one of the best games I've ever been at - as a fan or a professional.

About once a year a columnist will write a "Why I love sports" column ... games like this are the reason, pure and simple.

2 Comments

Susan on April 8, 2008 9:40 AM said:

Perfect description.

My one comment to the fans who were still there, when you see the trainer come out with Sciosia, check out Frankie and remove him from the game, YOU DON'T BOO, HE IS OBVIOUSLY HURT. He was trying to do his job, nobody goes out to pitch poorly.

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Susan on April 8, 2008 9:46 AM said:

Perfect Description.

One comment to the fans who were still at the game. When Sciosia and the trainer come out to check on Frankie and remove him from the game, YOU DO NOT BOO HIM AS HE LEAVES THE FIELD. HE IS OBVIOUSLY HURT. HE TRIED TO DO HIS JOB BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD, NOBODY GOES OUT TO PITCH POORLY.

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