ANAHEIM, Calif. - If you really want the details on how the Giants lost Game 7 of the World Series, reread the Game 6 story in Sunday's newspaper, watch a replay or wait for ESPN to televise it as part of its "Instant Classic" shows.

The cruel reality is, that's when this 98th World Series was decided, not what occurred Sunday night, though the Anaheim Angels did have to show up and play. The series turned for good Saturday night, when the Giants were eight outs away from their first world championship in 48 years, and what would have been the first ever in San Francisco.

But the Angels, remarkably, wiped out a 5-0 deficit in the seventh inning, the largest for a team facing elimination.

The Giants said there would be no carryover from one game to the next, but human nature says otherwise. They trailed early and lost 4-1 in Game 7 at Edison Field to an Angels team that won its first World Series title.

In the end, it was similar to the way a lot of Giants' seasons have concluded, nothing but postseason agony, just like 1962, `71, `89, `00, and, now, `02.

It might as well have been the 1997 division series against the Florida Marlins, or the 2000 division series against the New York Mets, when Bobby J. Jones shut out the Giants in Game 4 in a feeble display of hitting.

Sunday night, the Giants were stymied by obscure fellows named John Lackey and Brendan Donnelly, before the Angels turned to the lights-out relievers Francisco Rodriguez and Troy Percival in the late innings.

"No matter what happens, I'm proud of my players," Giants managing general partner Peter Magowan said to reporters before the game.

At least one Giants player said he didn't need a pregame pep talk from his manager, Dusty Baker, because he's been in similar situations plenty of times this season.

"We haven't needed it all year, so why start now?" second baseman Jeff Kent said before going on the field for batting practice. "We know what's at stake."

Baker was reminded before the game that no road team had won a Game 7 of the World Series since the `79 Pittsburgh Pirates did so in Baltimore.

"Hey man, we've done a lot of stuff this year that a lot of teams haven't done," Baker said in his office before the game.

In a 1-1 game, the Angels scored three runs off Livan Hernandez in the third inning. After David Eckstein and Darin Erstad singled, Hernandez hit Tim Salmon with a pitch to load the bases. Garret Anderson cleared the bases with a double to right field, giving the Angels a 4-1 lead.

After an intentional walk to Troy Glaus, Baker pulled Hernandez. Hernandez was 6-0 in the postseason before the World Series, but his reputation as a big-game pitcher took a major hit. He allowed six hits and six runs in just 3 2/3 innings in Game 3, a 10-4 Angels win, prompting questions to Baker later in the series whether he should start Kirk Rueter on three days' rest for Game 7.

Baker stuck with Hernandez, and the pitcher was ineffective, allowing four hits and four runs in just two-plus innings. Chad Zerbe prevented further damage in the third inning, and Baker went to Rueter to start the fourth inning. Rueter pitched four shutout innings.

It wasn't a good World Series for Giants starting pitchers, who compiled an 8.10 ERA.

The Giants scored a run_Reggie Sanders' sacrifice fly in the second_off Lackey, who pitched five innings. The Giants appeared tight at the plate. They had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, but J.T. Snow and Sanders flied out.

Two innings later, with Donnelly pitching, Snow doubled to put runners in scoring position. With Sanders due up, Baker made a curious move and called on Tom Goodwin to pinch hit. Goodwin struck out.

And so, there will be no victory parade in San Francisco today, though executive vice president Larry Baer said the city has plans to honor the team for winning its first pennant in 13 years.

On a graying team, the Giants may have blown their small window of opportunity to win their first World Series title since 1954.

Kent, who has driven in 100 runs in his six seasons with the team, might very well have played his final game in a Giants uniform.

Baker also may have spent his final day in a Giants uniform.

Before Game 6, Magowan seemed to hint that Kent might be moving on after the season.

"I have no idea what the demand for him might turn out to be in an industry that lost $800 million this year," Magowan said. "I believed there are going to be some adjustments next year.

"It's up to Jeff. If he wants to seek his fortune elsewhere, it's a free country. There's not much we can do about it if he doesn't want to be here. These are all the things we have to find out pretty soon."

On an upbeat note, the Giants are expected to re-sign general manager Brian Sabean in a day or two. Since Sabean has been on the job, the Giants have been a contender for most of his six years.

"He's the best GM in the game," Magowan said. "We've played 11 games in six years that didn't count (toward a playoff spot). You stack up his trades and I don't think there's one where he hasn't been a clear victor."