ANAHEIM, Calif. - Some members of the Anaheim Angels were perplexed Saturday when Giants manager Dusty Baker handed the baseball to Russ Ortiz as the starting pitcher was being removed from the game in the seventh inning.

The Angels had runners on first and second with one out, but the Giants were leading 5-0 in Game 6. Of course, you know what occurred after Ortiz departed, baseball in hand.

A case of premature celebration?

After the Angels rallied to win 6-5, first base coach Alfredo Griffin mentioned Baker's gesture to a columnist from the Orange County Register.

"Guys saw it from the bench," Griffin said Sunday before Game 7, a 4-1 Angels victory. "To me it's not a big deal, but I heard guys talking about it, that he was giving him the ball in case they won the game."

Baker was asked about the gesture before Sunday's game. He wasn't happy that some of the Angels interpreted it as a measure of disrespect or an attempt to show them up.

"That wasn't intended for them at all," he said. "That was intended as a gesture straight to Russ Ortiz, a gesture of appreciation, thank you, you pitched a heck of a game, you've had a heck of a year. It had nothing to do with the Angels. The Angels weren't even in the equation. If they took it the wrong way, I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry that I gave Russ the ball."

When a pitcher is removed, the manager usually takes the ball and turns it over to the reliever. If the reliever wants a new baseball, he asks the umpire.

After Baker said his piece, he was asked a question about Giants team owner Peter Magowan. He answered, then had a question of his own: "Who were those Angels."

Baker was told Griffin had raised the issue, but the Giants manager didn't respond.

The long season:

Daylight savings time is over. Halloween is later in the week. Is it possible the baseball season lasts too long?

"With three rounds of playoffs, there's a strong case to be made for shortening the season to some extent," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Not only for possibly playing baseball into November, but it does take its toll on pitching.

"As we configured our playoff roster, we went with a 10-man pitching staff. We've gauged it just about right. But we're about at the end of where I think our guys are going to be able to go out there and execute the pitches you need to win ballgames."

Both pitching staffs appeared to be dragging heading into Game 7. The Angels had a bloated 6.58 ERA during the first six games. The Giants' ERA was nearly as bad at 5.71.

All available, except ...

Only one member of the Angels' 10-man staff was unavailable to pitch Sunday, that being Kevin Appier, the Game 6 starter who worked 4 1/3 innings. Scioscia said lefty Jarrod Washburn, who worked four innings in Game 5 Thursday, would have been available for extra innings.

Short hops:

Angels righty John Lackey was only the eighth rookie in history to start the seventh game of a World Series. The last one was Cleveland's Jaret Wright in 1997 against the Florida Marlins. He got a no-decision in a 3-2 Indians' defeat. Lackey earned the victory, allowing one run and four hits over five innings. ... Darin Erstad's single in the third was his 25th hit of the postseason, tying him with Atlanta's Marquis Grissom (1995) for the single-season record. Erstad is playing good defense, too. In the fifth he robbed David Bell of a leadoff single with a diving catch in center field.