ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Giants set their World Series rotation so Livan Hernandez would start Game 7, and with good reason. Hernandez was considered one of the best post-season pitchers in baseball - not only because of his perfect performance with Florida in 1997 but also because of his quality appearances for the Giants this month.

Ten days and two losses later, Hernandez' postseason reputation is vanishing quicker than five-run leads in Edison Field.

He was hit hard in Game 3 on Tuesday and again Sunday night, allowing four hits and four runs in a little over two innings. He then watched from the dugout as the Angels' 4-1 lead became the final score.

In other words, Hernandez remains undefeated in post-season play against teams not from Anaheim.

"Look who they beat," Giants General Manager Brian Sabean said in defense of Hernandez. "They didn't get here by not beating some of the best they had to play. They're a great hitting team, a very dangerous team."

Afterward, Hernandez sat by his locker, head down, arms on knees. He was motionless for 15 minutes. Pitching coach Dave Righetti offered encouragement, but all Hernandez did was bury his head in his hands.

"It's hard for everybody, because you work so hard all year," he said. A few minutes later, he added: "I didn't have my control. That happens sometimes."

Hernandez lost 16 games during the regular season but reverted to his `97 form once the playoffs began. He was superb against Atlanta in Game Four of the Divison Series, allowing three runs in 8 1-3 innings. And he was solid against St. Louis in Game Four of the Championship Series, allowing two runs in 6 1-3 innings.

Those performances helped convince the Giants to make Hernandez their Game 7 starter. And they stuck with the plan despite his poor performance in Game Three, when the Angels rocked him for five earned runs in less than four innings.

Asked if he wrestled with the idea of starting Kirk Rueter on Sunday instead of Hernandez, Manager Dusty Baker said: "We didn't wrestle with that decision because Kirk was going on three days rest and Livan was on his regular days."

Hernandez struggled from the start. He walked two batters in the first but caught a break when David Eckstein was doubled off second base for the third out. Hernandez did not settle down in the second inning. With two out, he walked Scott Spiezio. The next batter, Bengie Molina, hit a 2-1 pitch to deep center field. It one-hopped the wall for a double, scoring Spiezio.

Hernandez' evening unraveled in the third. Eckstein and Darin Erstad singled, and Hernandez hit Tim Salmon to load the bases with no outs. Then came the play of the night: Garrett Anderson smacked an inside fastball into the right field corner for a double, clearing the bases and giving the Angels a 4-1 lead.

"Anaheim won because when they needed a base hit, they got base hits," Hernandez said. "Today, when they needed a double, they got a double."

After walking Troy Glaus intentionally, Hernandez was removed from the game - his shortest post-season outing in eight appearances (since Game 3 of the `97 American League championship series).

"We had to keep that game intact," Baker said. "That's about as far as we could have gone with him."