Ratings for Series Continue to Slide

Whether it’s because of the Angels’ unwillingness to pitch to Barry Bonds or the regional aspect of this World Series, it remains on a record-low pace in the ratings game.

Game 4 Wednesday night got an 11.8 Nielsen rating with a 19 share, which translates into 18.1 million viewers.

That’s a 9% increase over Game 3 but a 25% decrease from the 15.8/27 for the New York Yankees’ 4-3, extra-inning victory over Arizona in Game 4 last year.

The last time there was a regional Series, Fox got a 12.5 rating for Game 4 in 2000 between the Yankees and New York Mets.

That Series ended up with a 12.4 average, the lowest for a prime-time World Series.

This year’s four-game average is an 11.0/19, which is 24% below the four-game average of 14.4/24 last year.

The Giants’ 4-3 victory over the Angels in Game 4 at Pacific Bell Park got a 34.6 rating in San Francisco and a 30.7 in Los Angeles.

-- Larry Stewart