ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Tim Salmon couldn't get to the champagne-filled tub fast enough. But a TV interview slowed him down. So, too, did the horde of reporters outside the Angels' clubhouse. And when he finally busted through, when he finally was ready to get the real party under way, he was told to take off his shoes.

"Can you believe it," Salmon said to an onlooker.

No, not really. But how many would believe the Angels to begin with? How many would believe that a team that hadn't reached the playoffs since 1986 would put together a record-setting 10-hit, 8-run, 13-batter inning to conquer the mighty Yankees?

Don't take offense

Ten great team offensive explosions in postseason history: 1. Angels hit a postseason record .376 and score 31 runs in four-game win over Yankees (2002 Division Series). 2. Facing elimination, the Diamondbacks pound out a World Series record 22 hits to beat the Yankees 15-2 in Game 6 (2001 World Series). 3. The Red Sox set postseason records with 23 runs and 24 hits in a 23-7 victory over the Indians (1999 Division Series). 4. In Game 7, the Braves erupt with six runs in the first inning en route to a 15-0 win over the Cardinals (1996 NLCS). 5. The Yankees and Mariners combine for 22 home runs, a combined record for any postseason series ... and they did it in just five games (1995 Division Series). 6. In the highest-scoring game in World Series history, the Blue Jays beat the Phillies 15-14 and the teams combine for 32 hits (1993 World Series). 7. The Tigers stay alive in Game 6 by scoring 10 runs in the third inning of a 13-1 victory over the Cardinals (1968 World Series). 8. The Yankees hit .338, have games of 16, 12 and 10 and nine runs ... and lose the Series to the Pirates (1960 World Series). 9. The Yankees score 18 runs, most ever in a World Series game, to beat the Giants 18-4 (1936 World Series). 10. Trailing 8-0 with the Cubs about to even the World Series up at 2 games apiece, the Philadelphia A's erupt for 10 runs in the seventh inning to win 10-8 (1929 World Series).

Yet it happened. And because of that inning -- one in which Shawn Wooten and Benji Gil both clubbed a pair of hits -- the Yankees were headed home Saturday night without a Game 5 to play in Yankee Stadium.

"We take the approach that one run isn't enough. It's never enough," first baseman Scott Spiezio said. "If there's a guy out there, we have to get him home."

The 10 hits in an inning tied a postseason record set by the Philadelphia Athletics in Game 4 of the 1929 World Series. The Angels set Division Series records for most at-bats in an inning (13), singles in an inning (8) and runs in an inning (8).

"When you really stop and think about it, man, it was just an awesome display of offense," said Spiezio, who had two of Anaheim's 15 hits.

At one point during the postgame celebration, standing in the corner of the clubhouse, Spiezio winced in pain as champagne drizzled into his eyes with a sting that the Bronx Bombers know all too well.

"I can't see a damn thing. Wow, I cannot see," Spiezio said, his teeth grinding in pain. "Wow, this hurts. I mean, I can't see anything."

A cameraman offered a napkin, which saved the day.

"Thanks," he said. "I can't thank you enough. Man, that feels better."

During Anaheim's jaw-dropping offensive explosion, every starter except third baseman Troy Glaus had a hit. Everyone but Glaus and outfielder Garret Anderson scored. And everyone except for Glaus and Benji Gil had an RBI.

Yankees starter David Wells took the brunt of the blow, which featured eight singles, one double and one home run, a solo shot from Wooten to open the inning. Ramiro Mendoza also suffered his share of pain, watching two of three pitches he threw end up as line drives.

The Angels acted like a pack of angry pit bulls. Once they sensed fear, once they felt a hint of tentativeness in their prey, they attacked.

"You just see it in everybody's eyes," Wooten said. "Everybody wants to go up there and take advantage of what the guy in front of him just did. You don't want to let anybody down."

Batting around? The Angels batted around ... and a half. Against the Yankees, no less.

"That's been the trademark of this club," Salmon said. "A guy gets on base, a base hit, first and third. Before you know it, every time a guy gets a hit, it's first and third."

Salmon arrived and treated the party as his own. He paraded through the clubhouse, spraying champagne on everyone that he could. Teammates, coaches, trainers, photographers. Anybody in his way got doused. And not once did he think of apologizing.

The man with the longest tenure on the Angels, the man who had played more games than any active major leaguer without appearing in the postseason, the man who had a big year after career lows in batting average, home runs and RBI in 2002, soaked it all in.

"It feels great to be soaked," he said. "Absolutely great. I could try to put this all into perspective, but I can't. All I'm worried about is the next five minutes and getting another beer."

The Angels weren't just aggressive in the fifth. They were tenacious. Only one of the inning's 10 hits, a single by David Eckstein, came in an at-bat of more than five pitches. And only two came on more than two pitches. The other seven hits came on either the first or second pitch of the at-bat.

"That's just a pure coincidence," Glaus said. "We're just up there swinging on every pitch. It isn't like we're trying to work the count or not work the count, we're just looking to pick out a pitch you can do something with and smack it."

For those keeping track at home, the greatest 20 minutes in Angels history went like this: HR, F-8, 1B, 1B, 1B, 1B, F-9, 1B, 1B, 2B, 1B, F-8.

"I don't know if we've ever had an outburst like that," Eckstein said. "We've had some innings, but nothing that compares to today, nothing in as intense of a situation as that. We were just killing the ball."

Which was it? Great hitting by the Angels? Or bad pitching by the Yankees?

"A little bit of both," Wooten said. "I know the pitch that I hit out was up a little bit. But I can't speak for everybody. I know Wells made some good pitches. And I know we've got a great offense. So it was probably a mix."

Some 45 minutes after the game had ended, the party remained in high gear.

As high a gear as the Anaheim offense.

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer for ESPN.com.