George bracket: Dodgers (69) defeat Royals (09) in six games

Game One: 09 Royals 6, 69 Dodgers 2
WP: Greinke (1-2)
LP: Singer (1-1)
HR: Gordon (2)

Game Two: 69 Dodgers 3, 09 Royals 1
WP: Sutton (2-1)
LP: Davies (0-1)
Save: Mikkelsen (1)
HR: Butler (2)

Game Three: 69 Dodgers 6, 09 Royals 5
WP: Osteen (2-0)
LP: R Tejada (3-1)
Save: Brewer (3)
HR: Sudakis (1), Olivo (1)

Game Four: 69 Dodgers 8, 09 Royals 4
WP: Singer (2-1)
LP: Greinke (1-3)
HR: Crawford (1), DeJesus (2)

Game Five: 09 Royals 3, 69 Dodgers 2
WP: Bale (1-0)
LP: Sutton (2-2)
Save: Soria (3)

Game Six: 69 Dodgers 4, 09 Royals 1
WP: Osteen (3-0)
LP: Davies (0-2)
Save: Mikkelsen (2)
HR: Kosco (3), W Davis (2)

The superior pitching depth of the 1969 Dodgers prevailed in this series.

The 2009 Royals got off to a good start in the series opner in Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers touched Zach Greinke for solo runs in the second and third innings, but Kansas City erupted for five runs in the fourth off Bill Singer. Alberto Callaspo led off with a double. Billy Butler singled him to third, and Mark Teahen drove him in with a double. Jose Guillen plated Butler and Teahen with a single, and Alex Gordon capped the uprising with a homer.

Don Sutton was masterful in Game Two, allowing just four hits in eight innings to even the series. Kyle Davies threw four perfect innings for the Royals, but the Dodgers got three runs in the fifth on two singles, a hit batter, a walk and a pair of squeeze bunts, one of which went for a third single. It was the only inning of his seven in which Davies allowed a base runner.

The series shifted to 2009 and Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City called upon first round hero Robinson Tejada, but the power pitcher walked seven and allowed four runs in his five innings. Two of those runs were unearned. Claude Osteen allowed two runs in the first inning, then retired 24 straight hitters. The Royals bats awoke with two outs in the ninth, but Jim Brewer got the final out to preserve the win. Miguel Olivo had three RBIs for Kansas City, two of them on a homer in the ninth off Brewer.

Greinke got the start on short rest in Game Four and fared ill. The first seven Dodgers to hit in the second reached. Willie Crawford led off with a home run, and Len Gabrielson had a two-run single in the five run inning. Despite a three-run homer by David DeJesus, the Royals never got back into the game.

Brian Bannister, John Bale and Joakim Soria kept the series alive in Game Five. Callaspo tripled home two runs in the fifth to give K.C. a 2-0 lead, but Bale's error in the seventh help the Dodgers tie it. Callaspo led off the eighth with a base hit off Sutton; then stole second and scored on Teahen's two-out single.

Davies had a second well-pitched loss in Game Six. Willie Bloomquist's RBI double gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the third, but a Callaspo error in the fifth set up an unearned run in the fifth. The 1-1 tie held into the eighth, when Ted Sizemore singled and Willie Davis homered. Andy Kosco added another homer one out later. Osteen went 8.1 innings, allowing seven hits and at one point retiring 12 straight Royals hitters. Pete Mikkelsen relieved with two on in the ninth and got the final two hitters.

Player of the series: Osteen threw 17 innings and allowed just four earned runs in his two victories.

Player availability: Wes Parker is injured and cannot play until Game Five.

Projected rotation: Singer-Sutton-Osteen-Singer-(Sutton)-(Osteen)-(Singer)