John bracket: Angels (09) defeat Mets (69) in six games

Game One: 09 Angels 5, 69 Mets 1
WP: Weaver (1-1)
LP: Seaver (1-2)
HR: Hunter (2)

Game Two: 69 Mets 4, 09 Angels 3
WP: Taylor (1-0)
LP: Fuentes (0-2)

Game Three: 09 Angels 10, 69 Mets 5
WP: Saunders (2-0)
LP: McGraw (1-1)
HR: Agee (1), Kendrick (1)

Game Four: 09 Angels 8. 69 Mets 2
WP: E. Santana (1-0)
LP: Ryan (0-1)
HR: Abreu (1), Hunter (3)

Game Five: 69 Mets 4, 09 Angels 2
WP: Seaver (2-2)
LP: Weaver (2-2)
HR: Morales (2), Kranepool (1)

Game Six: 09 Angels 4, 69 Mets 3
WP: D Oliver (3-0)
LP: Kooseman (1-2)
Save: Fuentes (3)
HR: Napoli (2)

The 1969 World Series champion Miracle Mets fell in the second round to a strong Angels lineup.

Torii Hunter's three-run homer off Tom Seaver in the fourth inning capped a four-run inning and propelled the Angels to the Game One win at Shea Stadium. Jared Weaver scattered six hits in eight innings for the win. Bobby Abreu singled, doubled and walked with a pair of runs scored.

The Mets bounced back with a comeback win in the second game. After Jerry Koosman wild-pitched home a run in the first inning, Art Shamsky doubled home Cleon Jones to tie it. The two second basemen, Howie Kendrick for the Angels and Ken Boswell for the Mets, exchanged RBI singles in the fourth, but the Angels took a 3-2 lead in the sixth on a Kendrys Morales double and Juan Rivera single. That lead stood into the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Brian Fuentes walked pinch-hitter Donn Clendenon. Jerry Grote bounced into a force out, but Bud Harrelson doubled. Pinch-hitter Rod Gaspar walked to load the bases. Tommy Agee walked to tie the game at 3, and Bobby Pfeil singled home Harrelson for the win.

The series moved to Anaheim. where the Angels took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a three-run homer by Kendrick. The Mets responded in the fifth with four runs, capped by Agee's two-run homer. Vladimir Guerrero singled home Chone Figgins with the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Tug McGraw relieved Gary Gentry in the seventh and retired only one hitter, waking four and allowing three hits as the Angels scored five times. The two teams traded runs in the eighth for the final score. Morales scored three runs, and Kendrick drove in four and scored twice.

The Angels had another five-run seventh in Game Four. This inning started with a pair of walks from Mets starter Nolan Ryan. Jack DiLauro faced one hitter, Abreu, who singled to load the bases. Don Cardwell relieved him and, after fanning Guerrero, allowed an RBI single to Morales that tied the game and a grand slam to Hunter for all the runs the Angels really needed.

Seaver kept the Mets in the series with a complete game win in Game Five. Morales' two-run homer in the fourth gave the Angels a 2-0 lead, but Harrelson singled home a run in the fifth and Ed Kranepool homered in the sixth to even the score. Wayne Garrett led off the top of the eighth with a walk. One out later, Kranepool singled. Jones followed with a fly to right that went for a two-base error on Gary Matthews Jr., and Shamsky followed with a sac fly. Seaver struck out eight and allowed eight hits.

The series returned to Shea Stadium for Game Six, and for most of the game it appeared that the Mets were going to force a seventh game. Shamsky had RBI hits in the first, second and third innings, and Koosman took a 3-1 lead into the eighth. With two outs, Morales doubled. Rivera walked. Mark Napoli followed with a home run, and the Angels had a sudden 4-3 lead. Darren Oliver threw two perfect innings for the win, and Fuentes pitched around a two-out single by Jones to wrap up the game and the series.

Player of the series: Kendrys Morales was 12-for-23 with one homer, five doubles, eight runs scored and five RBIs.

Player availability: John Lackey cannot start until Game Three. The rest of the roster is good to go.

Projected rotation: Weaver-Joe Saunders-Lackey-Scott Kazmir or Ervin Santana-(Weaver)-(Saunders)-(Lackey)