Stat break: 69 Twins

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Allison               27     5     8    7        2    1      2        1      0     .259
Cardenas            72     6   17    6        0    0      2        6      0     .236
Carew                76    10  23  12        5    2      0        5      3     .302
Killebrew          62    14   16  13       5    0      4      21      1      .258
Manuel               12     1     3    0       0    0      0        0      0      .250
Mitterwald         32     2     7    2       2    1      0        3      0      .219
Nettles               24     5     6    2       3    0      2        3       0      .250
Oliva                 72    10   18  13      1     0      4        4      0      .250
Quilici                  2    0     0    0       0    0      0         0      0      .000
Reese                 73     3   18    7       1    0      1        3      0       .247
Renick                 7     1     2    0       0    0      0        3      0       .286
Roseboro           37     6   15    4       2    0      0        0       0      .405
Tovar                 77   14   19    7       4    2      3        5      3       .247
Uhlaender         48     5    11    5       1    0      0        1      2       .229

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L   ERA

D Boswell          5      5     31.3     27   17    17    17    25        0      2    1       4.88
Chance               5     2      13.3     17     5      5      3      6        2      0    2       3.38
Gzrenzda           4      0       4.6      11     6      5      3      3        1      0     0      9.64
Hall                   4      1       8.3        9     4      2      0      6        0      0     0      2.16
Kaat                   5      5     32        33   17     11     9    22        0      2     2      3.09

Miller                6      0     11.3      17     7      7      1      6        0      0     1      5.56
Perranoski         8      0       7           8     4      4      0      4       3      0     1       5.14

J Perry               6      6    44         40    13    11       9    32       0     5     1       2.25

Woodson           5      0       9        13      8      7      1      5        0     1     0       7.00
Worthington      7     0        8          5      0      0      1      6        0     1     0       0.00

Stat break: 09 Angels

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Abreu                52   12   17   14        5    1      1        8      0     .327
Aybar                70   10   18     8        3    2      0        3      1     .257
Figgins              74  12    17     6        2    0      0     17      6      .230
Guerrero           55     3   13     7        1    0      1        2      0      .236
Hunter              76   11   18   14        6    0      4        5      0      .237
M Izturis             7      1    1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .143
Kendrick           68     8   15   12        3    2      3        4      0      .221
Mathis               21     1     3     1        0    0      0        3      0      .143
Matthews Jr      20     3     4     0        0    0      0        6      0      .200
Morales             77   13   33   10        7    0      2        3      0      .429
Napoli               44     7   12     4        2     0     2        4      0      .273
Quinlan               2     1     1     1        0    0      0        0      0      .500
Rivera               57     6   14   10        2    0      1        7      0      .246
Willits                 3     2     2     1        0    0      0        0      0      .667

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L   ERA

Arredondo          1      0       0.6       0     0     0       0      0       0      0    0       0.00
Bulger                6      0       8.3       2     0      0      2    10        1      0    0       0.00
Fuentes              9      0       9        10     6      6      9      7        5      0    2       6.00
Jepsen                6      0       7          5     2      2      3      4        0      0    0       2.57
Kazmir              2      2     12.3      11    4      4      6     10        0      2    0       2.91
Lackey              5      5     31.3      33  14    14      7     22        0      1     1      4.02
Loux                  2      0       5          7     3      3      1      0        0      0     0       5.40

Oliver              10      0     12.3       7     1      1      3      5        0       3     0      1.29
O'Sullivan         1      0       3          2     0      0      0      1        0       0     0       0.00
Palmer               3      0      8          6     3      1      4      0        0       1     0       1.13
E Santana          1      1       6.6       8     2      2      3       3       0       1     0      2.70

Saunders           5      5     26        33   21    21      9     16        0      2     1      7.27

Weaver             6      6     44.3     43    17    13   10     36        0      2     3      2.64

John bracket: Angels (09) defeat Twins (69) in seven games

Game One: 09 Angels 6, 69 Twins 5
WP: Ja Weaver (2-2)
LP: J Perry (4-1)
Save: Fuentes (4)

Game Two: 69 Twins 8, 09 Angels 3
WP: Boswell (2-1)
LP: Saunders (2-1)
HR: Allison (2), Killebrew (3), Boswell (1)

Game Three: 69 Twins 11, 09 Angels 0
WP: Kaat (2-1)
LP: Lackey (0-1)
HR: Nettles (1), Cardenas (2)

Game Four: 09 Angels 4, 69 Twins 2
WP: Kazmir (2-0)
LP: Chance (0-2)
Save: Fuentes (5)
HR: Oliva (4), Hunter (4)

Game Five: 69 Twins 2, 09 Angels 0
WP: J. Perry (5-1)
LP: Ja Weaver (2-3)

Game Six: 09 Angels 10, 69 Twins 4
WP: M Palmer (1-0)
LP: Perranoski (0-1)
HR: Boswell (2)

Game Seven: 09 Angels 10, 68 Twins 2
WP: Lackey (1-1)
LP: Kaat (2-2)
HR: Kendrick 2 (3), Rivera (1), Killebrew (4), Nettles (2)

It was feast or famine for the 2009 Angels hitters in this series, and they were sufficiently gluttonous to prevail in seven games.

The series opened in 1969's Metropolitan Stadium, and the visiting Angels harassed Twins ace Jim Perry for six runs in the first five innings, peppering him for nine hits in the process. Juan Rivera had three RBI singles. The Twins matched the Angels' three run third with a three-run fourth, but left the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

The Twins hit a pair of two-run homers in the first inning off Joe Saunders, the first by Harmon Killebrew and the second by Bob Allison. Dave Boswell wasn't particularly sharp -- he allowed three runs on eight hits in seven innings -- but he limited the Halos to one run at a time, and added a home run of his own in the second inning.

The series moved to Anaheim and 2009's Angels Stadium for Game Three, and Jim Kaat was masterful. The lefty no-hit the Angels for six innings, While he did allow five hits in the final three frames, he completed the shutout. His mates gave him plenty of run support, scoring in six of the first seven innings. Rod Carew had four RBIs with two doubles and a triple, while Cesar Tovar scored three runs and Graig Nettles, Leo Cardenas and John Roseboro scored twice each.


The Angels evened the series in Game Four. Minnesota started one-time Angels ace Dean Chance, and the righty couldn't get though the fourth inning, when the Angels pushed across two runs. Scott Kazmir pitched into the seventh, allowing two runs.

Perry threw the Twins' second complete-game shutout of the series in Game Five. The Angels mustered just three safeties off him. Jered Weaver was a hard-luck loser; the first run he allowed was unearned, and Weaver allowed just six hits himself.

The series returned to Minnesota for Game Six. Boswell hit his second homer of series in the third to tie the game at, and Allison's two-run triple in the fourth gave the Twins a 4-3 lead. Matt Palmer relieved Saunders to start the fifth and three three shutout innings. Relief ace Ron Perranoski entered for the Twins to begin the eighth, and the Angels feasted. Erick Aybar lead off with a base hit. Pinch-hitter Robb Quinlan moved him up with a ground out, and Chone Figgins plated him with a single. Bobby Abreu doubled Figgins home for the lead, and after Torii Hunte grounded out, Kendrys Morales and Rivera bopped consecutive doubles, and the Angels led 7-4. The Angels tacked on another three runs off Bob Miller in the ninth, with Figgins driving in one and Abreu two. Abreu had five RBIs for the game and Figgins three, while Aybar scored three times.

The decisive Game Seven went much easier for the Angels, even though the Twins scored first on Graig Nettles' second-inning homer. Kaat led the lead into the fourth, when Howie Kendrick tied it with a solo homer. Two hits and two walks later, the Angels had a 3-1 lead. Rivera and Kendrick hit homers in the fifth to make it 5-1 and chase Kaat, and the Angels added on with two in the seventh, one in the eight and two in the ninth. Lackey allowed three hits in six innings, two of them homers, before giving way to Jason Bulger and Brian Fuentes for the final six outs.

Player of the series: Juan Rivera was 11-for-29 with four runs and seven RBIs. We'll go with him over Kendrys Morales, who was 14-for-31 but with only one extra base hit and just three runs and two RBIs.

Player availability: The second start of round 4 is an issue. Saunders doesn't have the asterisk, but he only went four innings in Game Six and six innings total for the series, and I'm inclined to let him have the start, with penalty, over either Kazmir or Ervin Santana.

Projected rotation: Weaver-Saunders (?)-Lackey-Kazmir or Santana-(Weaver)-(Saunders)-(Lackey)

Round Three recap: George bracket

Advancing: 69 Dodgers, 69 Orioles

Eliminated: 69 Cubs, 09 Red Sox

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One series went the full seven games, the other was a sweep. Of the 14 potential games, 11 were played. Two 1969 teams advance, one 2009 team was eliminated. The series pit two AL teams against each other and two NL teams, so one of each advanced. There will be no DH in the fourth round.

---

The Dodgers win was a mild upset. The Orioles domination of a good Red Sox team underscores the O's status as a strong favorite to win the tournament.

Stat break: 69 Cubs

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Banks                 77   15   20  20        3    0      8       9      0     .260
Beckert              87   15   26    6        4     0     1       3      0      .299
Gamble              11     2     1    3        0    0      1        1      0     .091
Hickman            76   10   16  11        3    1      2        9      0     .211
Hundley             74   13   24  16       3     0      6       5       0     .324
Kessinger           95   16   28  11       8    0      1        5      2      .295
N Oliver               4     1     0    0       0    0      0        0      0      .000
Popovich              4     1     1    0       0    0      0        0      0      .250
Qualls                14     1     3    1       0    0      0        1      0      .214
Rudolph               7     0     0    0       0    0      0        1       0     .000
Santo                  84  17   33   16       5    0     8         8       0     .393
W Smith               4     1    1    1        0    0     0        0       0      .250
Spangler               9     0    0    0       0    0      0        1       0      .000
B Williams        87    16  33  17      2     2      4        7       0      .379
D Young            51      4  10    6      5     0      1        7       0      .196

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L   ERA

Abernathy           4      0      7.6    10     3      3      4        6       1      1    1       3.52
Aguirre               7       0     9.3      7      3      2      3       1        1      0    0      1.93
Hands                 7       7   50.6    45    20    20    12     27        0      2    2      3.55
Holtzman           6       6   38.3     46   25    24    13     27        0      3     1      5.63
Jenkins               7      7    51.6    62    22    18    15     47        0      3     3      2.61

K Johnson          2      0      4          2     0      0      4       4        0      0     0       0.00
Nye                    2      0      4.6       6     6      4      2       1        1      0     0      7.71

Regan                9      0      9        19   12     12     3       6        1      1     2     12.00

Selma                5     1     12.3       6   10      8      9      14       0      1     0       5.84

Stat break: 69 Dodgers

Hitters

Name                AB     R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,

W Crawford       54      7   16   12       1    0      3      3      0      .296

W Davis             85      6   23     9       5    0      2      3      3      .271

Gabrielson         20      1     5     2       1    0      0      3      0      .250
Grabarkewitz       4      0     1     0       0    0      0      0      0      .250

Haller                 49      5   15     3       2    1      0      8      0      .306

Hutton                25      2     5     0       0    0      0      4      0      .200

Kosco                47      8   15     7       1     0     5       5      0     .319

Lefebvre            20      1     2     2       1    0      0      4       0      .100

M Mota              29      4   13     3       2    0      0      2      0       .448

Parker               54      8   17     7       4    0      2      1       0      .315

Russell             25      0     4     0       0    0      0      3       0      .160

Sizemore          77   12    22     7       1    1      1      3       0      .286

Sudakis            65      8    16    6       1    0      2      3       0       .246
Torborg             20      1      7     4       3     0      0      0      0      .350
Wills                 82      7    13     4       1     0     1      5      5       .159

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L     ERA

J Brewer            8      0       9.6      9     3      3      3       5       4      2     2      2.79
Drysdale            5      0       5         6     2      2      1       1       0      0     0      3.60
A Foster            3      0       6         7     1      1      1        2       0      1    0       1.50
McBean             4      0      6       10     8       8     2       1        0      0    0     12.00
Mikkelsen          6      0       9         3     2      2     7       5        2      0     0       2.00
Moeller              2      0       3         3     1       1     0       0        0      0     0      3.00

Osteen              7      7    54.3    45    19    18   13     20        0      4     1      2.98
Singer               7      7    50       28    16    15     8     27        0      3     2       2.70

Sutton               6      6    35       31    18    15   10     31        0      2     3      3.86

George bracket: Dodgers (69) defeat Cubs (69) in seven games

Game One: 69 Dodgers 6, 69 Cubs 1
WP: Singer (3-1)
LP: Hands (1-2)
HR: Sudakis (2)

Game Two: 69 Dodgers 5, 69 Cubs 4
WP: Foster (1-0)
LP: Regan (1-2)
HR: Crawford (2), Hickman (2)

Game Three: 69 Cubs 6, 69 Dodgers 2
WP: Holtzman (3-0)
LP: Osteen (3-1)
HR: B Williams (2), Banks (7), Wills (1)

Game Four: 69 Cubs 3, 69 Dodgers 2
WP: Hands (2-2)
LP: Singer (3-2)
HR: Banks (8), B Williams 2 (4), Kosco (4)

Game Five: 69 Cubs 10, 69 Dodgers 6
WP: Jenkins (3-3)
LP: Sutton (2-3)
HR: Gamble (1), Parker (1), Jenkins (2), Kosco (5)

Game Six: 69 Dodgers 7, 69 Cubs 4
WP: Osteen (4-1)
LP: Holtzman (3-1)
Save: Brewer (4)
HR: Parker (2), Crawford (3)

Game Seven: 69 Dodgers 2, 69 Cubs 1 (11 innings)
WP: Brewer (2-2)
LP: Abernathy (1-1)

The 69 Dodgers couldn't win in Wrigley Field; the 69 Cubs couldn't win in Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers, as the number two seed in the George bracket, had the extra home game and took the series with an extra inning win.

The Dodgers blew the first game open late. They scored single runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-1 lead, and Bill Singer made that lead hold up. Phil Regan relieved Bill Hands for the eighth and was battered for four runs for the final margin. Bill Sudakis had three RBIs for the Dodgers, including a two-run homer.

Regan was victimized for four runs again in Game Two. He was entrusted with a 4-1 lead and got only one out in the ninth inning as the Dodgers came back. Willie Crawford followed a walk by Ted Sizemore and a single by Andy Kosco with a three-run homer, then Sudakis doubled and later scored on Jeff Torborg's base hit. Fergie Jenkins had allowed just one unearned run in eight innings for the Cubs,

The series moved to hitter-friendly Wrigley, and the Cubs never trailed in Game Three. Ken Holtzman allowed four hits and two runs in eight innings, while Billy Williams had three hits and a two-run homer.

Singer and Hands dueled again in Game Four, with both right-handers going the distance. The Cubs got three solo homers, two from Williams and one from Ernie Banks. Hands scattered 10 hits, while Singer allowed just five hits, all by Williams and Banks.

The Cubs took the lead in the series with a crushing seven-run outburst in the third inning. Don Sutton walked three men in a row, two with the bases loaded, at one point in the inning, after which Randy Hundley drove in two runs with a base hit and Oscar Gamble homered. Jenkins later hit his second homer of the tournament. The Dodgers made the score deceptively close with four runs in the eighth and ninth innings off Rich Nye.

Back in Los Angeles for Game Six, the Dodgers quickly fell behind. Don Kessinger singled, stole second and scored on Williams' single. One out later, Banks doubled and Jim Hickman singled home Williams and Banks. The Dodgers scored one in the bottom of the inning and tied it in the third, with Manny Mota picking up all three RBIs with a pair of base hits. Wes Parker, who had missed the first four games with an injury, hit a two-run homer in the fifth to put the Dodgers ahead, and pinch-hitter Willie Crawford added another two-run shot in the eighth.

Game Seven went 11 innings and was every bit as taut as the 2-1 final would suggest. The Cubs scored in the fourth on singles by Glenn Beckert and Williams, followed by an error by Bill Singer. The Dodgers evened the score in the sixth; Maury Wills singled, stole second and scored on a Willie Daves base hit. Dodgers reliever Pete Mikkelsen walked four men and allowed a base hit in the seventh and eighth innings but stranded all five baserunners. The Dodgers finally broke through in the 10th on consecutive base hits by Parker, Tom Haller and Sudakis.

Player of the series: Bill Sudakis had a knack in the late innings for the Dodgers. He blew Game One open with an eighth-inning homer; he scored the winning run in Game Two's ninth inning comeback; and he singled home the game winner in the 11th of the finale. He went 9-for-23 for the series with three runs and four RBIs and even caught two innings when both Haller and Torborg were injured in Game Three.

Player availability: No injuries carry over. Mikkelsen pitched three innings in Game Seven and Brewer three in Games Six and Seven combined; try to limit them to one inning apiece in Game One.

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

Round three recap: Paul bracket

Advancing: 69 Pilots, 09 Reds

Eliminated: 69 Astros, 09 Yankees

---
One series went seven games, the other went six. Of the 14 potential games, 13 were played. The two series pitted teams from the same season, so there is no gain for either 1969 or 2009. An American League team won one series, a National League team won the other.

---
Both outcomes were upsets. The winner of the Paul bracket is guaranteed to have been under .500 in real life (the Reds were 78-84, the Pilots 64-98). The DH will not be used in the fourth round.

Stat break: 69 Pilots

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Comer                62   12   21   12       2    0      3       7      3     .339
T Davis               29     2     9     5       3    0      0       1      1     .310
Donaldson          54   10   16     2       1    1      0       6      0     .296
Gil                       25     1     3     1       0    0      0       2      0     .120
Goossen             17     4     5     1      2    0      0       2      0     .294
Harper                90   18   24     8       5    0      0     15    11     .266
Hegan                64      9  14    18      2    1      5      21      2     .219
Hovley                52     7   21      7      5     0      0       4     4     .404
Kennedy            56     4    11     3       4     0     1       4      0      .196
McNertney         40      4   13     5       4     0      0      2      0      .325
Mincher              72     9   17    13       3     1     3       6      2      .236
Oyler                  67     8   11      6        0    0     3     10      0      .164
Pagliaroni          44     6     8      8       4    1      1       2      0      .181
Whitaker           47     3     8      6        0    0      3      5      0      .170

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L     ERA

Barber               5      1     12.3     14    6      6      4    10        0      0     0      4.38
Bouton              9      2      23.6    22   14   11     12    13        0      2     1      4.41
Brabender         6      5     23       26   18   18     11    14        0      2     2       7.04
Brunet               5      4     22       25    11   10      8     14        0     2     1       4.09
Gelnar               5      3     25.3    20     5      4      2    14        0      3     0       1.42

Locker               7      0       9         7     5      5      3      5        3      0     2       5.00
Marshall            7      0     30       29   10      7      8    11        1      0     0       2.10

O'Donoghue     5      0       7         3     2      2       2     7        1      3     0       2.57

Pattin                6       2      9.6    19   12      9       4      7        0      0    1       8.38

Segui                5      4     27       23   17    14       9    19       1      0     2       4.67

Stat break: 69 Astros

Hitters

Name                AB     R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,

J Alou                 49      6   10     3       2    1      1      1      0      .204

Blefary               51      9    20    8       2    2      1      3      1      .392

Bryant                18      2     2     1       0    0      1      0      0      .111

T Davis              29      3     3     4       0    0      0      3      0      .103

Edwards            47      5   12     9       2    1      1      3      0      .255

Geiger                37      3   11     3       1     1      0     8      0      .297

M Martinez          6      0      3     0       0    0      0      0      0      .500

Menke               74    10    24     9       6    0      1      7      0      .324

N Miller             38      4       9     3       0    0       0     3       0     .237

Morgan             83    13    21   13       3    0      4      8       3      .253

Rader               69      9    26   12       8    0      0      6       0      .377

Torres                 5      2      2    5       0     0     2      1       0      .400

Valdespino       21      2      4     0       0     0     0      1       0      .190

Watson            26      5      6     2       0     0     0      3       0      .231

Wynn               64    18    16   11       2     0     6    20       1      .250

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L     ERA

Billingham        6      0     12       16     8      7      4     14        0      1     0      5.25
Blasingame      3      0       4.3      6     0      0      1       3        0      0     0      0.00
Bouton             7      1     11.6     16     9      9      2     13        0      1     0      6.94
Dierker             7      7    54        42   12    11     14    39        0      6     0       1.83
Gladding          9      0       9.6    14     5      5       5       2        4      0     1      4.65

Griffin               3      3    18.6    13      7      7      7     22         0     1     0       3.37
LeMaster          5     4     26       31   23    20      4     22        0      0     2        6.92

Ray                  6      0    11.6     10     4      4      9      17        0      1     2      3.08

D Wilson          4     4    20.6      25   15   12     16     25        0      1     2       5.22
Womack          4      0     4.6        6     6     6       4        2       0       0     0    11.56 

Paul bracket: Pilots (69) defeat Astros (69) in seven games

Game One: 69 Astros 9. 69 Pilots 2
WP: Billingham (1-0)
LP: Bouton (2-1)
HR: J Morgan (2)

Game Two: 69 Pilots 5, 60 Astros 2
WP: Brunet (1-1)
LP: D Wilson (1-1)
Save: Segui (1)

Game Three: 69 Astros 8, 69 Pilots 4
WP: Dierker (6-0)
LP: Brabender (2-2)
HR: Oyler (2), Edwards (1), J Morgan (3)

Game Four: 69 Pilots 5, 69 Astros 4
WP: Gelnar (3-0)
LP: LeMaster (0-2)
Save: O'Donoghue (1)
HR: Menke (1), Wynn (5)

Game Five: 69 Pilots 6, 69 Astros 5 (10 innings)
WP: O'Donoghue (3-0)
LP: Ray  (1-2)
HR: Hegan (4), Wynn (6), Oyler (3)

Game Six: 69 Astros 7, 69 Pilots 3
WP: Bouton (1-0)
LP: Barber (0-1)
HR: Pagliaroni (1)

Game Seven: 69 Pilots 13, 69 Astros 6
WP: Brunet (2-1)
LP: D Wilson (1-2)
HR: Mincher (3), Hegan (5), J Morgan (4)

The unlikely saga of the 1969 Seattle Pilots continues with a third straight Game Seven victory. Indeed, the Pilots are 7-0 in elimination games in this tournament.

Game One, in the Astrodome, was the much-anticipated Bouton vs. Bouton matchup. Houston's Jim Bouton left after five innings, trailing 2-1 on a pair on RBI hits by Don Mincher. But after Seattle's version of Jim Bouton struck out Jimmy Wynn to open the bottom of the sixth, the Astors racked up three straight hits, followed by a Ray Oyler two-base error to take a 4-2 lead. Marty Pattin then relieved and gave up a walk, a single and a three-run homer to Joe Morgan to blow the game open.

The Pilots evened the series in Game Two, with George Brunet allowing just one unearned run in six innings and Diego Segui another unearned run in three innings of relief. The Pilots trail 1-0 after six but knocked Don Wilson out of the box with a three-run seventh and added two more off Dooley Womack in the eighth.

The series shifted from the cavernous Dome to cramped Sick's Stadium, and the Astros feasted early in Game Three off Gene Brabender. A sixth-run first inning began with a Joe Morgan homer and was capped by Johnny Edwards' grand slam. Mike Marshall threw seven shutout innings in relief of Brabender, but the Pilots couldn't catch up against Larry Dierker.

The Pilots bounced back in Game Four. John Gelnar threw seven innings of two-run ball, and Greg Goosen scored three runs on three hits, two of them doubles. Wynn and Denis Menke each had a two-run homer for the Astros.

The Astros led Game Five 5-0 half way through after Wynn's homer in the top of the fifth. But Pattin, Brabender and John O'Donoghue combined for five scoreless frames as the Pilots chipped away with one in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth. In the bottom of the 10th, Steve Hovley had a one-out single. Tommy Harper and Mike Hegan walked to load the bases, and Fred Gladding relieved to get pinch-hitter Goosen to ground into a force play at the plate. But Mincher followed with a long single to score Harper with the winning run.

The series returned to Houston for Game Six, and Dierker turned a 3-1 lead over to Bouton in the eighth inning. With two outs, John Kennedy singled and Jim Pagliaroni hit a fly to left-center that fell between Tommy Davis and Wynn. The two outfielders collided, and the plodding Pagliaroni got an inside-the-park homer to even the score. The Astros immediately rallied for four runs off Bob Locker, however, so the only effect of the bizarre play was to deprive Dierker of his seventh "W".

Game Seven rematched Brunet and Wilson, and the Astros starter had nothing. Mincher hit a two-run homer in the first. Errors by Menke and Doug Rader helped the Pilots score three more in the second, and Oyler and Harper drove in runs in the third for a 7-0 lead. Brunet gave up three runs in the fifth, his final frame, but the Pilots added six more runs in the final three innings, including a three run homer from Hegan. Bouton and Marshall threw two innings apiece to mop up. Mincher scored three runs, and Harper was 5-for-6.

Player of the series: Tommy Harper went 16-for-32 with four doubles and four walks. He stole five bases, scored seven runs and drove in three while playing five different positions in the seven games (second base, third base and all three outfield spots.

Player availability: Brunet and Steve Barber cannot pitch until Game Three. All other pitchers are eligible to pitch, although Marshall can't start the opener. Bouton should not start again in the tournament. No injuries are carrying over.

Projected rotation: What rotation? The Pilots used six starters against the Astros and have deployed seven different starters in the tournament. A rough draft: Brabender-Segui-Brunet-Pattin-(Gelnar)-(Brabender)-(Segui).

Stat break: 69 Orioles

Hitters

Name                AB     R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Belanger             58      6   13     4       1    0      0      5      0      .224
Blair                    40      8   16     9       3    0      2      3      1      .400
Buford                64    14   22     2       5     0      0      7      1      .344
Dalyrmple             3     1     1     0       1    0      0       0      0      .333
Etchebarren       23      1     2     1       0    0      0       1      0      .087
Hendricks           34      4     9     5       0    0      0      1       0      .265
D Johnson          64    11   21     5       8    0      0      7       0     .328
D May                20       4    7      2       2    0      0      0       0     .350
Motton                21      1     4     1       3    1      0      0       0      .190
Powell                66    10   19   23       5     0     6      4       0      .288
Rettemund         13      3     3     3       0     0     0      4      0       .231
B Robinson        62      5   15     7       4     0      2      4      0      .242
F Robinson        61     18   22  16       6     0     6      6       0       .361
Salmon                4       0     0    0       0     0     0      0       0       .000

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L     ERA

Cuellar              4      4     31.6    15    7      7      9     16        0      2     0      1.99
D Hall               6      0       8         7     3      3      4       4       2      0     1       3.38
Hardin              2      0       3         2     1      1      1       2        0      0     0      3.00
Leonhard          3      0      7         0     0      0      0       5        0      1      0      0.00
Lopez               3      0    11       11      4      4      2     10        0      0     0       3.27
McNally            4      4     22.6    28   13    13      7     10        0      2     0       5.16

Palmer             4      4     30       32   11    11    10     24         0     3     0       3.30

Phoebus          4      3     14       20   17    14       8     12        0      1     2      9.00

Richert             6      0       7.6      3     0      0       1     10       2       0     0       0.00

Watt                 5      0       9         6    1       1       5       6        0     3     0       1.00

Stat break: 09 Red Sox

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
B Anderson           8     2     4     2       1    1     0      0      0     .500
Baldelli                  3     2     2     3       0    0     2       0     0     .667
Bay                      58   14   10   12       3    1     5    12      0     .172
Drew                    55   10   22   18      3    1     5     12      0     .400
Ellsbury               64     5   16     3      2    2     0       5      1      .250
A Gonzalez           8     2     5     3       2    0     1       0      0     .625
N Green              42     3  13     2        4    0      0      2      0     .310
Kottaras                5     0    1     0       0    0      0      2      0      .200
Lowell                50     8  18     6       7    0     1      3      1       .360
Lowrie                10     2    2     2       0    0     1       1     0       .200
V Martinez         48     5    5    5        0    0      1      3      0      .104
Ortiz                   36     1    5     6       1    0     1       4      0      .139
Pedroia               71     8  21    6        3    0     1       4      0      .296
Varitek               26     5     3    5        0    0     2      6      0      .115
Youkilis             57   12   17    5       5    0     3       5      0      .298

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L   ERA

Beckett               5      5    32.3     38    23   23      8      31       0      2    2       6.41
Buchholtz           1      1      6.6       8      8     8      4        3      0       0    0    10.79
Byrd                   2      0      7           8     6     6      5         1      0      0    0       7.71
Delcarmen         5      0       8       10      7     6      5        6       0      0    0       6.75
Lester                 4      4    29.6     18      6     4     9       29       0      2    1       1.22
Matuzaka           1      1       3         6      5     5      3        3       0      0     1     15.00

Okajima             7       0     6          8     3     3       1        3       0      0     2      4.50

Papelbon            9       0     9         4      2     2       2        9       5      0     1      2.00

Penny                 2      2      8.3       9     8      8       5       3        0      1    1      8.64

R Ramirez          6      0      7.3      5      2       2     1       2       0        1     0     2.46
Saito                   7      0      8.6       6     4      4      7       6       0       1     1      4.15

Smoltz                1      0      1.6       3     1      1      0       3        0     0     0      5.39
Wakefield           3     3    18.6      21     8     8      6     10        0      1     0      3.86

George bracket: Orioles (69) defeat Red Sox (09) in four games

Game One: 69 Orioles 4, 09 Red Sox 3 (11 innings)
WP: Watt (2-0)
LP: Okajima (0-2)
Save: D. Hall (2)
HR: Powell (6)

Game Two: 69 Orioles 7, 09 Red Sox 3
WP: McNally (2-0)
LP: Beckett (2-2)
HR: Lowrie (1), Blair (2)

Game Three: 69 Orioles 6, 09 Red Sox 3
WP: Palmer (3-0)
LP: Penny (1-1)
Save: Richert (2)
HR: Lowell (1)

Game Four: 69 Orioles 10, 09 Red Sox 9
WP: Watt (3-0)
LP: Saito (1-1)
HR: F. Robinson (6), Al Gonzalez (1), Bay (5)

The games were competitive, but they all had the same outcome: A Baltimore Orioles victory.

The series opened in Fenway Park, and Boog Powell homered in the Birds' two-run second off Jon Lester. Baltimore led 3-0 after five innings, scoring two runs with the aid of a pair of Nick Green errors, and Mike Cuellar sliced through the Red Sox lineup through seven innings. But in the eighth he walked J.D. Drew and hit Jason Varitek. With two outs Jacoby Ellsbury tripled. After Dustin Pedroia walked, Eddie Watt relieved and yielded a game-tying single to Kevin Youkilis.

Watt and the Boston bullpen held the tie into the 11th inning. when Frank Robinson doubled and Powell singled him home. Dick Hall relieved Watt and improbably -- Hall was one of the greatest control artists in baseball history -- walked three men before escaping the bottom of the 11th with the save.

The Orioles again scored twice in the second inning of Game Two. Designated hitter Dave May's double was followed by consecutive singles by Brooks Robinson, Elrod Hendricks and Mark Belanger. Jed Lowrie countered in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run homer off Dave McNally. Paul Blair's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Birds a 4-2 lead, and the Orioles broke the game open with three runs in the seventh, with Powell driving home two men.

The series shifted to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore for Game Three, and the Red Sox took their first lead of the series in the first inning as Ellsbury, Pedoria and Victor Martinez bunched base hits off Jim Palmer. The Orioles blasted Brad Penny for four runs in the bottom of the third, gathering two doubles, two singles and two walks. The Sox got one run back in the fourth (David Ortiz, pinch-hitting for Penny, with an RBI ground out) and another in the sixth on Mike Lowell's homer. But Belanger and pinch-hitter May hit consecutive doubles in the seventh, and May later scored on another Green error to widen the margin to three, Hall and Pete Richert tossed a scoreless inning apiece to wrap up the win.

Their backs to the wall, the Sox got a homer by Alex Gonzalez in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead off Tom Phoebus, then blasted the struggling right-hander for five more in the fourth, They added another off reliever Marcelino Lopez for a 7-0 lead. The inning featured a triple by Jason Bay, doubles by Gonzalez and Pedroia, singles by Ellsbury and Drew, a walk and a HBP for Youkilis and an unlikely two-base error by Blair.

But the Birds fought back. They got three in the fourth (a bases-loaded walk by Brooks Robinson and a two-run single by Hendricks) and two more in the fifth (homer by Frank Robinson). Bay's homer off Jim Hardin made the score 8-5 going into the bottom of the seventh, with Clay Buchholtz still working for the Sox. With one out, pinch-hitter May singled. One out later, Davy Johnson singled. Frank Robinson singled to load the bases, and Hideki Okajima entered to face Powell, who plated all three runners with a double. Merv Rettemund, in the lineup for the injured Blair, singled home Powell, and the Orioles had a 9-8 lead.

Richert threw a scoreless eighth and was hit for in the bottom of the inning as the Orioles were unable to add on against Takashi Saito. Watt took the hill for the top of the ninth, and immediately gave up a game-tying homer to Youkilis. But in the bottom of the ninth, Johnson led off with a single against Saito. Frank Robinson walked. Powell popped up. but Rettemund walked, and with Jonathan Papelbon on the hill, Brooks Robinson got the base hit that ended the game and the series.

Player of the series: Frank Robinson was 5-for-13 with four walks, two doubles and a homer. He scored seven runs and drove in three. He gets the honor over Powell, who was 5-for-16 with three walks, one double and one homer with two runs scored and seven RBIs.

Player availability: Blair will be recovered by the time the fourth round begins. The pitching staff will be fully rested.

Projected rotation: Cuellar-McNally-Palmer-Phoebus(?)-(Cuellar)-(McNally)-(Palmer). Phoebus may give way to Hardin or Dave Leonard.

Stat break: 09 White Sox

Hitters

Name                  AB     R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg.

Beckham              60    10   17     7      2     1      3      8      1     .283
Dye                       63      9   14   10      1     0      2    11      0     .222

Fields                      9      0     3     2       0    0      0      0      0     .333

Getz                     37      5     6     5       2    0      1      3      1      .162

Konerko               73      8   19     7       2    0      4      2      0      .260

Kotsay                 32      3     9     0       3     0      1      1      0      .281

J Nix                     24      3     7     3       0     1     2      3      0      .292

Pierzynski            68      6   19     7       3    0      0      5      0       .279

Podsednik            51      5   10     6       1    0      1      2       1      .196

Quentin                33      2     6     4       0    0      1      2       0      .182

Ale Ramirez         67      9   17     8       0     0      1     5       1     .253

Rios                     26      2     5     0       1     0      0      2       2     .192
Thome                 39      6   11     5       2     0      2      9       0     .282

Pitchers

Name                G    GS   IP        H    R    ER   BB    K     Sv.     W    L     ERA

Buehrle             6     6      42       44   25    24    10     19        0      1     3      5.14
D Carrasco      4      0      10.6    13     3      3      4       5       0      0     0       2.53
Conteras          1      1        5.3      7     3      3      0       1       0      0     1       5.07
Danks              4      4      25       22   13    12      9     11        0      1     1      4.32
Dotel                5      0        6         8     3      3      4       7        0      0     0      4.50
Floyd                4      4     26        27    18    16    11    18         0      2     2       5.54
Jenks               6      0       6          3      0      0     0       3         5      1      0      0.00

Linebrink          5      0       4.6       9      7      6      1      5         0      1     0     11.56
Peavy               2     2     15          7      0      0      2     15        0      2     0       0.00
T Pena Jr          2      0      2.3      0      0      0      0       0        0      0     0       0.00
Richard            3      1       8.6    18    11    11      2       5        0      0      1     11.42

Thornton          5      0       6.3      6      4      4      1     10        0      1     1        5.69