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)