Stat break: 09 Angels

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Abreu                67   14   22   16        6    1      1      10      0     .328
Aybar                91   12   22     9        3    3      0        4      1     .242
Figgins             97   15    22     8        2    0      0     21      8      .227
Guerrero           69     5   17     7        2    0      1        4      0      .246
Hunter              90   13   23   15        6    0      4        6      2      .255
M Izturis             7      1    1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .143
Kendrick           89   12   21   15        3    3      3        5      0      .236
Mathis               27     1     3     1        0    0      0        4      0      .111
Matthews Jr      32     5     7     2        1    0      0        8      0      .219
Morales             98   17   39   14        8    0      3        6      0      .398
Napoli               57   10   14     5        2     0     2        7      0      .246
Quinlan               2     1     1     1        0    0      0        0      0      .500
Rivera               80     7   19   17        2    0      2        8      0      .238
Willits                 5     2     2     1        0    0      0        1      0      .400

Pitchers

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

Arredondo          2      0      1          0     0     0       0      1       0      0    0       0.00
Bulger                8      0    10          4     2      2      6    11        1      0    1       1.80
Fuentes              9      0       9        10     6      6      9      7        5      0    2       6.00
Jepsen                8      0       9          6     2      2      3      4        0      0    0       2.00
Kazmir              2      2     12.3      11    4      4      6     10        0      2    0       2.91
Lackey              6      6     38.3      41  17    17      8     29        0      2     1      3.99
Loux                  2      0       5          7     3      3      1      0        0      0     0       5.40

Oliver              13      0     16.3     15     5      3      3      9        0       3     1      1.65
O'Sullivan         2      0       5          2     0      0      1      2        0       0     0       0.00
Palmer               4      0    12          9     4      2      5       1        0       1     0      1.50
E Santana          3      3    19.6     22     5      5      4      14       0       2     0      2.29

Saunders           6      6    32        43   26    26     10     19        0      2     2      7.31

Weaver             8      8    56.3     58    27    21     14    45        0      2     4      3.36

John bracket: Giants (09) defeat Angels (09) in six games

Game One: 09 Giants 6, 09 Angels 4
WP: Lincecum (5-0)
LP: Bulger (0-1)
Save: B. Wilson (8)

Game Two: 09 Angels 5, 09 Giants 1
WP: E Santana (2-0)
LP: Cain (2-2)

Game Three: 09 Giants 5, 09 Angels 2
WP: Zito (3-1)
LP: Saunders (2-2)
Save: B Wilson (9)

Game Four: 09 Angels 8, 09 Giants 3
WP: Lackey (2-1)
LP: J Sanchez (1-1)
HR: Ju Uribe (6), J Rivera (2)

Game Five: 09 Giants 7, 09 Angels 4
WP: Lincecum (6-0)
LP: Jer Weaver (2-4)
Save: B Wilson (10)
HR: Morales (3), Rowand (4)

Game Six: 09 Giants 6, 09 Angels 3
WP: Medders (4-0)
LP: D Oliver (3-1)
Save: Romo (1)

The two teams combined for 54 runs in the six games but only four homers in a series marked by sequential offense.

It opened in San Francisco's AT&T Park, where the Giants broke out early with two runs in the first inning. Fred Lewis singled, and Freddie Sanchez' hit-and-run single moved him to third. Jered Weaver wild-pitched Lewis home, and Pedro Sandoval doubled Sanchez home. The Giants made it 3-0 in the third, when Aaron Rowand walked with two outs and Juan Uribe doubled him home. But the Angels strung together a walk, three singles and a sac fly in the fourth to tie it, with Juan Rivera gathering two RBIs. The teams traded runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Giants took the lead for good in the eighth, stringing together three walks and two singles.

Ervin Santana shined in Game Two, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings for the Angels. He walked one, hit one and struck out three, and drove in two runs himself with doubles in the second and fourth inning off Matt Cain. Howie Kendrick scored three runs and went 3-for-4.

The series moved to Anaheim, and Barry Zito was "effectively wild" for the Giants in Game Three. The lefty walked seven in six-plus innings. The Angels loaded the bases with no outs in the second and did not score; they loaded the bases with no outs again in the third and got just one run out of it on a double play. Zito allowed two runs on four hits. Meanwhile, his teammates scored twice in the second and three times in the third off Joe Saunders; the third inning rally featured five consecutive singles, by Sanchez, Sandoval, Uribe, Nate Schierholtz and Beng Molina.

Rivera's grand slam in the fourth inning of Game Four powered the Angels to the win and evened the series once more. Jonathan Sanchez allowed eight runs in four innings on just five hits; he walked six and allowed four steals. Kendrys Morales drove in three runs while scoring twice. John Lackey scattered eight hits in seven innings. In a significant injury, Torii Hunter was lost for the rest of the series during the big fourth inning rally.

Game Five was a see-saw affair early. The Giants scored twice in the first inning, getting doubles from Lewis and Uribe. Morales homered in the second for the Angels. and Gary Matthews Jr., subbing for Hunter, doubled in two more to give the Angels the lead. The Giants took advantage of a two-out error by Erick Aybar to score twice in the fourth, but Howie Kendrick tripled home Mike Napoli in the bottom of the inning to tie it. But Tim Lincecum stiffened after that -- he allowed just one more hit in the next four innings -- and the Giants scored twice in the fifth on a Uribe single, Eugenio Velez triple and Randy Winn double, and tacked on another run in the sixth on Rowand's solo homer.

The series returned to San Francisco, and the Giants scored single runs in the first and second innings to stake Cain to a 2-0 lead, which he held into the seventh. With one out, Aybar tripled, and Napoli and Matthews singled. Bob Howry relieved to get pinch-hitter Vladimir Guerrero to pop up, but Chone Figgins and Abreu singled to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. Darren Oliver threw a scoreless seventh for the Angels and got the first two outs of the eighth. But then Travis Ishikawa doubled, and Molina singled him home for the tie. Oliver wild-pitched the plodding Molina to second, and Rowand double him home. Figgins booted Winn's grounder to keep the inning alive, and Schierholtz doubled Rowand and Winn in. Sergio Romo got three outfield flies in the ninth for the save and the series win.

Player of the series: Juan Uribe led the Giants in runs (five), RBIs (seven), hits (eight) and walks (four) while tying for the team lead in doubles (two) and homers (one).

Player availability: Cain can pitch Game Two with the penalty. Or Zito can pitch on full rest.

Projected rotation: Lincecum-Cain-Zito-J Sanchez-(Lincecum)-(Cain)-(Zito)

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)

Stat break: 09 Angels

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Abreu                29     8     9     8        2    0      1        8      0     .310
Aybar                45     4   10     8        2    1      0        2      1     .222
Figgins              46     7     9     2        0    0      0     12      6      .196
Guerrero           37     3     8     3        0    0      1        2      0      .216
Hunter              47     6   13   10        3    0      3        3      0      .282
M Izturis             6      1    1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .167
Kendrick           41     4     8     6        2    1      1        3      0      .195
Mathis               12     1     2     1        0    0      0        3      0      .167
Matthews Jr      17     3     3     0        0    0      0        5      0      .176
Morales             46   10   19     8        6    0      2        3      0      .413
Napoli               27     6     8     4        0     0     2        3      0      .296
Quinlan               1     0     1     1        0    0      0        0      0    1.000
Rivera               28     2     3     3        1    0      0        7      0      .107
Willits                 2     1     1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .500

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                4      0       5          0     0      0      1      3        1      0    0       0.00
Fuentes              6      0       5.6       9     6      6      4      6        3      0    2       9.52
Jepsen                4      0       5.3       4     1      1      3      4        0      0    0       1.69
Kazmir               1      1      6           4    2      2      3       2        0      1    0       3.00
Lackey               3      3    20.3      21     6      6      5    13        0      0     0      2.66

Oliver                6      0       8.3       3     0      0      0      3        0       3     0      0.00
O'Sullivan         1      0       3          2     0      0      0      1        0       0     0       0.00
Palmer               1      0       1          1     0      0      0      0        0       0     0      0.00
E Santana          1      1       6.6       8     2      2      3       3       0       1     0      2.70

Saunders           3      3     20        21   12    12      7     12        0      2     0       5.40

Weaver             4      4     30.3     29    11      8      6     26        0      1     2       2.37

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)

Stat break: 09 Angels

Hitters

Name                AB   R   H   RBI   2B  3B   HR   BB   SB   Avg,
Abreu                16     3     5     5        1    0      0        1      0     .313
Aybar                23     4     7     7        2    1      0        2      1     .300
Figgins              24     2     5     2        0    0      0        7      5     .208
Guerrero            19     2     3     1        0    0     1        0      0      .158
Hunter               23     2     6     3        1    0      1       2      0      .261
M Izturis             6      1    1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .167
Kendrick           18     2     1     0        1    0      0        1      0      .056
Mathis                 4     0     1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .250
Matthews Jr        9     2     1     0        0    0      0        5      0      ,111
Morales             23     2     7     3        1    0      1        1      0      .304
Napoli               17     3     5     1        0     0     1        2      0      .294
Quinlan               1     0     1     1        0    0      0        0      0    1.000
Rivera                 9     0     1     0        1    0      0        4      0      .111
Willits                 2     1     1     0        0    0      0        0      0      .500

Pitchers

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

Bulger                2      0       2.6       0     0      0      0      1        1      0    0       0.00
Fuentes              4      0       4          6     4      4      1      5        2      0    1       9.00
Jepsen                2      0       3.3       3     1      1      1      1        0      0     0      2.70
Kazmir               1      1      6           4    2      2      3      2        0      1     0       3.00
Lackey               1      1      7           6     1      1      0     2        0      0     0       1.29

Oliver                3      0       5          2     0      0      0      3        0      2     0       0.00
O'Sullivan         1      0       3          2     0      0      0      1        0      0     0       0.00

Saunders           2      2     13        16     7      7      4      4        0      1     0       4.85

Weaver             2      2     15        17     6      5      2    13        0      0     1       3.00

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

Game One: 69 Angels 5, 09 Angels 1
WP: Messersmith (1-0)
LP: Weaver (0-1)
HR: Morales (1)

Game Two: 09 Angels 10, 69 Angels 9 (12 innings)
WP: Oliver (1-0)
LP: Wright (0-1)
HR: Hunter (1), Napoli (1), Guererro (1)

Game Three: 69 Angels 3, 09 Angels 2
WP: Fisher (1-0)
LP: Fuentes (0-1)
HR: Reichardt (1), Egan (1)

Game Four: 09 Angels 5, 69 Angels 2
WP: Kazmir (1-0)
LP: Murphy (0-1)
Save: Bulger (1)
HR: Johnstone (1)

Game Five: 09 Angels 4, 69 Angels 1 (12 innings)
WP: Oliver (2-0)
LP: Tatum (0-1)
Save: Fuentes (1)

Game Six: 09 Angels 2, 69 Angels 1
WP: Saunders (1-0)
LP: McGlothlin (0-1)
Save: Fuentes (2)
HR: Johnstone (2)


The heavily favored 2009 Angels prevailed in a series marked by tight pitching and closer failures.

Andy Messersmith set the tone for the series by going the distance in the opener, spinning a four-hitter with one walk and  six strikeouts. Vic Davalillo drove in three runs with a triple and a sac fly.

Game Two's slugfest was the series aberration. Starters Jim McGlothlin (6.6 innings, five runs) and Joe Saunders (five innings, six runs) struggled. The 69 Angels took a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but after McGlothlin got the first two outs, Vladimir Guerrero homered. McGlothlin was relieved by Hoyt Wilhelm, who promptly gave up a single to Kendrys Morales and a game-tying homer to Torii Hunter.

The 69 Angels scored in the top of the ninth off Brian Fuentes (a two-out single by Billy Cowan followed by a double by Aurilio Rodriguez), but Ken Tatum gave the lead back in the bottom of the inning (Bobby Abreu walk, Morales double). Fuentes gave up another run in the top of the 10th (Jim Fregosi sac fly after Sandy Alomar doubled and moved to third on a groundout), and Tatum again couldn't hold it (singles by Erick Aybar, Chone Figgins and Abreu).

Finally Darren Oliver threw two shutout innings and the 09 Angels scored in the bottom of the 12th off Clyde Wright (Abreu singles home Macir Izturis).

The series moved to the original iteration of "The Big A" for Game Three, and Rudy May dueled with John Lackey. The 09 Angels scored two in the second, with Aybar singling home Mike Napoli and Gary Matthews Jr. Tom Egan got one back in the third with a homer off Lackey. Lackey left for a pinch hitter in the seventh, and Oliver threw a shutout eighth, then gave way to Fuentes for the ninth. The relief ace walked Jim Spencer to start the inning, then gave up the walk-off blast to Rick Reichardt.

The 09 Angels staked Scott Kazmir to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first against Tom Murphy in Game Four. Jay Johnstone hit a two-run homer in the third to narrow the margin to one, but Kasmir singled home a run in a two-run fourth to make it 5-2. There the scoring ended as Kevin Jepsen and Jason Bulger combined for three hitless innings of relief.

With the series tied, Messersmith was again brilliant in Game Five. He went 10 innings, allowing just two hits (but with eight walks) and didn't allow a hit until the seventh. (The 09 Angels scored in the sixth when Figgins led off with a walk, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on an Aybar squeeze bunt.)

Jared Weaver was just as good on the scoreboard, allowing one run in nine innings on nine hits and no walks. Oliver followed Weaver with two scoreless innings. Tatum threw a perfect 11th in relief of Messersmith, but the 09 Angels broth through in the 12th for three runs on five hits, the key blow being a two-run double by Aybar. Fuentes allowed a leadoff hit in the bottom of the inning but then got the next three hitters to wrap up the win.

Game Six, back in the refurbished Angels Stadium, was another pitchers duel. McGlothlin and Saunders were much sharper than in Game Two. Johnstone homered off the lefty Saunders in the third to put the 69 Angels in the lead, and McGlothlin made it stand up into the seventh, allowing just one hit in the first six frames. But Guerrero led off the seventh with a base hit, Hunter added another, and with two outs, Aybar tripled for a 2-1 lead. Saunders went eight innings, and Fuentes nearly blew another lead, as Fregosi greeted him with a double off the wall. But Fuentes, with memories of the Game Three confrontation still fresh, struck out Reichardt and then popped up Bubba Morton and Spencer to end the threat, the game and the series.

Player of the series: A good case can be made for Messersmith, 19 innings of two-run ball in his two starts. But we'll go with Aybar, who had three game-winning RBIs.

Pitcher availability: Weaver can start the opener on full rest. Saunders must wait until Game Three to start without penalty.

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