Stat break: 69 Dodgers

Hitters

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

K Boyer                2      0     1     0      0     0      0      0      0      .500
W Crawford       65      9   20   13       2    0      3      4      0      .307

W Davis           103    11   32   13       5    0      2      7      3      .311

Gabrielson         27      1     6     3       2    0      0      3      0      .222
Grabarkewitz       4      0     1     0       0    0      0      0      0      .250

Haller                 68      6   22     6       3    1      0      8      0      .324

Hutton                31      3     6     0       0    0      0      4      0      .194

Kosco                71    10   16     8       1    0      6      7      0      .225

Lefebvre            37      3     8     3       2    0      0      4       0      .216

M Mota              43      5   19     4       3     0      0      3      0      .442

Parker               77    10   26   11       4    0      2      5       0      .338

Russell             35      2     8     1       1    0      1      4       0      .229

Sizemore        107    14   27     8       2    1      1      3       0      .252

Sudakis            84     10   21     9       1    1      2      4       0      .250
Torborg             31      1      8     5       3    0      0      1      0      .258
Wills               110      9    20     4       2    2      1     10     8       .182

Pitchers

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

J Brewer          10      0     14.6   14     4      4      5       9       5      2     2       2.45
Drysdale            8      0     11      11     4      4      4       2       0      0     0       3.27
A Foster             4      0       8      11     3      3      3       3       0      1     1       3.38
McBean             6     0      10       17     8      8     3       2        0      0    0       7.20
Mikkelsen          8      0     13         7     3      3     9       8        2      0     0       2.08
Moeller              2      0       3         3     1       1     0       0        0      0     0      3.00

Osteen              9      9    71.3    63    23    22   14     29        0      5     2      2.78
Singer               9      9    63       43    20    19   10     35        0      4     3       2.71

Sutton               9      9    54       47    28    25   18     41        0      3     4      4.17

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

Game One: 69 Orioles 6, 69 Dodgers 4 (16 innings)
WP: Hardin (1-0)
LP: A Foster (1-1)
Save: Watt (1)
HR: D Johnson (1)

Game Two: 69 Orioles 3, 69 Dodgers 2
WP: McNally (3-0)
LP: Osteen (4-2)
Save: Watt (2)
HR: Etchebarren (1)

Game Three: 69 Dodgers 5, 69 Orioles 2
WP: Singer (4-2)
LP: Palmer (3-1)
Save: Brewer (5)
HR: F Robinson (7)

Game Four: 69 Dodgers 8, 69 Orioles 2
WP: Sutton (3-3)
LP: Phoebus (1-3)
HR: Kosco (6)

Game Five: 69 Dodgers 2, 69 Orioles 1
WP: Osteen (5-2)
LP; Cuellar (2-1)

Game Six: 69 Orioles 4, 69 Dodgers 3
WP: McNally (4-0)
LP: Singer (4-3)
Save: Watt (3)
HR: Buford (1), Russell (1)

Game Seven: 69 Orioles 6, 69 Dodgers 1
WP: Palmer (4-1)
LP: Sutton (3-4)
HR: Powell (7)

It was a road warrior series, as the visitors won each game. The Orioles prevailed despite being outscored 25-24.Three of the seven games were decided by one run, and another went 16 innings.

That marathon was the opener, played in Dodger Stadium. Boog Powell singled home Don Buford in the first inning, and Buford had an RBI single in the fourth to give the Orioles an early 2-0 lead. The Dodgers  The Dogers used a walk, two singles and a sac fly to tie it in the bottom of the fourth, then took the lead on another sac fly in the fifth. Davy Johnson tied it in the eighth with a homer off reliever Jim Brewer, and the bullpens dueled deep into extra innings. Dave Leonhard threw five scoreless frames for the Orioles, who took the lead in the 12th when Johnson singled off Pete Mikkelsen, stole second and came around on Powell's double. But Pete Richert couldn't hold the lead; Bill Russell doubled and scored on Ted Sizemore's two-out single. There followed three more scoreless innings. In the top of 16th, Hardin singles, Buford walked, Johnson doubled home Hardin and Frank Robinson plated Buford with a ground ball. Eddie Watt relieved Hardin in the bottom of the inning after a one-out single to wrap it up.

Game Two was a shorter affair. Andy Etchebarren hit a two-run homer off Claude Osteen in the second inning. In the seventh, Mark Belanger tripled and scored on a fly ball. Dave McNally carreda three-hit shutout into the eighth, when, with one out, Tom Haller and pinch-hitter Bill Sudakis singled and Maury Wills walked. Reliever Dick Hall induced a popup, but then Willie Davis singled in two runs before Hall got out of the inning. Watt allowed a harmless single in the ninth to secure the win.

The series moved to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore for Game Three, and the Dodgers nicked Jim Palmer for two runs on five singles in the first inning, with Wills stealing second and third. Frank Robinson retaliated in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer, but the Birds wouldn't score again, while Palmer was victimized for three runs in the fifth. Davis and Willie Crawford singled and Wes Parker walked to load the bases. Sudakis singled home the first two runners, and Len Gabrielson's fly ball plated Parker. The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Brewer got pinch-hitter Curt Motton to bounce into a double play.

The Dodgers evened the series in Game Four by pummeling Tom Phoebus for six runs in five innings. Andy Kosco hit the Bums' first homer of the series in the second inning, but the big damage came in the third. Don Sutton led off with a walk. He took second on a wild pitch and third on Wills' bunt. Sizemore singled Sutton home. Davis walked, and both runners advanced on Crawford's grounder. Parker singled both men home, and Tom Haller brought Parker around with a double. Davis was 3-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored, while Parker had four RBIs. Sutton went seven innings.

Game Five was not only a close contest -- 2-1 Dodgers -- but saw three key players taken out for the rest of the series by injury. Frank Robinson went down in the first inning for Baltimore, while the Dodgers lost Parker in the third inning and Davis in the sixth, The Dodgers scored first in the second inning; Jim Lefebvre singled, went to third on Mike Cuellar's throwing error, and scored on Jeff Torborg's base hit. In the third, Wills singled, stole second, took third on Sizemore's bunt and scored on Davis' single. The Orioles got one back off Osteen in the fourth, but the scoring ended there. Osteen scattered nine hits, all singles.

The series returned to Los Angeles with the Dodgers one win shy of advancing. Buford put the Orioles ahead with a homer in the third, and the Dodgers never caught up. The Orioles added a run in the fifth on Dave May's sac fly, Buford doubled in another run in the seventh and Brooks Robinson homered in the eighth. Bill Russell homered off McNally in the sixth, and the Dodgers scored two in the eighth to make it close.

Game Seven pitted two Hall of Fame hurlers in Palmer and Sutton. It was scoreless for three innings, but in the fourth the Orioles scored three runs -- Brooks Robinson doubled, Paul Blair singled, Johnson and Merv Rettemund walked, Elrod Hendricks singled and Belanger hit a sac fly. Palmer's error set up a Dodger run in the bottom of the inning, but in the fifth Johnson singled, Rettemund doubled, Hendricks singled in Johnson and Belanger brought in Rettemund with a grounder for a 5-1 lead. Powell capped the scoring with a homer in the seventh. Palmer went the distance, allowing just three hits.

Player of the series: Davy Johnson went 15-for-29 with five runs and two RBIs.

Player availability: Frank Robinson will be available for Game One. Palmer cannot pitch until Game Three.

Projected rotation: Cuellar-McNally-Palmer-Phoebus (or Hardin)-(Cuellar)-(McNally)-(Palmer)

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)

Stat break: 69 Dodgers

Hitters

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

W Crawford       34      3     7     5       0    0      1      3      0      .206

W Davis             55      4   16     7       4    0      2      3      2      .291

Gabrielson         13      0     3     2       0    0      0      3      0      .231

Haller                 35      4   10     3       2    1      0      5      0      .286

Hutton                13      2     3     0       0    0      0      2      0      .231

Kosco                29      5     9     5       1     0     3       5      0      .310

Lefebvre            13      0     0     1       0    0      0      1       0      .000

M Mota              19      3     9     0       2    0      0      1      0       .474

Parker               40      5   13     3       4    0       0     1       0      .325

Russell              15      0     3     0       0    0      0      2       0      .200

Sizemore           48     7   13     5       1    1      1      3       0       .271

Sudakis             42      5     7    4       1     0      1      3       0      .167
Torborg              9      0      3     1       1     0      0      0      0      .333
Wills                 55      4      7     2       1     0      0      2      4      .127

Pitchers

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

J Brewer            6      0       6.6      6     3      3      3       2       3      1     2      4.05
Drysdale            3      0       4         3     1      1      0       1       0      0     0      2.25
A Foster            2      0       5         5     0      0      1        2       0      0    0       0.00
McBean             2      0      3          5     4       4     1       1        0      0    0    12.00
Mikkelsen          4      0       4         0      0      0     1       2        2      0     0      0.00
Moeller              1      0       1         2     1       1     0       0        0      0     0      0.00

Osteen              5      5     40.3    30   12     11     8     13        0      3     0      2.45
Singer               4      4     28       16    11    11     5     14        0      2     1      3.54

Sutton               4      4     26       21      9      6    5      24        0      2     2      2.08

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)

Stat break: 69 Dodgers

Hitters

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

W Crawford       15      2     3     0       0    0      0      1      0      .200

W Davis             28      1     7     2       2    0      1      3      0      .250

Gabrielson           3      0     0     0       0    0      0      2      0      .000

Haller                 16      0     5     3       2    0      0      1      0      .313

Hutton                  3      1     0     0       0    0      0      1      0      .000

Kosco                15      3     7     4       1     0     2       0      0      .467

Lefebvre            13      0     0     1       0    0      0      1       0      .000

M Mota              16      3      8    0       2    0      0      1      0       .500

Parker               26      3      9     1       4    0       0     1       0     .346

Russell                6      0      0     0       0    0      0      1       0     .000

Sizemore          24      3      5     2       0    0      1      2       0      .208

Sudakis            21      1      3     0       1     0      0      0       0     .143
Torborg              9      0      3     1       1     0      0      0       0     .333
Wills                 31      0      1     0       0     0      0      0       1      .032

Pitchers

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

J Brewer            5      0       6.3      5     2      2      3       2       2      1     2      2.84
Drysdale            2      0       3         3     1      1      0       1       0      0     0      3.00
A Foster            2      0       5         5     0      0      1        2       0      0    0       0.00
McBean             1      0      1          4    4       4      1       1        0      0    0     36.00
Mikkelsen          2      0       2.3      0     0      0      0       2        0      0     0      0.00

Osteen              3      3     23.3    20     7      7      6       6        0     1     0       2.70
Singer               2      2     14         3     2      2      3       8        0      1     0      1.29

Sutton               2      2     10         8     5      2      3       8        0      1     1      1.80

George bracket: Dodgers (69) defeat Dodgers (09) in seven games

Game One: 09 Dodgers 6, 69 Dodgers 5
WP: Broxton (1-0)
LP: Brewer (0-1)
HR: Kemp (1), W. Davis (1), Loney (1)

Game Two: 69 Dodgers 2, 09 Dodgers 0
WP: Singer (1-0)
LP: Garland (0-1)

Game Three: 09 Dodgers 9, 69 Dodgers 0
WP: Billingsley (1-0)
LP: Sutton (0-1)
HR: Billingsley (1), Loney (2)

Game Four: 09 Dodgers 3, 69 Dodgers 2 (12 innings)
WP: Broxton (2-0)
LP: Brewer (0-2)
HR: Blake (1), Kosco (1)

Game Five: 69 Dodgers 3, 09 Dodgers 2
WP: Brewer (1-2)
LP: Belsario (0-1)
HR: Blake (2)

Game Six: 69 Dodgers 2, 09 Dodgers 0
WP: Sutton (1-1)
LP: Garland (0-2)
Save: Brewer (1)
HR: Kosco (2)

Game Seven: 69 Dodgers 3, 09 Dodgers 1
WP: Osteen (1-0)
LP: Billingsley (0-1)
Save: Brewer (1)
HR: Sizemore (1)

The 1969 Dodgers were outscored 21-17, but won four close games to upset the favored 2009 Dodgers.

The opener in the 2009 version of Dodger Stadium proved the highest scoring tilt of the series. Andy Kosco and Jeff Torborg each singled home runs in the top of the second off Randy Wolf, and the 69ers added another in the third on two singles and a sac fly. But the 09ers had it evened by the end of the fourth, with a pair of RBI outs by Casey Blake and two runs scored by Manny Ramirez. Matt Kemp homered in the fifth off Claude Osteen , and James Loney added a solor shot off Don Drysdale n the eighth to make it 5-3. Willie Davis tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth against Jonathan Broxton, but in the bottom of the inning Juan Pierre singled, stole second. took third on a wild pitch and scored on Kemp's single.

Bill Singer responded with a one-hitter in Game Two. Russell Martin's leadoff double in the third inning was the only man the 09 Dodgers got into scoring position. Singer faced just two men over the maximum; he hit Andre Either with a pitch in the first inning and walked Either in the seventh but got a double play from Loney. Tom Haller had a pair of RBI hits in the fourth and seventh innings.

The series moved to 1969 for Game Three, and the visitors romped on a pair of homers and some shoddy outfield defense by the home squad. Chad Billingsley not only threw a four-hit shutout, he homered off Don Sutton in the second inning and added a pair of singles. Davis and Bill Russell dropped back-to-back fly balls in a three-run third inning, and Loney hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run ninth off Al McBean.

The 09 Dodgers appeared to have the series under control after winning the 12-inning Game Four. Blake and Kosco traded solo homers, The 69 Dodgers took a 2-1 lead when Blake, playing first base for the injured Loney, booted a two-out grounder, but Kemp doubled home Orlando Hudson with two outs in the ninth off Osteen to tie it. Ramirez doubled home Kemp in the 12th to make a winner of Broxton.

The 09 Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of Game Five when. with two outs, Singer hit Either with a pitch and Blake homered. That 2-0 lead lasted into the eighth, when Manny Mota hit a one-out single and Wes Parker doubled off Ramon Troncoso. Jim Lefebvre's groundball scored Mota and moved Parker to third. Parker then scored on a Troncoso wild pitch.

Ronald Belisaro got the call for the bottom of the ninth. Tommy Hutton, pinch-hitting for Torborg, walked to open the frame, and another pinch-hitter, Haller, doubled him home for the winner.

Kosco was Game Six's pinch-hit hero. Sutton and Jon Garland matched shutout innings into the eighth. Bill Sudakis doubled in the top of the eighth, and with two outs Kosco pinch-hit for Sutton and hammered his second homer of the series. Jim Brewer completed the five-hit shutout, and the series was evened. (Garland allowed just two runs in his two starts but got zero run support.)

Game Seven matched Osteen and Billingsley. Ted Sizemore hit an unlikely two-run homer off Billingsley in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Pierre's fifth inning sac fly scored Rafael Furcal to make it 2-, but the 09 Dodgers didn't get another man into scoring position until Kemp and Ramirez hit back-to-back singles with two out in the eighth. Pete Mikkelson relieved Osteen at that point and got Blake to ground out. Kosco doubled home Mota in the top of the ninth to add an insurance run, and Brewer nailed it down in the ninth.

Player of the series: Singer allowed just two runs in 14 innings over two starts, but we'll go with platoon outfielder Kosco, who was 7-for-15 with two homers, a double, five RBIs and three runs scored.

Player availability: Brewer pitched six innings in the final fout games. Even with two off days mixed in, don't use him for more than an inning in Game One, and if he pitches in that one, sit him in Game Two.

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