GAME 1 @ Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, CA
Brad Radke vs Mike Witt
Minnesota wins 4-2
WP: Radke (4-4)
LP: Witt (7-5)
SV: Joe Nathan (19)
HR: None
MVP: Nick Punto (4-4, 2 RBI)
With the pitching matchup favoring the Angels, it was very important for the Twins to strike first. And they did in the 2nd inning, by putting together 5 singles highlighted by RBI grounders by Michael Cuddyer and Jason Bartlett. They threatened to add a 3rd run, but Bartlett was thrown out at the plate by CF Gary Pettis after a single by Jason Tyner to end the inning. Brad Radke (5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 K) was on his game keeping the Angels hitters in check before turning it over to the bullpen with a 4-2 lead. The Twins bullpen, which has been a strength all season, was once again up to the challenge. Matt Guerrier, Dennys Reyes, Pat Neshek and Nathan combined to get the final 10 outs of the game allowing just 2 hits and a walk to preserve the win for Radke. The Twins offense was able to pound out 15 hits against Angels ace Witt, but somehow were only able to push across 4 runs. Luckily, that was enough to take the opening game of this ALCS.
GAME 2 @ Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, CA
Johan Santana vs Don Sutton
Minnesota wins 5-2
WP: Santana (9-1)LP: Sutton (6-3)
SV: Joe Nathan (20)
HR:Justin Morneau (17),Torii Hunter (8),Joe Mauer (6),George Hendrick (1)
MVP: Nathan (1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, SAVE)
The California Angels were able to make Santana (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 8 K,) work extremely hard over his 6 innings of work. But Santana was up to the task and left the game with a 4-1 lead after throwing 113 pitches in his 6 innings of work. Solo shots by Hunter and Morneau off of starter Sutton, coupled with 2 runs the Twins scratched out in the 3rd, were more than enough for the Twins on this day. A Hendrick solo shot to centerfield was the lone run pushed across while Santana was on the mound. The Angels did threatem in the 5th inning when Dick Schofield walked, Gary Pettis singled and Bobby Grich walked to load the bases with 1 out. Santana settled down and struck out Doug DeCinces and Wally Joyner to keep the Angels from cutting into the lead. The Twins bullpen again was left to record the final 9 outs of a close game and other than an unearned run in the 7th they were up to the challenge once again. Nathan was particularly impressive recording the last 5 outs to record his 20th save of the KOD season.
GAME 3 @ Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN
Kirk McCaskill vs Carlos Silva
California wins 12-11
WP: Gary Lucas (1-0)LP: Francisco Liriano (6-4)
SV: Donnie Moore (6)
HR:Jerry Narron (1),Reggie Jackson (6),Terry Tiffee (1),Justin Morneau (18)
MVP: Reggie Jackson (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
In a crazy game that saw each pitching staff blow a seemingly safe lead, the Angels continued the trend of the series of the visiting team winning. Neither starter was able to make it past the 5th inning as both teams bats we certainly liking the conditions inside the dome. The Angels jumped all over Silva by scoring runs in 3 of the first 4 innings for a total of 4 by the end of the 4th. The big Angel hits coming on a double off the bat of Rick Burleson to score a run and a HR by Narron. However, McCaskill struggled to pitch with that 4-0 lead, allowing 8 runs in the bottom of the 4th to put his team in a hole. Terry Tiffe, in his 1st playoff appearance, hit a 3 run HR and Morneau hit a 2 run triple to lead the Twin attack. Silva did not fare any better with lead than his pitching counterpart. The Angels jumped right back on top in the 5th with 5 runs to make it 9-8. Jackson hit a 2 run shot off Silva, then Rupert Jones drove in the go ahead runs with a bases clearing double off of reliver Matt Guerrier. The teams would each put up 2 more runs in the 6th to make the score 11-10 which is where it stood heading to the bottom of the 8th inning. The Twins threatened to push a game tying run across the plate in the 7th despite reliever Chuck Finley getting the first 2 outs to start the inning. Mike Redmond got a pinch hit single, followed by a single by Jason Tyner. Gary Lucas then relieved Finley and gave up a single to Nick Punto but George Hendrick was able to gun down Redmond from right field to save the lead. However, the next inning the game was tied up when Morneau took Lucas deep down the RF line for a solo shot. Minnesota reliver, Liriano had crusied through the 7th and 8th but a leadoff walk to Bobby Grich in the 9th would prove costly. Bob Boone sacrificed Grich to 2nd which brought Pat Neshek in from the bullpen to face the top of the Angel order. Neshek retired Pettis, but then allowed an RBI double to George Hendrick scoring Grich with what would prove to be the game winning run. The Angels stayed with Lucas to get the 1st 2 out of the 9th but after a Tyner single. closer Donnie Moore was summoned to face Nick Punto. Moore was able to get Punto to pop up to 3rd base to end the game and secure the 12-11 win for California.
GAME 4 @ Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN
Vern Ruhle vs Matt Garza
Minnesota wins 7-6 in 11 innings
WP: Joe Nathan (2-2_LP: Doug Corbett (2-2)
SV: none
HR: Dick Schofield (3), Bobby Grich (3)
MVP: Nathan (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 K, WIN)
Minnesota looked to take a commanding 3-1 victory and seemed to be on their way with a 6-3 lead heading into the late innings of this one. Garza (5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K) was pretty good despite this being just his 3rd appearance in the KOD season. Shannon Stewart (2-2 2 RBI) and Jason Bartlett (4-6 2 RBI) each had key hits off of Ruhle that helped build the lead for Minnesota. Juan Rincon picked up for Garza after the 5th to add 2 quality innings as well, handing the back end of the Twins bullpen a 6-3 lead with just 6 outs left to record. Lefty specialist, Reyes, was asked to face some right handed bats and the results were not what Minnesota was hoping for. a Brian Downing single, Wally Joyner Sac Bunt and Rick Burleson single cut the lead to 6-4. Then a Grich 2 run jack over the fence in left center knotted the game at 6 and had the Angels dugout feeling as the momentum of the series was finally shifting. Joe Nathan was not about to let the Angels build on that though as the Twins called on their closer to pitch more than he had all season. Nathan needed only 34 pitches but he went 3 full pressure filled innings without allowing a base runner, striking out 5 along the way. Nathan's strong outing, allowed the Twins to finally mount an offense in the bottom of the 11th. A leadoff single by Bartlett followed by a Sac Bunt by Luis Castillo and an intentional walk to Morneau brought up Joe Mauer. Mauers' infield single loaded the bases and forced Angels reliever to face Torii Hunter with the game on the line. Hunter took a 2-0 fastball from Corbett and drove it deep center field forcing Gary Pettis out of range to throw Bartlett out at the plate. With the Twins finally stealing the 1st home team win in the series it was on to game 5 with a change to close out the seires.
GAME 5 @ Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN
Mike Witt vs Brad Radke
California wins 8-1
WP: Witt (8-5)LP: Radke (4-5)
SV: none
HR:Rupert Jones (7), Reggie Jackson 2(8), Brian Downing (6)
MVP: Mike Witt (9 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 8 K, WIN)
In a rematch of the game 1 pitching matchup, it was Mike Witt's turn to shine in this one. Witt was dominant from start to finish, pitching like the ace that Angel fans had look to all season long. The Angels made sure Witt didn't feel the pressure of an elimination game by jumping out to a 3 run lead before the Twins even batted. Gary Pettis left off with a dingle followed by a Rupert Jones 2 run homer. A walk to Jack Howell and a Wally Joyner double gave Witt more runs than he would need before he had even thrown a pitch. The Angels bats did not stop however adding single runs in the 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th to cruise to an 8-1 win. Reggie Jackson and Dick Schofield each had 3 hits while Jones pitched in with 3 RBI's.
GAME 6 @ Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, CA
Johan Santana vs Don Sutton
California wins 5-3
WP: Sutton (7-3)LP: Santana (9-2)
SV: Gary Lucas (3)
HR:Michael Cuddyer (7)
MVP: Bob Boone (1-2, 1 2B, 3 RBI)
With the best pitcher in KOD on the mound for Minnesota and a 3-1 series lead, the chances of a California comeback seemed unlikely, but someone forget to tell the Angel hitters. Santana (8 IP, 11H, 5 R, 3 K) was hit hard by the same California lineup he had silenced in game 2. Bobby Grich drove in Dick Schofield in the 3rd inning to give California a 1-0 lead but that was short lived as Minnesota responded with 3 off of Sutton in the top of 4. The big blow coming from Cuddyer and his 3 run blast to right center. The Twins were feeling like the series was within reach but the Angels had other plans. In the bottom of the 6th put together 5 hits of Santana highlighted by RBI doubles by Brian Downing and Boone. Staked to a 4-3 lead, the Angels turned to Gary Lucas to start the 7th.
Lucas (3IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K) was able to keep the pesky Twin hitters from getting any ideas of a comeback in their heads. As Santana finished out the game for the Twins, their fans looked as though they had seen their championship dreams vanish. The idea of tentative game 7 starter Carlos Silva strolling to the mound definitely did nothing to help.
Francisco Liriano vs Kirk McCaskill
Minnesota wins 2-1
WP: Joe Nathan (3-2)
LP: McCaskill (8-4)
SV: none
HR: Joe Mauer (7), George Hendrick (2)
MVP: Francisco Liriano (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 8 K, WIN)
A classic pitcher's duel closed out this highly competitive, exciting 7 game American League Championship series. The Twins made a last minute decision to go with Liriano as their game 7 starter despite the fact that he had been told he would be used strictly as a reliever over the last 2 series due to strain on his arm. The young lefty proved more than capable allowing just 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 8 over his 7 innings. However, one of the hits was a home run by Hendrick in the 4thinning that looked like it was going to be the game winner. McCaskill (9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 7 K) was cruising through the game limiting the Twins attack to just 3 singles over the first 8 innings. With a 1 run lead and relievers Gary Lucas and Donnie Moore warming in the pen, McCaskill looked to do his own dirty work and close out the game and the series. A ground out to lead off man Luis Castillo was played for the 1st out of the inning. With the meat of the Twins order coming up McCaskill was still throwing hard and was left in. Justin Morneau grounded a single between 3rd and short to bring the go ahead run to the plate in the person of Joe Mauer. With the wind blowing out to right field, Mauer caught up to a 3-2 fastball and drove it over the right center field fence to amazingly put the Twins in the lead 2-1. Joe Nathan, who had relieved Liriano to pitch the 8th, was now looking at the top of the Angels lineup needing 3 outs to send his team to the finals. Nathan struck out Gary Pettis and Rupert Jones before giving up a single to Reggie Jackson. With the tying run at 1st, Angel series hero, Hendrick came to the plate with hopes of launching another ball into the wind. However, it was Nathan that won the battle forcing Hendrick to ground a ball to Jason Bartlett at short to end the game and the series.
Congratulations to Douglas Zanaer and his 1986 California Angels on a successful season and a great League Championship series. The series took a lot out of my team as they are now limping into the World Series with several key players at or above the 125% usage mark. It will take a minor miracle and some surprising pitching performances for the Twins to continue their improbable run from back to back play in games to World Series contender.
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