Every playoff series takes on a life of its own. There is no predicatable pattern to follow. Each game in a five game series is critical, some more so than others.

Games two and four have special significance, especially to the losers of games one and three.

It is one thing to be tied at one and one (if you win game two), everything is even once again, but to go down 2-0 (if you lose game two) in a five game series is a deep hole.

Same logic for game four which is an elimination game, meaning one team has two wins (2-1 series lead), making the fourth game necessary.

So, the A’s and the Angels face the daunting prospect of going down 2-0 today unless they get the job done in game two.

Will they? Let’s see.The A’s turn to lefthander Mark Mulder who has pitched beautifully since mid May. The Twins are a completely different outfit against lefties.

Yesterday the A’s wilted after the second inning, further exposing their own weakness against lefties. Johan Santana, JC Romero, and Eddie Guardado (if I was Minnesota I’d worry about this guy) all shut the A’s out and allowed their team to claw back into the game.

With another clear sunny day on the weather map for the Bay Area today, righty Joe Mays will have his hands full with the A’s unless he keeps his sinker about one foot off the ground.

The A’s have defeated righties routinely enroute to an 82-45 season record against pitchers who throw that way.

Tim Hudson didn’t have it Tuesday, but still had the team in a position to win the game. Art Howe went to Ted Lilly, the A’s lefthanded middle inning reliever. Lilly had absolutely nothing, giving up hits to everyone he faced.

The difference in Tuesday’s game was the Twins bull pen did their job, while the A’s did not. It was an expensive learniing experience for the manager as he now must realize Lilly may not be in playoff shape with his assortment of change ups anf breaking pitches.

Minnesota’s bull pen has been there all year long, to expect Lilly and Cory Lidle to give the A’s the same kind of effective middle relief, may be an error in the judgment of the A’s front office who constructed the playoff roster.

The A’s will go as far as the big three (Mulder, Hudson and Zito) takes them, that has been the story through 103 regular season wins.

Today, Mulder steps up to even the series.

He’ll get it done.

The Angels learned firsthand about playing in New York in October.

The Halos had the lead in the eighth inning and their bull pen coughed it up. Usually the Television second guessers are just that, but last night Tim McCarver was correct in saying that Troy Percival should have been brought in to face Derek Jeter with two out and Alfonso Soriano on first with the Angels clinging to a 5-4 lead.

Instead Ben Weber walked Jeter, lefty Scott Schoenweiss came in to face Jason Giambi who singled to tie the game, then Brendan Donnelly came in to pitch to Bernie Williams, who promptly unloaded the bases with a three run homer.

The Yankee stadium crowd went wild during the eighth inning, which will set the tone for the rest of the series in NY.

Today Kevin Appier pitches against Andy Pettitte.

The Angels have had trouble with

Pettite this season, today will be more of the same. Anaheim’s game last night looked eerily familiar to the A’s-Yankee playoff battles of the past two seasons.

It will most likely end the same way.

Atlanta will not pitch to Barry Bonds. If Tom Glavine is on his game, the Braves will win today. If he is the slightest bit off, the Giants will get the first game.

The Giants have gone toe to toe with Atlanta whenever the two teams meet. Today will be no exception. Both are veteran teams that know what to do. The Giants have more offense than Atlanta, especially if the SF pitchers hold Sheffield and Chipper down. The Giants scondary hitters can create more trouble than Atlanta’s.

Both teams have excellent bull pens and know how to use them. This one will come down to how well the Braves handle the batters around Barry Bonds.

Same story as any other Giant game this year. It may take the Braves a game to get it right, if they ever do.

Game two may seem harmless, but if you are looking up at a 0-1 deficit, you better get the series even today.