Anyone who has been following the division races in the West has circled September 9th on the calendar.

The A’s open a four game series with Anaheim, and the Giants entertain the Dodgers for three in Pac Bell.

I have said many times the true story of baseball is getting to the postseason, and watching what happens over the course of 162 games spread over six months, one game per day.

The postseason is special, but the real story unfolds each day through the box scores.

Tim Hudson versus Kevin Appier and Odalis Perez against Livan Hernandez.

Let’s see what it looks like.Remember that pitching is the name of the game, especially this time of year. The best pitchers stop the good hitting teams.

Anaheim hits and then hits some more. Tim Salmon is back in the third spot. Scott Spiezio has hit well filling in for Salmon. Garret Anderson is on fire, David Eckstein may be the peskiest hitter in the league. Darrin Erstad is always a threat to hit.

In an era of weight trained sluggers, including middle infielders, Eckstein stands out as a throwback to Pee Wee Reese of Brooklyn and Phil Rizzuto of the Yankees. He is a catalyst in the Angel offense.

Tim Hudson has a fine 9-3 career record against the Angels. One of Hudson’s bugaboos this year is that he has given up more hits than normal. He has pitched three games against Anaheim, one good, two not so good. Hudson has thrown 19.3 innings with 25 hits given up and 11 runs, 9 earned, adding up to a 1-2 record in 2002.

Hudson has nerves of steel, tonight he will need to have a devasting sinker more than his iron will.

Appier usually throws a decent game, living up to his competition more than any other pitcher I follow. If you throw him in against Clemens, expect a low run game, if he pitches against Tanyon Sturtze he will give up some runs.

Appier has pitched four times against the A’s this season, winning two, losing one, with one no decision. His four starts have covered 23.6 innings, 21 hits, and 12 runs.

Both starters tonight can give up some runs, both are veterans of big games. This one will be turned over to the bull pens by the seventh inning. The key tonight and this whole series will be the relievers.

Chad Bradford needs to keep the ball down, Jim Mecir needs to throw a hard screwball, Ricardo Rincon needs to get Anderson and Erstad out, and Billy Koch needs to close the deal without going nuts on the mound.

September baseball will test any team. The games turn on a few plays in the field, clutch pitches and a timely hit late in the game.

Anaheim’s bull pen relies on Scott Schoenweiss, Brendan Donnelly (their best set up man), Ben Weber, Al Levine, and the closer Troy Percival, who the A’s have real trouble with. The Angels relievers have never been in this position before, it will take a couple of games for them to get their feet on the ground.

Both teams will score some runs in this series. Tonight’s game might be the best matchup of the week, unless Jarrod Washburn comes back Thursday on three days rest to face Mark Mulder.

While these two duke it out in Anaheim, Seattle faces Texas and Aaron Myette in Arlington. Seattle has pounded Texas all year, since Seattle hit in KC over the weekend, they have regained some of their confidence.

Jamie Moyer has simply owned the Rangers in the past, so Seattle will likely pick up a game on one of the leaders tonight.

By the way, A Rod hit number 51 yesterday. Who is the last American leaguer to hit 60 homers in a season?

Answer below.

The Dodgers have the book on the Giants pitchers. LA seems to hit the Giants better than most teams who come into Pac Bell. Odalis Perez is tough. He is capable of pitching a shut out in this game. Experience is a factor and Hernandez has a lot more than Perez. This one will not be a game of bull pens, I think both starters will dictate the outcome and might still be in there in the 8th inning or later.

Tonight is a big game for SF. If Livan can give them a decent start it could rattle the Dodgers who follow tomorrow with Andy Ashby and then Omar Daal. It helps the Giants knowing Kevin Brown is in the bull pen and not starting one of these games.

The A’s don’t lose very often and certainly not to righthanders, the Angels have won ten in a row and are flying with gossamer wings.

Say what you want about the drama of the postseason, I’ll take this 20 game round robin any day for sheer baseball excitement.

Ted Lilly goes tomorrow for Oakland. The A’s better get the job tonight because tomorrow’s game will not be easy knowing Lilly will only throw three or four innings if all goes well.

After watching the lefties, Mulder and Zito, dominate the Twins, it is obvious that Lilly is slated for a start in Minnesota, if it gets that far and he is healthy.

The Angels hit, the A’s are a clutch team, this will be a good game tonight.

The last American Leaguer to hit 60 home runs or more in a season, Roger Maris with 61, in 1961.

A Rod is something else.

Not the MVP, but something else.