In game six, both managers went with their fourth starter in the rotation. Indians manager Kurt Gnandt selecting

righty Bret Saberhagen (7-7, 4.85 ERA) and SeaWolves manager Rick Cantor selecting lefty Mike Sirotka (14-9, 4.41 ERA).

Both managers were expected to pull out all the stops, as Gnandt wanted to win the series in game six and avoid a game seven, and

Cantor wanting to keep his team alive for a possible game seven. It would go the Indians way early in the game. In the bottom of the

first, Indian Luis Gonzalez led off with a double and would score on a Albert Belle single. Then in the second, Indian shorstop Derek

Jeter lined a two-out clutch single to score Roberto Alomar for a 2-0 Lake Erie lead. However, San Francisco would answer back in the

fourth with a Brian Giles solo homer, cutting the Indian lead to one run. Then in the fifth, they loaded the bases with nobody out. But

Saberhagen struck out catcher Mike DiFelice and then retired Rey Sanchez and Pokey Reese on harmless groundballs to escape the threat and maintain the 2-1 lead. That lead would be extended in the bottom half as Jim Thome stroked a clutch two-out double to score Albert Belle, and the Lake Erie lead was 3-1 and the Indians were four innings away from their first title. But San Francisco would answer in

the top of the sixth. After a Brian Giles walk, Jeff Bagwell lined a two-out single and Gnandt called upon lefty Mike Hampton to face

SeaWolf Barry Bonds. During the regular season, lefties hit a paltry .163 off Hampton, and Bonds hit only .143 against the southpaws, so

Gnandt's move looked like a winner. However, Bonds thwarted the lefty-lefty matchup by doubling in the gap to score Giles and Bagwell and

tie the game at three. In the seventh, the SeaWolves would once again defy the percentages to take the lead. With the flame

throwing lefty Billy Wagner on the mound (leties hit just .115 during the regular season), the SeaWolves would rally behind two lefties.

With two outs, Chris Singleton and Brian Giles both singled. Gnandt had seen enough as he called upon righty Mariano Rivera to hold the one run lead and face Chipper Jones. Rivera was uncharacteristically wild as he proceeded to walk Jones, and then force in the go ahead run by walking Jeff Bagwell. In the ninth and behind by a run, Sean Casey led off with a double against SeaWolf closer Scott Williamson.

But Williamson then struck out Tatis and retired Alomar and Nevin on groundballs to give San Francisco the 4-3 win and force a winner-take-all