Kuzul

I remember back in the day I was sitting in the dugout during one of my summer league games and after we scored a run on only one hit in an inning because the opposing pitcher walked three guys, my coach turned to me in while I was standing in the on-deck circle and said to me “Oh those bases on balls. They’ll bite you in the ass every time.”

No matter what level of baseball you are in or even watch, that premise holds true no matter what. If a pitcher keeps giving free passes and doesn’t make the opposing team earn it as they say, those free passes will usually come back to haunt him.

Wilson was hurt by walks in Game 5.

Texas Rangers’ pitcher C.J. Wilson found that out in Game 5 of the ALCS.

Wilson, who led the American League in walks with 93 during the regular season found out that most pitchers don’t get away with walking guys in the postseason. Wilson walked four in just five innings, included two crucial walks in the second inning as the New York Yankees beat him and the rest of the Rangers 7-2 to force a Game 6 on Friday night.

Of the four walks, three of them weren’t intentional and all three non-intentional walks scored. Ranger pitchers not named Cliff Lee have been pretty liberal with free passes through the first four games and those walks finally came back to haunt them in Game 5.

In the top of the second, Wilson walked Alex Rodriguez to start the inning and then Lance Berkman with one out. Jorge Posada singled home ARod and Curtis Granderson singled home Berkman when the Rangers decided to turn into the Bad News Bears.

On the single, Jeff Francoeur threw the ball away trying to nail Berkman at third and then when Wilson caught the ball backing up third, he threw the ball about 10 feet over catcher Matt Treanor‘s head to allow both Berkman and Posada to score. It was a clown show.

The Yankees scored three runs that inning and that set the tone for the entire game. Once the Yankees got a 3-0 lead there was no way they were losing this game.

And they really weren’t losing this game when Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano went back-to-back in the bottom of the third. That all but guaranteed this series was going back to Arlington.

Here are some other observations from Game 5…

CC Sabathia once again was very mediocre. The difference between Sabathia in Game 1 and Sabathia in Game 2? The Rangers never came up with the big hit.

The Rangers had 11 hits but could never get that big one. As Ron Washington said after the game “We had Sabathia bended. He didn’t break.”

The Rangers became the first team in 90 years to have 13 plus hits in a playoff game and score less than three runs.

With his fourth HR of the ALCS, Cano tied Josh Hamilton (2010), Evan Longoria (2008), B.J. Upton (2008), and Jim Thome (1998) for most HR’s in ALCS history.

When Berkman hit the ground chasing after that foul ball, I thought he would be down for the 10-count. He hit his head hard.

Nelson Cruz left this game with a hamstring injury. From everything we have heard so far, it doesn’t appear to be serious and he should be able to play in Game 6.

Since when did Kerry Wood develop the most lethal pickoff move in the game?

The fact that Elvis Andrus got picked off at second, down by four, and with Hamilton at the plate is beyond inexcusable. There is a difference between being aggressive and being a buffoon.

The more I watch Mitch Moreland this series, the more I think he is going to be a good one. Not too many hitters can battle Mariano Rivera like that in the ninth inning.

Alexi “The Ogando Giant.” That’s my nickname for him. I would pay big money to see him slap his stomach like Kamala did after every strike out.

It took Michael Kirkman 50 pitches to get through two innings. Watching him was like watching the last yard of the longest mile. Just painful.

Game 6 should be very interesting. Phil Hughes was awful in Game 2 and while Colby Lewis might have only given up two runs in 5.2 IP, he got very lucky that game. The Yankees hit some shots off him that were right at people.

I thought the Rangers would win in seven before the series and I am sticking with it. I think the Yankees will win Game 6 and Lee will close it out for the Rangers.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here are the options I am guessing Ted Lilly was faced with. He could test the free agent market, make a little more money but risk not being in an ideal situation.

Lilly decided to sign early.

His other option was to make a little money than he would on the open market but be in a place where he would have the best chance to succeed and be comfortable. On Tuesday, Lilly chose the latter.

Lilly re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday and inked a three-year, $33 million contract. The deal also comes with a no-trade clause for the first two years of the contract according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.

The 34-year-old was traded to the Dodgers from the Chicago Cubs at the July 31st trade deadline and really excelled in a Dodger uniform. He had a 3.52 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP and struck out nine batters per nine innings in 76.2 innings of work.

All of his numbers with the Dodgers were vast improvements from when he was with the Cubs. That’s why re-signing with the Dodgers was a smart idea by Lilly.

I have always believed any pitcher can be successful pitching their home games at Dodger Stadium. Over the years we have seen guys on their last legs like Jeff Weaver, Jose Lima, and Vicente Padilla thrive in a Dodger uniform. With the high mound and spacious outfield, Dodger Stadium is a pitcher’s dream.

Pitching at Dodger Stadium and pitching against the offensively challenged NL West, Lilly, who will be 37 at the end of this contract, should outperform his deal. With Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Lilly at the top of the Dodgers’ rotation, LA has the makings of a very formidable starting staff in 2011.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In a press conference the other day, Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel said his team really hasn’t hit since the first half of last season. Well, the man knows his team and knows what he is talking about.

Since the start of the second half last and including this year’s postseason, the Phillies have hit .245 as a team. Things only got worse for the Philly batters in Game 3 of the NLCS.

San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Matt Cain completely shut down the Phillies for seven innings, and Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson finished the job as the Giants beat the Phillies 3-0 to take a 2-1 series lead in their best-of-seven NLCS.

Cain pitched seven strong innings allowing just two hits, no runs, three walks and struck out five in the 119-pitch effort. Was Cain “Oh my god” great? No, he wasn’t, but he was good enough.

Out of his 119 pitches, only 69 of them were strikes, so his ball-to-strike ratio was almost 1-to-1. He also pegged Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino. Not too impressive, but Cain used a combination of four-seem fastballs, changeups and sliders to keep the Phillies’ hitters at bay.

The key for Cain in this game was the above mentioned changeup. It was as good as it gets today for Cain. He threw 30 changeups, and 14 of them were for strikes.

The key? He kept it down. Here is his pitch type plot courtesy of the PitchFX tool…

The changeups are in yellow, and Cain did an outstanding job all afternoon of keeping the change down, so when the Philly batters did hit the ball, it was on the ground.

Cain now hasn’t allowed a run in two postseason starts.

Here are some other observations from Game 3…

The way Cole Hamels went through the first nine batters, I thought he would throw a perfect game today. Nine up and nine down, and the Giants looked completely overmatched early.

The Pat Burrell walk with two outs in the fourth was a killer. Burrell walks and then Cody Ross singles, then Aubrey Huff singled, and just like that, the Giants were up 2-0.

Ross has a 1.444 OPS this series. Just sayin’.

The Phillies won’t win this series if Chase Utley continues to play like he is playing. His error in the fifth that led to the Giants’ third run was a back breaker, and he is batting .100 in this series at the plate.

How bad is Jimmy Rollins hurting right now? The guy couldn’t make it to second on a ball hit to the right field wall in the ninth. Granted the ball was scorched, but a healthy Rollins makes it to second on that hit.

Manuel is making the right decision to go with Joe Blanton in Game 4. Even if they lose, the Phillies will have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Hamels on full rest for the final three games of the series. I will take my chances with those three down the stretch.

Wilson is locked in right now. 2.1 IP and 5 K’s.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at 7:57 PM est.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

One of my favorite things about collecting baseball cards back in the day was when I opened up a pack of Topps that I paid 50 cents for, not the $4.00 they are today, and got a card with a gold cup on it.

I have no idea why, but I always thought those cards were special. Those cards with the gold cup on them signified that the player was on Topps’ All-Rookie Team the year before.

Now that the regular season has been over for a couple of weeks, I thought I would hand out my gold cups for the 2010 season.

Here is The Ghost of Moonlight Graham’s 2010 All-Rookie Team…

C—Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: .305/.357/.505 with 18 HRs

Not only will Posey be a top candidate for the Rookie of the Year, but he will get some MVP votes as well.

1B—Ike Davis, New York Mets: .264/.351/.440 with 17 HRs

Tough call between Davis and Gaby Sanchez, but went with Davis because he put up equal numbers as Sanchez, but in fewer games.

2B—Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates: .296/.349/.462 with 12 HRs

The 2004 first-round pick really blossomed in 2010. The 25-year-old hit .326 at PNC Park this year and should be the Pirates’ second baseman for years to come.

SS—Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs: .300/.347/.408 with 10 SBs

The Cubs have a good one in Castro. In addition to his 10 SBs, Castro also contributed five triples.

3B—Chris Johnson, Houston Astros: .308/.337/.481 with 11 HRs

Johnson’s .818 OPS was the fourth highest amongst rookies in 2010. Johnson hit .316 in the second half.

OF—Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers: .293/.345/.400 with 27 SBs and 10 triples

Jackson led all rookies in hits with 181 on the season, and he already has established himself as one of the better defensive center fielders in the game.

OF—Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves: .277/.393/.456 with 18 HRs and 11 SBs

Heyward showed a tremendous eye at the plate, drawing 91 walks on the season. If he can stay healthy, 30-30 is a distinct possibility in the future.

OF—Mike Stanton, Florida Marlins: .259/.326/.507 with 22 HRs

Another tough call—Stanton or Jose Tabata? Stanton earns the honors because of his 22 HRs in just 100 games.

SP—Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals: 13-8 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 163.1 IP

Garcia led all rookie starting pitchers with a 2.70 ERA, and his 55.9 GB percentage ranked sixth amongst all major league pitchers.

SP—Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants: 7-6 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 111 IP

Bumgarner is next in a long line of great Giant pitchers. Bumgarner loved pitching on the road in 2010. He had a 1.91 ERA away from AT&T Park.

SP—Daniel Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks: 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 95.1 IP

The Diamondbacks got a steal when they acquired Hudson from the Chicago White Sox in July. Hudson had a 1.69 ERA in 11 starts for the D-Backs.

SP—Jhoulys Chacin, Colorado Rockies: 9-11 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 137.1 IP

Chacin’s win-loss record doesn’t do him justice, as he averaged nine K’s/9 and only allowed 7.5 H/9.

SP—Travis Wood, Cincinnati Reds: 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 102.2 IP

Wood really came on in the second half and was murder on left-handed batters. Lefties only hit .136 against Wood this year.

RP—Jonny Venters, Atlanta Braves: 1.95 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 83 IP

The hard-throwing lefty paced all rookies with 24 holds on the season. Venters also K’d 10.1 batters per nine innings.

RP—John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers: 2.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 24 saves in 58 IP

Axford was outstanding after taking over for Trevor Hoffman in Milwaukee. His 24 saves ranked ninth in the NL, and his 11.8 K/9 was good for fifth in baseball amongst relievers.

RP—Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers: 2.73 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 40 saves in 69.1 IP

Feliz was a huge reason why the Rangers won the AL West. Batters hit only .176 against Feliz this year, and when he was ahead in the count, batters hit only .170 against the 22-year-old.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Regular season baseball is a funny game. Postseason baseball is knee-slapping, Will Ferrell in Anchorman game.

Of all the things that we thought about as we entered Game 1 of the NLCS, Cody Ross hitting two home runs off of Roy Halladay wasn’t one of them. Every postseason like clockwork, we see players who we would never expect to become heroes do the unthinkable.

Ross tagged Halladay for two solo HRs, and Tim Lincecum outdueled the Phillies’ ace as the Giants won 4-3 to take Game 1 of their best-of-seven NLCS.

This game featured two of the games best in Lincecum and Halladay, and the game kind of lived up to the hype. Were both pitchers great? Absolutely not. But they were both very good.

Halladay made four mistakes in his seven innings of work.

The first two came to Ross. Halladay tried to bury an inside fastball to Ross in the third, and he missed bad and Ross deposited it 417 ft into the leftfield bleachers. The hit by Ross was the first one Halladay had given up in the postseason.

Then in the fifth, Halladay made the same mistake to Ross. Again he tried to throw an inside fastball and again missed and again Ross hit it into the leftfield bleachers.

Take a look at the pitch plots on the two Ross ABs.

Ross AB in the third

Ross AB in the fifth

The turquoise plot indicates the ball that was hit in the AB and as you can see, the pitches that Ross hit out were almost in the same spot. The other mistakes Halladay made were in the sixth, and the pitch sequence to Pat Burrell was the turning point in the game.

With two outs and Buster Posey on first base, Halladay threw a perfect cutter to Burrell that home plate umpire Derryl Cousins called a ball. In all fairness to Cousins, he hadn’t called that pitch a strike all game, but that pitch was a strike.

On the very next pitch, Burrell ripped a ball to the wall for a *double. I put an asterisk next to the double because any other leftfielder besides Raul Ibanez would have caught that ball. Ibanez catches that ball and the non-strike call to Burrell doesn’t become such a big deal.

The last mistake Halladay made was to Juan Uribe, who was the next batter in the inning. Halladay left another fastball over the plate and Uribe singled up the middle to give the Giants a 4-1 lead.

On the flip side, Lincecum only made two mistakes.

The first one was to Carlos Ruiz in the third and the second one was to Jayson Werth in the sixth. Both were on fastballs out over the plate and both were hit for HRs to rightfield.

Lincecum struck out eight over seven innings of work. He only threw 41 percent first-pitch strikes, but rebounded in the count because of a wicked changeup that he threw for a strike 70 percent of the time.

Here are some other observations from Game 1…

Very impressed with Javier Lopez in this game. He went through Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the eighth with no problem what so ever. Didn’t think he had that in him.

I thought Bruce Bochy managed a great game. Pinch-running Nate Schierholtz for Burrell in the sixth was a smart move at the time, and I loved the fact that he went to Brian Wilson in the eighth to face Werth.

Jimmy Rollins has gotten old fast. The 2007 season seems like 10 years ago. He has a $8.5 million club option for 2011, which the Phillies will certainly pick up, but I doubt he will be in a Philly uniform after 2011.

I can’t wait for the WWE to have a lookalike tag-team match at WrestleMania. Edge and Werth vs. CM Punk and Wilson. This needs to be done.

Is Game 2 a must-win game for the Phillies? No, not at all. Winning Game 2 would certainly help, but the Phillies are a team that can come back from an 0-2 series deficit.

Game 2 is Sunday at 7:57 PM est and will pit Jonathan Sanchez against Roy Oswalt.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Maybe history doesn’t always repeat itself.

As we all know by now, the Texas Rangers blew a five-run lead in Game 1 of their ALCS against the New York Yankees. Well, after less than 24 hours of blowing that five-run lead, the Rangers once again found themselves up by five runs in Game 2.

However, this time the Rangers held on as they beat the Yankees 7-2 to even the ALCS at one game a piece. The Rangers didn’t make it easy on themselves, but they eventually got it done.

This game almost followed a similar trend to yesterday’s game. The Rangers jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to some great base-running by Elvis Andrus, a monster home run by David Murphy and RBI doubles by Michael Young, Murphy and Bengie Molina.

The Rangers really pounded Phil Hughes, who shouldn’t have been starting this game in the first place. Game 2 is Andy Pettitte‘s game. It’s been his game for the past 15 years. Why Girardi decided to change things up is beyond me.

Hughes had nothing in this game. He threw 88 pitches and only got seven swings and misses in his four plus innings of work. The Rangers had a game plan of attacking Hughes early and they succeeded.

The Yankees cut the lead to 5-1 on a Lance Berkman single and Ranger fans thought “Here we go again.” However, the Rangers’ offense did something in Game 2 they weren’t able to do in Game 1—tack on runs.

The Rangers tacked on a run in the fifth on an Ian Kinsler triple and then Mitch Moreland singled home Kinsler with two outs to make the score 7-1. I thought the Moreland hit was HUGE.

With Kinsler on third and nobody out, Joba Chamberlain struck out Murphy and Molina and you got the sense that if Chamberlain was able to get Moreland, there would have been a momentum shift. Moreland’s hit squashed that thought.

The Rangers’ bullpen, which imploded in Game 1, was able to get the job done in Game 2. They pitched 3.1 of one-hit baseball. Of course walking four guys is not going to help, but as shaky as they were, the fivesome of Clay Rapada, Alexi Ogando, Darren Oliver, Darren O’Day and Neftali Feliz were able to silence the Yankee bats.

Here are some other observations from Game 2:

Colby Lewis was very lucky in this game. The Yankees hit a lot of peas that were right at people.

His final line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K. It could have been much worse. He did a good job of dancing through raindrops.

There is not a hitter on the planet who is locked in as Robinson Cano is right now. Even his outs are hit hard. His HR in the sixth was a tape measure job.

Ranger pitchers allowed seven walks and only had one one-two-three inning all night and somehow only gave up two runs to the best lineup in baseball. Baseball is a funny game sometimes.

Biggest AB of the night: Rapada vs. Thames in the top of the sixth. The Yankees had cut the lead to 7-2 on the Cano HR and had runners on first and second with two outs. It was getting to the “Here we go again” portion of the game for the Rangers.

Ron Washington pulled Lewis in favor of Rapada and Girardi countered by pinch hitting Thames for Brett Gardner. On a 3-2 count, Rapada threw a changeup that Thames was about two feet out in front of and struck out. That was a huge lift for the Rangers and their beleaguered bullpen.

The difference between Jorge Posada and other great hitting catchers? The other great hitting catchers knew how to catch. His catching ability has an all-time low this postseason.

Moreland will have a better career than Justin Smoak.

If Vladimir Guerrero doesn’t start hitting, the Yankees will continue to walk and pitch around Josh Hamilton.

Feliz was very shaky in the ninth and that was with a five-run lead. He better get it together because what he did on Saturday won’t fly in Yankee Stadium.

Despite everything that happened to the Rangers in the first two games, they have to feel very good about themselves going into Yankee Stadium for three games. Their mindset has to be just win one game. Get the series back to Arlington, hope to win a Game 6, and then have Cliff Lee go in Game 7.

Game 3 will be Monday night at 8 p.m. EST.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I will go on record as saying the matchup between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies is the most anticipated NLCS we have seen in quite some time. I can’t remember a NLCS where people are looking forward to it as much as this one.

The main reason? The pitching matchups. These two teams feature All-World pitchers and it kicks off in Game 1 tonight with Tim Lincecum against Roy Halladay.

Let’s take a look at the entire series at a glance:

Schedule

Game 1: Saturday, October 16 at 7:57 PM EST. Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay

Game 2: Sunday, October 17 at 8:00 PM EST. Jonathan Sanchez vs. Roy Oswalt

Game 3: Tuesday, October 19 at 4:00 PM EST. Cole Hamels vs. Matt Cain

Game 4: Wednesday, October 20 at 7:30 PM EST. Joe Blanton vs. Madison Bumgarner

*Game 5: Thursday, October 21 at 7:30 PM EST. Halladay vs. Lincecum

*Game 6: Saturday, October 23 at 4:00 PM EST. Sanchez vs. Oswalt

*Game 7: Sunday, October 24 at 8:00 PM EST. Cain vs. Hamels

Prediction

Lincecum vs. Halladay. Sanchez vs. Oswalt. Hamels vs. Cain. If you are a fan of pitching, this matchup is baseball porn for you. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Halladay, coming off his no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds goes up against Lincecum, who is coming off a dominant performance himself with 14 K=s against the Atlanta Braves. This Game 1 matchup is worth the price of admission alone for the whole series.

Not only do we get this tonight, we could also get this matchup next Thursday. I personally can’t wait.

I think coming into this series, the Phillies have a couple of concerns.

First, despite sweeping the Reds, they really didn’t hit the ball. They only hit .212 as a team in the three games. Their big outburst of seven runs in Game 3 of the NLDS was aided by four Red errors.

Jayson Werth (.167), Placido Polanco (.111), and Jimmy Rollins (.091) all hit under .200 against the Reds, and if the Phillies are going to score some runs against the Giants’ stout pitching staff, these three guys are going to have to wake up.

I would also be concerned with that Game 4 matchup of Blanton vs. Bumgarner. If we ranked all the pitchers in this series, Blanton would end up on the short end of the stick.

Not only that, but he hasn’t appeared in a game since October 3. That is a long layoff, and now he will be asked to win a pivotal game on the road against one of the better young pitchers in the game. That’s a very tough task.

As for the Giants, I like the decision to start Sanchez in Game 2. His numbers during the regular season were better on the road (2.86 on road. 3.26 at home), and he carried his hot pitching on the road with a masterful performance in Game 3 against the Braves (11 Ks and two hits in 7.1 IP).

Plus, the Phillies have a very left-handed dominated lineup, so getting him to pitch twice in this series is a good thing.

My concerns with the Giants are twofold.

First, can Javier Lopez continue to get lefties out late in the game? It will most likely be him who will face Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, or Raul Ibanez in a big spot. Lopez is pitching well, but I just have my doubts about him against that caliber of left-handed hitting late in the game.

Second, how are the Giants going to score runs in this series? I have a hard time seeing them scoring enough runs to beat the Phillies. Asking your pitchers to win 2-1 every game is a tall task.

Outside of Buster Posey, the one guy who needs to do damage in this series is Aubrey Huff. He had a nice NLDS, hitting .267 with a .389 OBP, but he needs to start driving the ball.

It’s very hard to piece together hits off of Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels. If the Giants are going to win, they are going to need some quick strikes offensively. Going up against three righties in this series, Huff needs to be the guy for the Giants who hits a couple of HRs.

If I were to compare this series to a college basketball game it would be looking at an ACC team against a team from the Big West Conference in the tournament.

The Big West school has a couple of good players that they will try to ride for the game, but overall, they don’t match up well. The school from the Big West conference will try to slow the game down, make it a low-scoring game, and then try to steal it late with a three.

That strategy will work for one game, but not for a series of games against the same team. Talent usually wins out.

In this case, the Phillies are the ACC team.

Phillies in 6

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here is the good news for Texas Rangers’ fans: At least closer Neftali Feliz is fresh for today’s Game 2.

Feliz is fresh because Rangers’ manager Ron Washington handled his bullpen as poorly as any manager I can remember in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the ALCS. The New York Yankees beat up the Rangers’ bullpen to score five runs in the top of the eighth as they came back to beat Texas, 6-5.

The Rangers were cruising in this game, 5-1 going into the eighth inning thanks to a three-run HR by Josh Hamilton in the first, a two-run double by Michael Young in the fourth and some outstanding pitching by C.J. Wilson. Up until the eighth, Wilson had only made one mistake, leaving a fastball over the plate to Robinson Cano in the seventh that he promptly hit for a home run.

Wilson was at 99 pitches entering the eighth, so I didn’t have a problem with Washington sending him out there. Due to the results that followed, it will probably be forgotten how good Wilson was in this game.

Wilson threw a combination of four-seam fastballs, sliders, changeups, curveballs and two-seam fastballs that kept the Yankees off-kilter all game. He had Alex Rodriguez talking to himself and had the rest of the Yankees swinging at his pitches all night.

Brett Gardner led off the eighth inning with an infield single because he outran Wilson to the bag at first. I think everyone needs to pump the breaks on this play.

First off, Gardner slowed himself down by sliding into first. As Carl Lewis always said, if sliding into the finish line was faster, he would have done it every time. Second, it was the two walks that led to the Yankees’ comeback, not an infield single.

This game turned when Washington brought Darren Oliver into the game. Here is what I wrote in my ALCS preview:

“My biggest concern with the Rangers is their bullpen. It’s not outs 25, 26 and 27 I am so much concerned about, but it’s outs 18-24 I am concerned about.

I like Darren O’Day against Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, but the Yankees have so many switch-hitters and lefties in their lineup that it comes down to whether Ron Washington wants a guy who throws sidearm and whose ball goes down and in to a lefty pitching to Mark Teixeira with a short porch in right field?

Let’s say O’Day does get through the seventh, and Jeter and A-Rod. Who is pitching that eighth inning? Darren Oliver against Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson is the most likely matchup.

Does any Ranger fan feel comfortable in that spot? I wouldn’t. I have seen how that movie ends.”

As always, this movie ended very badly for the Rangers. How many teams can keep going to the well with Oliver before they realize this guy can’t pitch in a big spot? I just don’t get it.

Oliver walked Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira to load the bases with nobody out. The score was 5-2 and at this point, Washington has to go to Feliz.

I am not a believer that anyone can close, or that closer-by-committee is a good idea. I have stated that many times. What I am a believer in is that a closer should be used in the critical spot in the game, not just the ninth inning.

In this game, the critical spot was in the eighth inning. Washington had to go to Feliz in that spot to try and get six outs. It was a must.

Instead, Washington went with O’Day, Clay Rapada of all people and then Derek Holland. Those decisions proved costly as the Rangers’ 5-1 lead turned into a 6-5 deficit.

I am really not sure if the Rangers can recover from this one. This was a brutal loss, along the lines of the losses Byung-Hyun Kim and the Arizona Diamondbacks suffered in Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series.

The Diamondbacks recovered from that. I am not sure if the Rangers can.

Here are some other observations from Game 1 of the ALCS.

In October, the Yankees in classic fashion got contributions from ham n’ eggers. Dustin Moseley and Marcus Thames were those ham n’ eggers who made major contributions in Game 1. Francisco Cervelli, you’re up next.

This had the feeling of a 13-2 game, but it was only a four-run game. I think Joe Girardi felt the same way when he brought in Moseley in the sixth. I really believed he was conceding the game at that point.

John Smoltz must have said “reset” about 40 times in this game.

CC Sabathia was terrible. He couldn’t locate his slider and kept missing high and away with his fastball to righties.

I thought Jorge Posada was equally as bad in this game. His pitch selection throughout the game was horrendous. After Hamilton couldn’t catch up to two fastballs in the first, he helps him out by calling for a slider? Made no sense.

The difference between the Rangers and Yankees? No Yankee gets picked off at first in October like Ian Kinsler did in the bottom of the eighth. That was inexcusable.

Mariano Rivera is amazing. Even when teams think they have a rally going, they really don’t. Back to my point on the Gardner play. One hit doesn’t equal a rally.

Kudos to home plate umpire Gerry Davis in this game. I thought he was fantastic. He gave the low strike all game and didn’t give the inside corner to righties all game. Davis was very consistent.

He also got the call at home plate right in the first inning. Very good job by him.

Game 2 will be played today at 4:00 PM EST and will feature Phil Hughes against Colby Lewis.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers have played the New York Yankees three times in the postseason and won a grand total of one game. The Rangers played the Yankees in the 1996, 1998 and 1999 ALDS and went 1-9 in those games.

They are hoping for better results this time around. Let’s take a look at the 2010 American League Championship Series…

Schedule

Game 1: Friday, October 15 at 8:00 PM est. CC Sabathia vs. CJ Wilson

Game 2: Saturday, October 16 at 4:00 PM est. Phil Hughes vs. Colby Lewis

Game 3: Monday, October 18 at 8:00 PM est. Cliff Lee vs. Andy Pettitte

Game 4: Tuesday, October 19 at 8:00 PM est. Tommy Hunter vs. AJ Burnett

*Game 5: Wednesday, October 20 at 4:00 PM est. TBD vs. TBD

*Game 6: Friday, October 22 at 8:00 PM est. TBD vs. TBD

*Game 7: Saturday, October 23 at 8:00 PM est. TBD vs. TBD

*Denotes If Necessary

Season Series

Tied 4-4

Prediction

Things have shaped up very nicely for the Yankees so far. They got to play the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, a team they have some sort of Jedi power over, and now they get to play the Rangers in the ALCS and won’t have to see Cliff Lee until Game 3 of the series.

While everyone seems to be making a big deal of Lee not starting until Game 3, I don’t feel it’s that big of a deal. This is a seven game series, not a five game series.

Even if Lee started Game 2, he would still only make two starts in this series. Someone other than him would still have to win two games. That’s why I feel CJ Wilson, Tommy Hunter and Colby Lewis are the keys to this series.

Which one of these guys is going to win a game besides Lee in this series? And which one of these guys is going to step up if Lee doesn’t win Game 3?

Wilson, who will start Game 1, was 0-1 and gave up 18 hits and had a 5.65 ERA in three starts against the Yankees in 2010. He only pitched 14.1 innings in those three starts.

Lewis has a shot in Game 2. He pitches well at home. I don’t have much hope for Hunter at Yankee Stadium in Game 4.

My biggest concern with the Rangers is their bullpen. It’s not outs 25,26 and 27 I am so much concerned about, but it’s outs 18-24 I am concerned about.

I like Darren O’Day against Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, but the Yankees have so many switch-hitters and lefties in their lineup that it comes down to does Ron Washington want a guy who throws sidearm, and whose ball goes down and in to a lefty, pitching to Mark Teixeira with a short porch in righfield?

Let’s say O’Day does get through the seventh and Jeter and ARod. Who is pitching that eighth inning? Darren Oliver against Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, and Curtis Granderson is the most likely matchup.

Does any Ranger fan feel comfortable in that spot? I wouldn’t. I have seen how that movie ends.

The key, offensively, for the Rangers will be Josh Hamilton. There is no way the Rangers can win this series with Hamilton hitting .111 like he did in the ALDS.

Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz come in red hot for the Rangers.

As for the Yankees, I like the way they are playing. What makes them very tough right now is that they are getting so much production from the bottom of the lineup. Granderson is on fire and when the Yankees get production from guys like Marcus Thames, then it’s good night nurse.

Where the Yankees have the clear advantage in this series is in the bullpen. As long as Mariano Rivera is in a Yankee uniform, the game is an eight inning game.

Kerry Wood is pitching better now than he has in maybe five-to-six years. And if Boone Logan continues to get lefties out, this bullpen becomes very tough. Logan vs. Hamilton is the matchup to watch in this series.

The one thing that concerns me about the Yankees is that Lee is already in their heads. The fact that Joe Girardi is starting Andy Pettitte in Game 3 to face Lee instead of his customary Game 2 start is a very odd decision.

Any time a team starts taking away from their strength to match another team’s strength, is a bad sign. This isn’t as egregious as Avery Johnson going small when the Dallas Mavericks played the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, but it’s not too far behind.

When I think of the Yankee playoff runs, I think of Pettitte pitching Game 2. That’s his game. Of course Girardi will give you the whole Phil Hughes pitches well at Texas, which he does (2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.46 WHIP in three career starts), but I don’t buy it.

I am very torn on this series. My gut tells me the Yankees will find a way. My gut tells me that AJ Burnett, in classic Yankee fashion, pitches seven innings of two-run ball in Game 4, while Lee lasts only four innings because it magically rains in the fourth inning in the Bronx and there is a two hour rain delay.

I have lost 10 lbs in the last month, so my gut isn’t as big as it used to be.

Rangers in 7

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

According to Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution or the AJC to all the cool people, the Atlanta Braves will name former Florida Marlins’ manager Fredi Gonzalez as their new manager on Thursday.

Well that was quick.

With the Braves eliminated from postseason play on Monday, it took them less than 24 hours later to name a replacement. At the end of the day, Gonzalez was the logical choice and the right choice for the Braves.

The Braves love to hire personnel that have ties to the organization and Gonzalez is no stranger to the organization. He was the Braves’ third base coach from 2003-2006 and he also managed the Richmond Braves for one season in 2002.

Gonzalez spent the last two and a half seasons as the manager of the Florida Marlins before unceremoniously being fired on June 23. He had a career record of 276-279 with the Marlins.

Gonzalez is a solid manager and should have a better chance to win in Atlanta than he did in cost-conscience Florida. Gonzalez did have a public spat with star player Hanley Ramirez this season, but it wasn’t because Gonzalez didn’t do the right thing. I am sure if Gonzalez benches someone on the Braves for lack of hustle, this group will take to it more than Hanley did that night.

He will inherit a team that will have veterans Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Brian McCann, Martin Prado, and Chipper Jones, but will have a nice mix of young players like Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson, Craig Kimbrel, and Jonny Venters. The Braves will have some work to do this offseason, but they should be a contender once again in 2011.

The Braves will have a press conference on Thursday before the start of the League Championship Series.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com