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.
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