Kuzul

The ALDS series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers started when the Rangers Cliff Lee outdueled the Rays David Price.  Twenty-four hours later, the Rays fell again behind James Shields to the Rangers and C.J. Wilson.  In fact, the Rays only had one run in the first two games at Tropicana Field, via Ben Zobrist‘s solo homer in Game 1. 

Then, the series went off to Arlington, Texas.  The Rangers wanted to close out the series in front of the home crowd.  Colby Lewis tried to advance the Rangers, while Matt Garza tried to save the Rays season.  Garza prevailed, pushing a Game 4.  Tommy Hunter tried again to win in Texas, but Wade Davis pitched a gem to defeat the Rangers 5-2. 

Now, the Rangers are feeling the pressure.  The Rays have momentum, and the advantage of the home crowd for Game 5.  The pitching matchup is a rematch of the Game 1 starters, Cliff Lee vs David Price.  Lee won the first match, but David Price is a Cy Young candidate, and will most likely bounce back. 

The Rangers’ bullpen has been real busy in Games 3 and 4, while the Rays have total depth in the pen.  If Cliff Lee gets into any trouble, the Rangers have a tired bullpen, while the Rays are well-rested and have plenty more arms.  Lefty Derek Holland probably won’t be seen out on the mound tomorrow, as he pitched 4.2 innings combined in Games 3 and 4, four of those innings in Game 4. 

The Rays lineup looked lackluster in Games 1 and 2, while the Rangers offense was surging.  However, this completely turned around in Games 3 and 4.  The Rays offense went on a tear, including Evan Longoria going 3-4 with a homer, and B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena, and Ben Zobrist all collecting two hits.

The Rays have offensive momentum, and have field flexibility.  Several players, including Reid Brignac, Ben Zobrist, and Sean Rodriguez being able to play several positions.  The Rays have offensive depth, and a smart manager in Joe Maddon.

Is home field advantage good or bad for the Rays?  The Rays offense was sluggish in Games 1 and 2 home at the Trop, but they picked up at Texas.  The Rangers were dominant at the Trop, but fell in Texas.  Will the road team win yet again?  Or will the home team win the series for their crowd?

Overall, I’d have to give the Game 5 edge to the Rays.  The Rays have all the momentum, which probably won’t disappear at home.  The Rays offense is going good for them, and David Price is ready to rebound.  The Rays offense will have a tough time versus Cliff Lee, and the game will probably end up being a pitchers duel.  I believe that David Price will come out on top this time.

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Tonight’s game between the Braves and Giants is the fourth game of the National League Division Series.  The Giants are up two games to one, but there anything can happen.  Naturally, many baseball fans will be watching tonight’s game.

Since the Phillies finished off their sweep over Cincinnati last night, whoever wins this series will play them in the League Championship Series.  Lots of Phillies fans will probably be watching the Braves-Giants game, but they may not know which team to root for. So I’ve got some answers for those fans.  Based on statistics, I can tell you which team the Phillies will have a better chance of beating in the NLCS.

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Marc Juberg here, excited to bring you moment-by-moment coverage of the most important game on the airwaves this evening.  It’s a clash that promises to be as heartrending as action-packed, and comes complete with story lines and intrigue that would make even the great William Shakespeare stir in his grave. 

This is NOT Monday Night Football.

No, baseball fans, this is game four of the most competitive first-round series of the 2010 MLB Playoffs, pitting the Atlanta Braves in a must-win situation against the visiting San Francisco Giants, who with a win can earn a date with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.  Follow along as wily veteran Derek Lowe squares off against wide-eyed Giants‘ rookie and playoff virgin Madison Bumgarner.

Are you ready for some baseball?

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If it weren’t already evident that AJ Burnett’s big long-term contract was dictating the decisions made by the Yankees front office, it is now. 

After the Yankees cruised through the American League Division series with just three starters, the Yankees announced Monday morning that they will use a fourth starter in the American League Championship series. That fourth starter will be AJ Burnett.

Yankees fans have never been fed up with a pitcher more than they have AJ Burnett. And for a good reason. This season has been a disastrous one for the 33-year-old, and that is just one of the many reasons why this decision makes no sense.

First off, if the Yankees feel they need a fourth starter, why didn’t they initially have one in the divisional series? Furthermore, there was no evidence in the ALDS that a fourth starter was needed. After all, they never lost a game.

The Yankees have almost a week off between the last game of the ALDS and the first game of the ALCS. That rest will make it even easier for all the starters to get back into shape, especially CC Sabathia, who would potentially pitch three games.

If you insert Burnett into the fourth spot in the rotation, CC Sabathia would pitch Game 5, eliminating the possibility of him pitching a possible Game 7. If you can’t throw your ace in Game 7, you have something to worry about.

Then, there is the simplest argument of them all: Burnett is not the best the Yankees have. Even if they believe that a fourth starter is necessary, Burnett is not their best option.

With a 5.26 ERA on the season, and a 7.94 ERA in his final three regular-season starts, Burnett should be out of contention for a starting spot. The Yankees mistakenly left Ivan Nova and Javier Vazquez off the roster, but they still left Dustin Moseley.

Now, of course you would not be comfortable putting Moseley on the mound in the ALCS. He, too, has an ERA of almost five, and he has never started a postseason game. However, as bad a case as Moseley has, Burnett’s is worse. Bottom line: neither Burnett nor Moseley is fit for a postseason start, but if you really feel you need a fourth starter, Moseley would give you a better chance to win.

Although they likely don’t believe it, you will surely hear the Yankees sing the same song they have sang all year: “Burnett has great stuff, and he has potential to pitch a great game.” 

Sure, he has potential to pitch a great game. But so does Kerry Wood, or Mariano Rivera, or Joba Chamberlain, or Kei Igawa. It’s the postseason. You need starters who give you a chance to win nearly 100 percent of the time. Burnett is not that guy, regardless of what he can do.

The Yankees made this decision without any regard to winning. They instead made this decision because they are afraid to hurt Burnett’s feelings. He will be here for another three years, and the Yankees don’t want to upset someone who will likely be essential to their future success.

In the Yankees’ history, only one pitcher has finished the season with at least 30 starts and an ERA above five. That pitcher is AJ Burnett. The Yankees have treated him better than ever, regardless of his horrible numbers. They have made sure he is happy and comfortable without any regard to the team’s success. That’s fine in April, that’s even fine in August. But in October, it should not be tolerated.

E-mail me at jess@jesskcoleman.com, follow me on Twitter @jesskcoleman, and check out more at jesskcoleman.com.

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For the second year in a row, the New York Yankees swept aside the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the playoffs and are once again headed back to the ALCS.

Many questions surrounded the Yankees as they entered the postseason for only the 14th time in 15 years, but it is safe to say now that the Bombers are a legitimate threat.

Being the Wild Card team, everybody wondered if they could win without home field advantage? Well, they can, and did, overcoming two leads by the Twins and rallied behind starters CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte to win the first two games of the series at Target Field. Or much simply put: they came, they saw, they conquered.

Phil Hughes making his first postseason start in game 3 was the next big question, would he be able to bounce back from a rather ugly 2009 postseason campaign where he gave up six runs in just six innings pitched? He too, answered the call and fired seven strong innings, allowing only four hits and no runs, and thus completing the sweep and moving the Yankees one step closer to their goal at the beginning of every season.

The Yankees made it clear to everybody that they are for real once again this October and any questions of their starting pitching have been answered after several strong pitching performances.

Realistically they could have the best starting rotation in the playoffs right now, that is if they continue with their three man rotation, which they most certainly should.

CC Sabathia, surprisingly, had the worst start between the three starters, allowing four runs on five hits through six innings.

Not enough can be said about how Andy Pettitte, at age 38, came out and shut down the Twins offense in game two, giving up just two runs on five hits over seven solid innings, earning his unprecedented 19th postseason victory in his career.

You already know about Phil Hughes and how he dominated in the clinching game three, so the Yankees top three starters are looking pretty scary and are certainly the best in the American League right now.

If you combine the rotation with the always dangerous offense, along with the best relief pitcher in the history of the game who only gets better in October, Mariano Rivera, and added rest before the ALCS, the Bronx Bombers are looking sharp as they continue their quest for title number 28.

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In a baseball season frequently dubbed “the year of the pitcher” because of the sudden proliferation of dominant mound performances seemingly helping to shut the door on Major League Baseball’s notorious “steroid era,” we are being treated to an encore presentation in the 2010 postseason.

Only partially through the first round of the Division Series segment of the playoffs, we have already seen Roy Halladay toss the second no-hitter in postseason history in his personal playoff debut. Tim Lincecum offered a similarly dominant debut with a complete game, two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts.

Cole Hamels clinched Philadelphia’s NLDS sweep of the Reds with a complete game shutout, and Cliff Lee continued to add to his impeccable playoff resume with a third career postseason start in which he struck out at least 10, while walking none, a feat that has only been accomplished by four other pitchers in history.

Jonathan Sanchez pitched a brilliant game in his first taste of the playoffs, and Phil Hughes went seven shutout innings in his postseason debut to clinch the ALDS sweep for the Yankees. The Year of the Pitcher indeed.

As if we hadn’t been treated to enough incredible pitching already, ALDS Game 5, between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, will feature a rematch of possibly the most tantalizing head-to-head pitching clash we have seen so far.

Two of the top lefties in the game, Cliff Lee and David Price, will reprise their starting roles from Game 1, in the final, decisive game between the Rangers and Rays, determining which team will host the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

Game 1 wasn’t quite the pitchers’ duel we expected, as Price was roughed up by the Texas offense in 6.2 innings of his first career playoff start. The flame-throwing 25-year-old lefty had five previous postseason appearances under his belt from 2008, but he had not yet started a playoff game before this series opener.

David was hit hard and often as he allowed five runs on nine hits, two of those being home runs, as his Rays squad dropped the opening game 5-1 at home.

Cliff Lee, on the other hand, continued to add to what has already become a legendary playoff resume with yet another dominant postseason start in the last two years. Lee’s seven-inning performance, in which he allowed one run on five hits and no walks, with 10 strikeouts, pushed him to 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 6 career playoff starts.

His 1.52 ERA is the fifth-lowest in MLB history for pitchers with at least five playoff starts, trailing only four hurlers, three of whom are in the Hall of Fame. As previously stated, only seven times has a pitcher struck out at least 10 batters while walking none, and Cliff Lee has done it three times since last October.

The Rangers have precisely the right pitcher on the mound as they attempt to advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time in franchise history. They are fighting for the chance to go on to face the only other team they have ever played in the postseason, the New York Yankees, a team that has eliminated Texas in three playoff series since 1996.

Lee was acquired for occasions such as these, as his calm, cool demeanor projects an air of confidence that the Rangers hope will spur his teammates toward victory. In just a short time, Cliff Lee has crafted a well-deserved reputation as one of baseball’s best big-game pitchers.

During his short stint in Philadelphia last season, the Phillies rode him to Game 6 of the World Series before ultimately falling short to the very same Yankees that the Rangers are hoping to face in the ALCS. One can bet Cliff Lee has considered the shot at redemption against the team that denied him World Series glory in 2009.

For now though, Lee must not look ahead to the Yankees, as he faces a Tampa team who owned the best record in the American League during 2010. In his back pocket though, Lee knows that he just dominated the Rays in the very same venue less than a week ago. Despite that dominant outing in the ALDS opener however, Tampa were actually 3-0 versus Lee in 2010, as they managed 24 hits against him in 23.2 innings.

From the Rays’ perspective, there is at least that flicker of hope to rely on, and the knowledge that, after being down two games to none, momentum has now shifted in their favor. How far that pendulum has swung in Tampa’s direction will much depend on how well Lee can resemble his sterling playoff reputation.

Texas hope that they will see more of the same from the man they brought in to start games such as this one.

From Tampa’s perspective, they too have just the right pitcher heading to the mound for them in this decisive Game 5. All season long, David Price has been among the top pitchers in baseball, and will find his name right near the top of voting for the AL Cy Young Award at the conclusion of the postseason.

Price was 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA in his stellar breakout campaign during his first full year as a Major League hurler, playing a significant role in helping the Rays to the best record in the AL.

Aside from his subpar Game 1 performance against Texas, Price only faced the Rangers one other time in 2010. He earned a no-decision in his lone start against them, pitching six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks, while striking out eight. Though he didn’t walk a batter in Game 1, he’ll have to avoid command issues against a powerful Texas lineup that can thoroughly punish a pitcher if given too many opportunities.

Despite winning the first two games in Tampa, the AL West Champion Rangers were not known as road warriors in 2010, as they only had a 39-42 road record, worst among American League playoff teams. Price knows that the Ranger offense isn’t nearly as explosive on the road, and will look to exploit that weakness in order to lead his team to an ALCS clash with the Yankees.

Texas was the fourth-highest scoring AL team in 2010, but only seventh away from Arlington. Their second-ranked team OPS at home of .800, drops to a seventh-ranked .716 on the road.

In addition to his opponents’ struggles on the road, David Price finds himself exactly where he wants to be come Tuesday evening. During his young career at Tropicana Field, Price is 17-5 with a 2.32 ERA, with a 1.10 WHIP and a .206 batting average against.

He has been even better in 2010, going 9-2 with a 1.96 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and an opponents’ OPS of .589, while striking out 107 in 114.2 innings. To say he is comfortable pitching at the Trop may be an understatement.

With the series tied at two games apiece, each team is feeling confident with their ace headed to the hill in the decisive Game 5 om Tuesday. The prize for victory will be an American League Championship Series date with the Yankees, an opportunity both teams will relish as they each seek the first World Series titles in their respective franchise histories.

Before we look ahead to that however, we should sit back and enjoy a rematch of ALDS Game 1 starters, Cliff Lee and David Price, two men hit that sit right at the top of the list of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball today. Play ball!

Please check out my piece on Roy Halladay’s No-hitter and the 10 Greatest Pitching Performances of MLB Postseason History.

For further coverage of the Texas Rangers’s 2010 postseason run by Scott Gyurina please read my prior articles:

Texas Rangers Firing On All Cylinders Against Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers Vs. Tampa Bay Rays Positional Matchups

Texas Rangers’ Pitching Well-Armed For Deep Playoff Run

Texas Rangers: 10 Reasons They Can Beat the Yankees in the Playoffs

Texas Rangers’ 3 Biggest Question Marks Heading Into October

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

On a few different fronts, it’s as easy as “1-2-3” for the Philadelphia Phillies this postseason. 

Last night, of course, the Phillies dispensed the upstart Cincinnati Reds 1-2-3 in the NLDS. The series sweep was of historic significance as it was the first ever in the postseason for the 127-year old organization— at least on the winning end. 

And the Phillies plan for the 2010 postseason revolves around the rock solid 1-2-3 foundation provided by “The Big Three” trio of ace starters. Cole Hamels fulfilled his part of the plan almost to perfection (a term that cannot be used gratuitously with Roy Halladay on the staff) by tossing a low-stress, high-gloss five-hit shutout in last evening’s clincher. 

Although Phillies players engaged in the customary series-clinching champagne celebration, they did so in a manner that suggested they had been there before, and still have places to go. 

Wrapping up the division series was but step one in their 1-2-3 postseason formula. Next on the agenda is achieving a similar outcome in the NLCS and then the World Series. 

From the outset of last night’s game until the final 95-mph heater that set Scott Rolen down swinging to end the game, Hamels displayed his unwavering determination to execute on those plans. 

In contrast to last season’s postseason, “Hollywood” brought a Halladay-like focus to wrap up the series last evening. When asked about his performance, Hamels made it abundantly clear that the NLDS victory was but one step towards the team’s goal of bringing another World Series Championship to Philly. 

That type of attitude and pitching performance has to be unnerving to the rest of the postseason field. 

After Shane Victorino made a terrific running catch of a Brandon Phillips liner in the first, Hamels never seemed to break a sweat as he suffocated the Reds’ high-powered offense. 

When Phillips started the home ninth with a base hit to awaken the Great American Ballpark crowd and provide a sense of hope, Hollywood coolly induced soon-to-be-MVP Joey Votto to ground into a tailor-made double play. 

Suddenly, it was as if a huge wet blanket had been dropped from the gaudy orange “Conan” blimp hovering above the stadium. 

Hamels’ mid-90’s fastball, low-90’s cutter, nose-diving change-up, and occasional hook had Reds hitters flailing and guessing all night. Never did he allow a free pass or more than one baserunner in an inning, while racking up nine strikeouts.

The Phillies offense remained somewhat in hibernation as it managed but two runs of support for their ace lefty. One run was again donated by the unexpectedly generous Reds defense, and the other came by virtue of a Chase Utley bomb into the right-center field bleachers. 

Besides the superior pitching of Halladay, Hamels, and the bullpen, the Phillies’ edge in postseason experience proved to be a large difference in this series. Not to take anything away from an excellent Phillies team, but the Reds were perhaps a little tight. 

Similar to the Phillies in 2007, Cincinnati got a taste of the postseason and appears to have a very bright future. They have a young core of talent that should provide strong offense, defense and pitching over the next few seasons—much like this now-seasoned Philly team. 

In this series, though, the Phillies took care of business 1-2-3 to accomplish step one of their postseason plan. 

With the champagne cobwebs mostly cleared from their heads today, it’s now time for the Phillies to focus on step two. 

They will take the wise course of one step at a time, but the big celebration will wait until the postseason plan becomes a matter of 1-2-3.  

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The Texas Rangers are looking for their first playoff series win in franchise history, and last week, it looked like they would get it. The Rangers took games one and two in commanding fashion, giving up only one run. Starting pitchers Cliff Lee, and C.J. Wilson dominated both games, leading Rangers fans to think a sweep was in order. The sweep, however would not be so, leading 2-1 in the late innings of game 3, Ron Washington made some questionable decisions with the bullpen, and they could not finish the job, losing 6-2.

In game four, the Rangers could never get going and they were dominated by the Rays 5-2. The bats of star hitters, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero have been nonexistent this series. The trio, who were expected to lead the Rangers to victory, have been nowhere to be found.

The Rangers missed an opportunity to close out the series at home, and now must return to Tropicana Field to close out the first series win in franchise history.

Here are four reasons why Rangers fans should be confident of a win in game five.

1. The Play of Elvis Andrus.

This is a strange way to start off this list, Andrus does not hit for power, has never played in a post season, and is only a second year starter. How can he possibly be a factor in the Rangers winning in game five? The answer is Andrus has been nothing short of spectacular in this series.

He is batting .316 in this series with though he only has one RBI. He has been a force on the base paths, stealing bases, forcing the Rays to make bad throws, and generating run producing innings. He has done an outstanding job at the lead-off position, working high pitch counts to start the game, and making things happen for the Rangers.

In the field, he has also been outstanding, making spectacular plays that belong on the highlight reel, as well as making numerous plays to save runs.

If he can keep this up in game five, the 22 year old will be a main part of why the Rangers will win their first division series in franchise history.

2. Josh Hamilton Remembers How to Hit.

Josh Hamilton had an MVP regular season. He posted a .359 batting average, with 32 Home Runs, and 100 RBI’s. Hamilton is the main reason for the Rangers first post season birth in eleven years as he’s been fantastic. His play in the field was great, and he has had several game saving plays, both in the field and at the plate.

In the post season, however, Josh Hamilton is no where to be found. If the Rangers are going to win this series, Josh Hamilton will have to play a major role in game five.

Josh Hamilton has put this team on his back and led them to victory before. Trailing 8-2 against the Red Sox on August 13, Hamilton put the Rangers on his back in a way never seen before. He made plays in the field, at the plate, and on the base paths in a game the Rangers would win 10-9.

Hamilton needs to have another take over game if the Rangers are to win game five.

3. Cliff Lee.

Cliff Lee is Mr. October. He has never lost a post-season game, going 5-0 in his short, but very successful career in the playoffs. Last year with the Phillies, Lee won both World Series games that he started, but the Phillies would still lose the series 4-2. Should the Rangers win and face the Yankees, Cliff Lee boasts a 6-1 record with a 2.76 ERA against the Bronx Bombers since 2007.

In the post season, there is no one else you would rather have on the mound than Cliff Lee, and the Rangers are starting him in game five. This is the reason the Rangers traded for Lee in the first place. The Rangers are in a win or go home situation facing elimination, and they will hand the game ball to Cliff Lee and say “put us on your back.”

Cliff Lee beat the Rays and all star pitcher David Price in game one. If Lee can do it again, the Rangers will be headed to their first American League Championship series in franchise history.

4. Cliff Lee, Again.

When you just get down to it, the fate of this game rest solely in the hands of Cliff Lee. If he brings his usual playoff stuff, the Rays can kiss their season goodbye. If however, Lee does not shown up in the post season for the first time ever, the Rangers will be looking at yet another one and done.

Rangers fans should have faith though, because when has Cliff Lee not been ready for a post season game?

The ball is in your hands Cliff Lee.

The Rangers put all of their hope in you.

For questions regarding the article please comment, or send me an E-mail.

Paul Ferguson is an intern at bleacher report.

Follow him on twitter at: @paulwall5

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There is not much going wrong for the New York Yankees, after sweeping the Minnesota Twins easily to advance to the ALCS.

However it happened, this is not the same team who finished off 2010 regular season barely breathing.

Resembling championship form almost overnight has caused rumors to swirl for the sudden upgraded play.

Maybe it’s just pure postseason rush?

Possibly. Imagine getting a step closer to the World Series as a player. It’s inevitable that you acquire some adrenaline from winning.

Also, it could have been a contrived plan to lose the division. Any team without Cliff Lee is a better option and an easier opponent, particularly in the postseason.

Everyone knows the Yankee captain (Derek Jeter) can act to win so why wouldn’t the team lose a few to defend their crown? Looking at the bigger picture it makes sense.

Struggling and after spending months on the DL was not the Andy Pettitte who looked great in Game 2 of the ALDS. It was the southpaw at his best.

Followed that outing was Phil Hughes, who was even better and during the team’s September slump Hughes only came out of the bullpen. Maybe Hughes hasn’t learned to fake being bad as well.

In turn Yankees can blame it on the ‘Hughes Rules’ also known as Hughes’ innings limit. Hughes is 90+ innings over that limit and that was before his ALDS start so it would be presumed that he was not getting pampered months ago. Nice try with that one.

Could it be possible that all the fuss to win the AL East was BS, and the Yankees had no intention to go that route?

It makes sense for any team to try and avoid having to face Lee twice in a five game series because odds are you will lose the short series.

This is not fate but the reality facing the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, where Lee holds the destiny of the game on the mound.

If Lee were going to get hit, the best team with the odds to beat him would be the Rays because they have done it all season. Not just once this season, but all three times the Rays made the great Lee into a loser. Lee gave up 15 hits, 12 earned runs, two walks and 25 strikeouts in the three losses against Tampa Bay.

In Lee’s six postseason starts he has a 1.52 ERA, given up just 11 hits, eight earned runs, six walks, 43 strikeouts and one home run over 47.1 innings. He still has not lost in October, making the reasons to steer clear more obvious.

Postseason Lee has yet to fail. His last victims were the Rays; in their own house just four games ago. Tuesday night will be different because the Rays are hot again and this will make Lee’s night not an easy one, but the Rays bats will have to be perfect.

Kind of makes sense for the Yankees to lose the division on purpose, even if they never admit to it.

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So far in the 2010 NLDS we have seen one dominating sweep from a team seeking their third straight World Series appearance and another series go back and forth with three thrilling games so far.

The Phillies have already clinched their spot in the NLCS with an easy three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, including a no-hitter from Roy Halladay.

In the other series we have seen some dominating pitching along with some late inning heroics throughout the first three games. Right now the Giants lead the series 2-1 but honestly it could have gone in any number of directions.

So what have we learned from these two drastically different series? 

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