After winning their first playoff series in franchise history, the Rangers have their eyes on a bigger prize, advancing to their first ever World Series.
Standing in their way are the New York Yankees, a team chasing its 28th World Series title. While the Rangers have home field advantage, many have the Yankees favored to advance to the Series.
However, don’t count Cliff Lee and the Rangers out yet. Here are Five keys to the Texas Rangers advancing to the World Series.
Acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier starred with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in the hit movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
Guess which team will show up hungrier in this year’s American League Championship Series?
The actors in this year’s Major League Baseball saga may not win any Oscars or Golden Globes, but they have a chance to have their names etched in eternity as stars and winners nonetheless.
Starring for the defending World Series champion New York Yankees will be Joe Girardi, with co-stars Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, C.C. Sabathia and Derek Jeter.
Statistics aside, the Yankees may have the best batting lineup since the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals—the Gas House Gang.
The Gang featured five .300 hitters, including mammoth slugger Ripper Collins.
Which hitter will rip the opposing pitching staff apart? I predict it will be Josh Hamilton.
Playing the lead role for the Texas Rangers will be their once-beleaguered manager Ron Washington. His supporting cast includes Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, David Murphy, Ian Kinsler, Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Lee.
The Rangers are no slobs themselves when it comes to hitting.
The first African-American manager in the 49-year history of the Texas Rangers, “Wash” is on the cusp of becoming the first black manager to hit the AL pennant lotto since 1993.
Clarence “Cito” Gaston was the last to do it.
Born in San Antonio and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Gaston was also the first African-American to win the World Series (1992).
He was also once with the Atlanta Braves, and roommates with “Hammering” Hank Aaron.
Gaston has been quoted as saying that Mr. Aaron taught him “how to be a man, how to stand on my own.”
Wash stood on his own for a little while during the 2010 MLB preseason, when he admitted to cocaine use.
But team president Nolan Ryan provided his manager with some much needed company by predicting a 95-win season.
“We will win,” the former flame-throwing pitcher declared.
Now a part-owner of the Rangers, Ryan almost hit a bulls-eye with his bold prediction.
His team finished the regular season at 90-72, and won the AL West division by nine games.
This will be Wash’s first appearance as a manager in the ALCS, and Texas’ fourth postseason run ever. The franchise has only won four playoff games entering into this year’s pennant series.
Needless to say, this will be the first time the Rangers have played in baseball’s version of the Final Four.
Their lone playoff victory before beating Tampa Bay 3-2 in a five-game series came in Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
The Yankees have pummeled the Rangers in every one of their four postseason series.
Which team is hungrier? It seems to me that they both are ready to gorge on equal amounts of home runs and extra base hits.
What will separate these two offensive juggernauts is pitching.
Enter stage right Mr. Lee.
The Yankees wanted to acquire him from the Seattle Mariners, but Ryan was widely viewed as winning a victory over the vaunted Yankee front office in sealing the deal.
The Rangers have dealt with 23 different managers in their history, and the only other one to guide them to the playoffs was the late Johnny Oates.
As a result, he was named the 1996 Co-American League Manager of the Year.
Joe Torre of the Yankees shared the award with Oates.
Oates and current Baltimore Orioles manager, Buck Showalter, were very close friends. The Rangers retired Oates’ uniform number 26 in 2005.
Washington replaced Showalter as manager of the Rangers in 2007.
Showalter sported jersey number 26 as an Oriole this season in honor of Oates.
Washington had a mediocre career as a former shortstop and second baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Minnesota Twins, the Baltimore Orioles, the Cleveland Indians, and the Houston Astros.
His main claim to fame was breaking up Odell Jones’ May 28, 1988 no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning.
Washington was sent in to pinch-hit for Jay Bell, batting ninth.
After he hung up his cleats for good in 1989, his former Astros manager, Art Howe hired him as the A’s first base coach in 1996.
He was then promoted to third base and infield coach, and he served in that role from 1997-2006.
His players adored him to the point of handing him some of their official MLB accolades.
Washington helped to develop six-time Gold Glove recipient Eric Chavez, and shortstop Miguel Tejada. Chavez gave Washington a Gold Glove trophy, signed “Wash, not without you.”
That sentiment was shared by Ranger’s general manager Jon Daniels after the Game 5 win against Tampa Bay.
“Manager of the Year, right here boys,” Daniels proclaimed to reporters in the ALDS celebratory club house.
Hero Cliff Lee won’t pitch until Game 3 in the ALDS, and hopefully in Game 7 for the Rangers.
Ron Washington and current Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira had a rift over their different approaches to batting.
Teixeira was traded three months later to the Atlanta Braves in July 2007, but he was reportedly being shopped before the rift.
I believe the Rangers pitchers will send a text message to their former star.
It could read something like: “Tex, without you.”
I predict the so-called “Evil Empire” will fall in seven games to the Rangers, and that Ron Washington will be named 2010 AL Manager of the Year.
His boldest move was perhaps slotting SS Elvis Andrus in the lead-off spot. Wash’s base-running aggression against the Rays helped to get his team to this point.
Considered plodders on the base paths, New York may play possum in the running department.
The Yankees may have played possum to finish second to the Rays, but possum is a delicacy in certain parts of Texas—so I hear.
The Rangers swept the Yankees in September.
Texas will clean the New York house with an ALDS triumph in seven games.
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CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes.
What would you say if I told you that was the starting rotation of a Major League Baseball team? You would probably say that they would inevitably be in the World Series and it would be nearly impossible to beat them.
Oh, you can also add in that it would be for a team that has had the best offense for two straight years.
That team is the New York Yankees. Everyday that passes, this startling fantasy becomes closer to reality.
Lee and Pettitte are the two pieces to this puzzle that are a bit loose. Lee isn’t even on the Yankees at this point and Pettitte contemplates retirement every year. But if history gives us any indication, this dream rotation is not very far off.
Lee, the 31-year old left-hander of the Texas Rangers, is set to be a free agent after the 2010 season. He was the Cy Young winner in 2008, leading the league in ERA. Since then, he has found homes in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Seattle and Texas. He will be looking for a more permanent home this off-season and the Yankees seem poised to haul him in.
Especially after a season where starting pitching was a weak-point, the Yankees are going to be eager to bring in a top-flight starting pitcher. And just like we saw with Mike Mussina in 2000, Jason Giambi in 2001, Hideki Matsui in 2002, Johnny Damon in 2005 and Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Burnett in 2008, if the Yankees feel they need something they are not going to let it slip away.
Then, there is Pettitte. At 38 years old, and a contract that is about to expire, it seems like a perfect time for the 240 game winner to call it quits. Retirement has been in the discussion every year, and it will be taken even more seriously after the 2010 season.
However, history tells us that retirement after this season should not be considered.
This season Andy Pettitte became the fifteenth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to pitch at least 3,000 innings and win at least 200 games in his career. If he retires after this season he will be the first of the 15 to retire before age 39; if he retires after next season he will be only the fourth to not pitch into his forties.
Historically speaking, it would be very surprising if Lee and Pettitte were not on the Yankees next season. The Yankees need pitching and Lee is the best available help, while Pettitte is historically dominant enough to pitch for at least two more years.
Burnett is a legitimate concern as well. With a 5.26 ERA this season, he had one of the most inconsistent seasons of his career, frustrating Yankees fans week after week.
However, Burnett is going to be in the Yankees rotation next year. That part we know. As for his success, it is likely that another horrific season will not happen. This was the first season of his career where he had an ERA above five. Chances are it won’t happen again. Plus, with Lee and Sabathia in front of him—and Pettitte behind him—there will be virtually no pressure on Burnett. Will that help? We will see.
Hughes, who is entering his prime, has given us no reason to believe that he is on the decline. As a 25 year old next season, he will be in his second full season as a starter, and that can only help him.
As for Sabathia, nobody worries about him.
If the Yankees seemed scary in 2010, or even 2009, watch out for them in 2011. The Yankees have a good chance of putting together a rotation full of pitchers that most teams would love to have as aces. All they need to do is remain the Yankees they have been for the past forty years.
E-mail me at jess@jesskcoleman.com, follow me on Twitter @jesskcoleman, and check out more at jesskcoleman.com.
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When you go to the casino to play the slots, do you expect to win? Do you go to a casino expecting to win when you put all your money on double zero?
The odds aren’t terrible, but they aren’t in your favour either.
In professional sports, general managers constantly flirt with the odds when they decide to pick up rental players.
Rental players are generally players who are picked up by a team for the last portion of the season in hopes of helping the team win its respective league championship in exchange for that player’s market value. Obviously, the better the player, the steeper the price.
It’s a big risk to take for one shot at glory, if you ask me. The chances of a rental player being worth the value given up to get him are very low, and past situations have demonstrated this fact many times.
However, for the Texas Rangers, “renting” Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners has already proven to be worth it.
The Texas Rangers earned their shot at taking on the New York Yankees in the ALCS by knocking off the Tampa Bay Rays on the backs of another stellar Cliff Lee postseason performance. Lee went the distance, giving up six hits and an earned run while fanning 11 in the 5-1 victory.
Wait, so why does one playoff round make the Cliff Lee rental a worthwhile endeavour?
Under most circumstances I would say it doesn’t, but with the Texas Rangers you have to look at where they would be without their ace and where they are now.
In general, I am not an advocate for the acquisition of rental players. Teams are forced to give up their potential future—prospects and draft picks—for a player that can hardly guarantee even a real shot at a title. There are too many examples of teams falling short of the mark after acquiring a soon-to-be marquee free agent.
In the NHL, you look to an example like Nashville and Peter Forsberg, where the Predators gave up a first and third-round pick along with Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent, only to be knocked out in the first round of the playoffs
How about just reminiscing about last year’s World Series, where the Phillies fell short of a title despite the acquisition of, wouldn’t ya know it, Cliff Lee?
The difference here is that the Texas Rangers franchise is currently navigating through uncharted waters all thanks to one Mr. Lee. The Texas Rangers had never won a playoff series prior this year’s ALDS victory, and for a franchise that had never reached the second round of the postseason it seems like it is already a success to have overcome a team that was considered by some to be Major League Baseball’s elite.
I don’t think that anyone can logically argue that without Cliff Lee the Rangers would have beaten the Rays.
There is almost no doubt that the Rangers would have still taken NFC West-like AL West, but they got Lee for one thing only, and that thing is the playoffs. Lee did not have the best win-loss record, nor did he pitch his best ball with the Rangers during the regular season. He went a mediocre 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA, but seriously, it didn’t matter.
Lee pitched two marvellous games against the Rays. As I mentioned earlier, he pitched a complete game tonight in the biggest game of the season and pitched seven great innings in Game 1. Oh yeah, in 16 playoff innings he didn’t walk a batter.
The Rangers did go on to win Game 2, but then at home they lost Games 3 and 4. Now imagine them having C.J. Wilson instead of Cliff Lee at the front end of their rotation. Everyone moves one spot up, and who knows what happens in the series? My best guess is that they lose, but that’s just me.
Think about it: What if the Mariners had decided to keep Cliff Lee? What if the Rangers decided they didn’t want to give away their future in first baseman Justin Smoak to seal the deal?
Well, that didn’t happen. The Mariners decided to get something back for their key offseason purchase, and the Rangers felt that Lee was worth Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson.
It will be a few years before we can truly decide who got the better end of the deal, but right now it looks like a win-win situation with the only possible losers being the Seattle Mariners.
Justin Smoak, the key piece in the deal, disappointed in his time with the Mariners. He hit a brutal .209 with eight homers and 34 runs batted in. However, don’t be too quick to judge. Smoak isn’t even 24 years of age yet, so there is lots of time for him to develop.
In the end, what does it all mean?
The franchise’s first playoff series victory, a legitimate chance at playing for the World Series, and a team that might not be in the place where they are right now without a certain someone—I’d say that Cliff Lee is already well worth the price.
More from Chris can be found on Painting the Black, his personal multi-sport blog.
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We’re down to baseball’s final four as the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are set to duke it out—beginning on Friday—to advance to the 2010 World Series.
There are multiple story lines to follow in both the ALCS and NLCS—for example, the filthy pitching matchups between the Giants and Phillies or the possibility of the Rangers making their first ever World Series—and we’ll get to each of those.
For now, let’s tackle some of the basic info for the two upcoming Championship Series.
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Most people know this story. We covered it blow by blow that day (you can read our account here). But there are always people late to the party, so here is a pretty good rundown by Joel Sherman of the NY Post:
In actuality, once [Justin Smoak] was put into the offer by Texas, it is possible the Yankees never had a second chance on [Cliff Lee]. But for a few tantalizing hours as July 8 turned to July 9, the Yankees believed “we had him,” in Cashman’s words. “We had a deal in principle pending physicals.”
Lee was scheduled to face the Yankees on July 9 at Safeco Field, but it became obvious in the 48 hours beforehand that Seattle would not let that occur. Zduriencik said by phone that was because he wanted to maximize Lee’s value with extra starts to the obtaining team and minimize the injury risk before he could be dealt. But the speed to move Lee led to messiness, involving prospects in the packages and ultimately, the Mariners’ tactics.
Around 9 p.m. Eastern Time on July 8, Seattle agreed with the Yankeees to accept [Jesus Montero], [David Adams] and righty Zach McAllister for Lee, and the sides swapped medical info. Around 3 a.m. Zduriencik called Cashman to say Seattle team doctors were concerned about Adams’ right ankle. This confused the Yankees. Adams had been out since injuring his ankle sliding May 23, yet the Mariners kept insisting he had to be included, and the Yankees only relented that night.
Seattle’s concerns proved valid, as subsequent tests weeks later revealed a fracture and not a sprain for Adams.
Over the next several hours, Seattle asked the Yankees to replace Adams. The Yankees offered touted righty Adam Warren. The Mariners said either [Ivan Nova] or [Eduardo Nunez] must be the replacement, which was their initial position a week earlier. Cashman refused, stating the Yankees would not yield significantly more to get Lee for half a season than Philadelphia had given Cleveland to obtain Lee for a season and a half or Seattle had given Philadelphia to get Lee for a season.
Also, the Yankees came to believe Seattle had not shut down conversations with Texas. There are no written rules, but general protocol is that once a deal in principle is reached, then the trading teams go silent with other clubs.
“A deal is not final until it is final. Besides that, I will not rehash private conversations from trade discussions,” Zduriencik said.
“They had a huge asset and a major decision,” Cashman said, “and I have no problems with what they did.”
With the Yankees’ pursuit public, Texas caved and finally included Smoak about 11 a.m. July 9. The switch-hitting first baseman was Seattle’s priority. So maybe a Montero/Nova or Nunez deal would not have sufficed anyway. But the Yankees will never know because Cashman refused to make that offer.
If the Yankees had landed Lee, it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t be heavily favored to beat the Rays right now after beating the Rangers in the ALDS because they would likely have won the AL East. Instead, the Rangers landed him and beat the Rays, with Lee making 40 percent of their ALDS starts.
That’s all speculation anyways. Lee is with the Rangers and is making a game three start against the Yankees. Then no matter what the outcome of the ALCS is, the Yankees and Rangers will gear up for another epic battle in November/December as the teams will bid over the free agent Cliff Lee.
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One has 27 World Series titles under its belt. The other has one postseason series victory in its 50 years of existence, which coincidentally came on Tuesday night.
One has Monument Park, honoring legends baring the names of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle. The other has a Hall of Fame/hospitality room featuring “greats” like Rusty Greer, Tom Grieve, and Ruben Sierra.
And, like all things in life, there’s the issue of fiscal inventory. One’s payroll for their starting infield trumps the other’s entire roster. One stadium was built for $191 million; the other sprang for $1.5 billion. One pays Alex Rodriguez‘s salary. The other still owes Alex Rodriguez’s salary.
The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers appear to be on the opposite ends of the baseball spectrum regardless of the matter at hand. So it’s apropos that these two franchises find themselves at odds again, with the American League Championship Series serving as the venue for their dispute.
Despite these differences, the teams do share some similarities. Both powered their way into the postseason with parallel equations: explosive offensive assaults backed by prosaic pitching. New York led the American League in runs, RBI, and OBP, and came in second in OPS and third in the home run department.
By comparison, Texas ranks in the top five in runs, hits, home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS. And as previously mentioned, each roster’s arsenal of arms were satisfactory, as the Rangers posted a team ERA of 3.93 compared to the Yankee’s figure of 4.06. Additionally, each team boasts an MVP candidate: second baseman Robinson Cano hit .319 with 29 bombs, 109 RBI, and 103 runs for the Yanks, while center fielder Josh Hamilton led the AL in average (.359), slugging (.633), and OPS (1.044).
Yet the contrasting culture between the clubs is conspicuous. The Yankees will be vying for their 41st World Series voyage; this will be the Rangers inaugural ALCS appearance. The Yankees provoke an array of emotions from fans; outside of Dallas and opposing AL West cities, most baseball admirers are apathetic towards Texas.
So who wins the battle between these polar opponents? The WhatIfSports baseball engine simulated the series 1,001 times to crown the 2010 American League champion. The results indicated the series will go six games, with the Texas Rangers coming out on top 63.7 percent of the time.
| NLCS 1001 Simulations of Best of 7 Series | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matchup | Win% | 4-Games% | 5-Games% | 6-Games% | 7-Games% |
| New York | 36 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 12 |
| Texas | 64 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 18 |
Below is a game-by-game summary and related box score of our simulation’s predicted results.
Although the Yanks are defending world champions and the prohibitive favorite to win the pennant, the series begins in Arlington on Friday night, as Texas won the AL West while New York had to settle for the Wild Card. New York, thanks to a sweep of Minnesota in the Divisional Series, has the luxury of sending ace and 21-game winner CC Sabathia to the mound for Game 1.
Sabathia, one of the game’s preeminent pitchers the last three seasons, has been relatively pedestrian in the playoffs, with a career mark of 6-4 in 11 games with a 4.41 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. Historically, the 2007 Cy Young winner hasn’t fared much better in Texas, where Sabathia has a 4.71 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 36.1 innings.
| Game 1 ALCS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | R | H | E | WIS Interactive |
| Yankees | 10 | 12 | 0 | Boxscore |
| Rangers | 0 | 7 | 0 | Simulate Game |
| WP: CC Sabathia LP: C.J. Wilson |
| Player of the Game: Marcus Thames – 2-5, 2 HRs |
| ALCS Boppers | |
|---|---|
| Player | HRs in ALCS (Avg.) |
| Hamilton | 1.3 |
| Cruz | 1.2 |
| Rodriguez | 1.1 |
Conversely, while the Rangers employ the services of Cliff Lee (who in seven career postseason starts is 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA and 0.78 WHIP), Texas turns to 29-year-old C.J. Wilson to take the mound, as Lee is unavailable until Game 3. Wilson is coming off a stellar performance in Game 2 of the ALDS, going 6.1 shutout innings and striking out seven in the process.
However, a knock on Wilson has been his control, as he led the AL in walks with 93. This is problematic, as New York is notorious for their plate discipline. Sure enough, the free passes come to haunt Wilson in our simulation of Game 1.
After walking two and plunking Mark Teixeira, A-Rod hits a bases-clearing double in the fifth on the way to a 10-0 Yankee route. Wilson surrendered 4 runs in 4.2 innings of work, and Darren O’Day is touched up for five runs in relief. Sabathia exercises his playoff demons by throwing eight innings of shutout baseball, and Marcus Thames ignited the offense with two home runs.
| Game 2 ALCS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | R | H | E | WIS Interactive |
| Yankees | 5 | 9 | 0 | Boxscore |
| Rangers | 4 | 7 | 0 | Simulate Game |
| WP: Kerry Wood LP: Neftali Feliz SV: Mariano Rivera |
| Player of the Game: Jorge Posada – GW RBI |
The Rangers suddenly find themselves in a 2-0 hole after falling to New York 5-4 in extra innings. The star in Game 2 was Jorge Posada, who drew a walk to bring in the go-ahead run off closer Neftali Feliz in the 10th. Other offensive notables for the Yanks were Robinson Cano, who belted a solo shot in the sixth, and Rodriguez, who drove in his fourth run of the series.
Andy Pettitte, no stranger to the posteason, had a so-so outing, giving up four runs in seven innings. Kerry Wood excelled in relief, pitching two innings without surrendering a baserunner to get the W, and the great Mariano Rivera closed the door in the 10th for the save.
For the Rangers, Colby Lewis had similar issues as Pettitte, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings. Josh Hamilton paced the Texas offense with a two-run bomb in the third.
| Game 3 ALCS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | R | H | E | WIS Interactive |
| Rangers | 8 | 9 | 0 | Simulate Game |
| Yankees | 1 | 7 | 1 | Boxscore |
| WP: Cliff Lee LP: Phil Hughes |
| Player of the Game: Vlad Guerrero – 3-5, 4 RBIs |
| ALCS Top BA | |
|---|---|
| Player | BA in ALCS (Avg.) |
| Hamilton | .330 |
| Cruz | .316 |
| Guerrero | .307 |
After scoring just four runs in hitter friendly Arlington, the Rangers come back with a vengeance in Game 3, scoring two in the fifth and four in the 6th to take down the Yanks 8-1. Vladimir Guerrero led the power surge with four ribbies, and Michael Young crossed the plate three times for the Rangers.
Cliff Lee adds to his postseason portfolio with an eight-inning, one-run gem that featured seven strikeouts and just two walks. Phil Hughes had a rough outing as Texas teed off for seven runs in six innings off the New York pitcher.
| Game 4 ALCS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | R | H | E | WIS Interactive |
| Rangers | 8 | 16 | 0 | Simulate Game |
| Yankees | 5 | 10 | 0 | Boxscore |
| WP: Tommy Hunter LP: A.J. Burnett |
| Player of the Game: Josh Hamilton – 4-5, 2 RBI |
Heading into October, a chief concern for Yankee fans was the condition of A.J. Burnett, who posted a 6.14 ERA in September. Burnett did not alleviate any apprehension, as the hurler yielded five runs on 11 hits in an 8-5 Rangers victory.
Hamilton added two more RBI to bring his total to six for the series, and Young and David Murphy added solo homers for Texas.
Although it wasn’t pretty, Tommy Hunter went 6.2 innings, giving up four runs to get the W, and Feliz atoned for his blown save by getting Teixeira to line-out in the ninth.
| Game 5 ALCS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | R | H | E | WIS Interactive |
| Rangers | 4 | 6 | 0 | Simulate Game |
| Yankees | 1 | 5 | 1 | Boxscore |
| WP: C.J. Wilson LP: CC Sabathia SV: Darren O’Day |
| Player of the Game: C.J. Wilson – 7IP, 1 ER, 9 Ks |
| ALCS Top ERA | |
|---|---|
| Player | ERA in ALCS (Avg.) |
| Lee | 4.06 |
| Wilson | 4.12 |
| Lewis | 4.45 |
In a rematch of Game 1 starters, Wilson comes out on top by confining New York to one run in seven innings, as a 4-1 Rangers win puts Texas one game away from popping the bubbly (ginger ale). Vlad hit his first jack of the series (giving him six RBI in five games) and rookie Mitch Moreland added a two-run shot to account for the Texas output.
Sabathia went eight innings for the Yanks, but the Bronx Bombers could not muster any offensive fireworks save for a Derek Jeter solo bomb in the fifth. The 2-3-4 hitters have been absymal for New York, as Swisher is .235, Teixeira comes in at .222, and Rodriguez cabooses it batting .111.
| Game 6 ALCS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | R | H | E | WIS Interactive |
| Yankees | 4 | 7 | 0 | Boxscore |
| Rangers | 9 | 16 | 2 | Simulate Game |
| WP: Colby Lewis LP: Andy Pettitte |
| Player of the Game: Colby Lewis – 6 2/3, 2 ER, 7 Ks |
After 50 years filled with ineptitude and failure, the Texas Rangers are headed to the World Series after thrashing New York 9-4 in Arlington.
The Rangers knocked Pettitte for four runs in the third and never looked backed. Hamilton and Guerrero each knocked in two runs, bringing both of their RBI accumulation to eight as they share MVP honors.
Lewis made it through 6.2 innings with just two runs, and Feliz capped off the coronation with his second save of the series. Pettitte never adjusted after the third, and exited with six runs on 11 hits in six innings.
Check out the NLCS preview from WhatIfSports.com.
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What an incredible LDS highlighted by Roy Halladay’s no-hitter. We saw the Rangers over the Rays in five, the Yankees sweep the Twins, the Phills sweep the Reds and the Giants top the Braves in four.
I went 3-1 in the LDS, with my blemish coming when I picked the Rays. I wish I had do-overs. This year’s LCS looks amazing. We have a classic David vs. Goliath story in the AL, and a mouth-watering pitching dual in the NL. Let’s run it down:
ALCS: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers
I would absolutely love for the Yankees to get knocked out. It could happen too. The big thing here is that the Rangers will only be able to use LHP Cliff Lee once, since he’s projected to start Game 3. If he starts again, it’ll be on short rest – something he’s never done. Lee has been insane in the playoffs : seven starts, 6-0 record, 1.44 ERA, .185 batting average against and 9:1 K/BB ratio. In five of those starts, he has pitched at least seven innings without a walk.
Lee has four starts in which he struck out 10 and walked none — only four other pitchers in playoff history have done that, with Lee being the only one to repeat said performance. Tuesday night, Lee became the first pitcher to strike out 11 in a winner-take-all postseason game. In the ALDS, he set a postseason series record with 21 strikeouts without a walk.
That said, the Yankees can hit him – he’s 6-4 with a 4.42 ERA lifetime against the Yanks. Keep an eye on Lee throwing inside on righty bats. The Yanks’ rotation is a bit of a mess, but it looks like LHP C.C. Sabathia will go on short rest should the series go seven.
The Bronx Bombers come in as the rested team, but their lackluster starting pitching remains the biggest concern. That said, if LHP Andy Pettitte stays Mr. October, anything is fair game. Call me crazy, but the Rangers are a very similar team build to the Angels of the early 2000’s – they run like crazy. They’ll make it close, but the Yanks prevail. I pray that I’m wrong, I really do – I’d love to see the Rangers advance given all they’ve been through, but I just don’t see it happening.
Pick: Yankees in 7
NLCS: San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies
What a pitching matchup! Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez vs. Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels. Sign me up!
Starting July 31, the Phillies have gone 30-5 in games started by H20. In the LDS sweep over the Reds, the Phils limited Cincy to four runs in three games, and held the highest-scoring team in the NL to a .124 average. Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history, and Hamels threw a shutout in Game 3, making them only the second pair of teammates in the divisional era (from 1969 on) to throw shutouts in the same postseason series.
Starting September 1, H20 is 15-1. But, the Giants hit all three of them this year: Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels combined to throw 45 innings against San Fran, and they allowed 51 hits and 24 earned runs (a 4.80 ERA).
Don’t count of the Giants’ rotation, either – In four games against the Braves in the NLDS, Giants’ starting pitchers posted a 0.93 ERA, the third lowest starters’ ERA by an NL team in any postseason series. Lincecum pitched one of the greatest games in playoff history in Game 1 of the LDS: a two-hit, 14-strikeout gem in a 1-0 win.
Lincecum made one start against the Phillies this season, pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowed three hits, two earned runs, walked one and struck out 11. Cain threw well in Game 2 against the Braves, but the bullpen blew it. Sanchez has an ERA just north of 1.00 in his past eight starts. In two starts against the Phillies this season, he is 2-0. In 13 innings, he has allowed only five hits, two runs, walked seven and struck out 13.
LHP Madison Bumgarner is going to come in under the radar, having a 1.43 ERA in his past seven starts.
Let’s take a look at the closer’s situations. RHP Brian Wilson led the NL in saves with 48 and had a 1.81 ERA, walked 26 and struck out 93 in 74 2/3 innings. He tends to throw heat away to get batters to chase, but if he starts running it on the black, he’s nearly impossible to hit off of. In the LDS, he threw four scoreless innings and struck out five.
RHP Brad Lidge has been here before, both pitching well and terrible. Since August 1, though, he’s been “Lights Out” Lidge again. He’s thrown 24 2/3 innings, allowed 10 hits, two runs and struck out 25.
Could this series come down to middle-relief? The Giants’ pen was great all season, but stumbled against the Braves. The opposite is true for the Phils – a poor season with a strong LDS. On an aside, Buster Posey is epic. He’s accomplished so much in such little time. Not enough credit goes out to him.
If the Phils beat the Giants, they will become the first NL team to reach the World Series three years in a row since the 1942-44 Cardinals. My biggest fear is that the Giants’ bats fall asleep. The Phillis bats are too consistent, and I think that’s the difference-maker here. The Giants are the masters of one-run wins, but are they capable of holding the Phillies to a mere one-run lead? I don’t think so. My season-long prediction of Phils over Yankees in the World Series looks like it’ll be put to the test.
Pick: Phillies in 7
Although I’m new to B/R, I’ve been making previews and predictions through my website for each of the big-four sports. You can take a look at my playoff prediction accuracy below:
NHL
2007-08: 12-3 (80%)
2008-09: 10-5 (67%)
2009-10: 9-6 (60%)
Total: 31/45 = 69%
NBA
2007-08: 11-4 (73%)
2008-09: 9-6 (60%)
2009-10: 11-4 (73%)
Total: 20/30 = 67%
MLB
2008: 5-2 (71%)
2009: 4-3 (57%)
Total: 9/14 = 64%
NFL
2008-09: 9-2 (82%)
2009-10: 7-4 (64%)
Total: 16/22 = 73%
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If the Wild Card system in Major League Baseball had any remaining detractors entering this season’s Division Series round of postseason play—and it did—the pair of excellent series (San Francisco-Atlanta and Texas-Tampa Bay) may have wooed them all.
Even aside from Roy Halladay’s historic October debut, there were great performances by batters and pitchers alike all around the playoff circuit. Cliff Lee, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte solidified their sterling playoff reputations, while Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum and Curtis Granderson began building their own October legacies.
The Rangers may be the best story entering the 2010 Championship Series round, having won their first-ever postseason series. But there are plenty of individual superstars who will vie for the bright spotlight of postseason glory. Through the first round, these five men have made the best cases.
The Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies are in their respective league championship series thanks in large part to their pitching aces Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay.
Lee mowed down the Tampa Bay Rays by going 2-0 in 16 innings and allowing only two runs.
Halladay is throwing in his first postseason ever. He only has one start, but it was a dandy has he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds, only the second no-hitter in postseason history.
Now, who is more scary in the postseason? Both have filthy career numbers and Cy Young awards. Both are in their prime. Who would batters rather not face right now?