Yankees 6, Rangers 5

Submitted by:  Dan

Game one of the American League Championship Series got under way last night in Arlington, Texas.  The Rangers played host to the New York Yankees (the Bombers had a better record but are the fourth-ceded team in the AL because they won the Wild Card) in the first playoff game there in ten years.  The Rangers had some bad news from the beginning, as New York has dominated Texas in postseason play (although none of the players on the current Rangers roster were there the last time the two teams met in the postseason).  More bad news came to the Rangers as LHP Cliff Lee was unavailable to start game one due to pitching game five of the American League Division Series.

It was a different story for the Yankees.  They've dominated Texas in the postseason (and four Yankees were there the last time these two teams met in the postseason), LHP C. C. Sabathia was available to start game one, and the Yankees were unbeaten in postseason play in 2010.  The only negative surrounding this team was the six-day layoff between their sweep of the Minnesota Twins and the start of the ALCS.

The game started on a promising note for Texas, as LHP C. J. Wilson turned the Yankees away scoreless in the top of the first.  Things were not as promising for Sabathia.  After allowing base hits to SS Elvis Andrus and 3B Michael Young, CF Josh Hamilton ripped a three run homer to give the Rangers a quick early lead.

It looked like three runs might be all the cushion Wilson would need.  He's not Lee, but the rest of the AL is starting to find out how good this guy actually is.  He baffled the Yankees for six innings, dominating their lineup like few pitchers have this season.  In between, the Rangers added a couple of more runs when C Matt Treanor and Andrus scored on a two-run double by Young.  That made it 5-0 Texas.

The Yankees got on the board in the seventh when 2B Robinson Cano hit a solo home run.  But Wilson stopped the damage there.

Then everything fell apart in the eighth.  LF Brett Gardner hit an infield single to lead off the inning, barely beating Wilson to the bag on a ball fielded by 1B Jorge Cantu with a headfirst slide.  Wilson followed that up by allowing a more traditional single to SS Derek Jeter.  Manager Ron Washington then went to his 'pen.  With RF Nick Swisher and 1B Mark Teixera due up (Swisher a switch-hitter and weaker batting righthanded and Teixera left-handed) Washington opted to bring in LHP Darren Oliver, his most trusted southpaw.  Oliver responded by walking both batters, the second walk bringing in Gardner with New York's second run.  With 3B Alex Rodriguez due up, Washington went with RHP Darren O'Day, a submarine-arming right-handed specialist.  O'Day threw one pitch which A-Rod turned into a two-run single, scoring both Jeter and Swisher to narrow the margin to 5-4.  Then, with Cano due up and runners on first and second, Washington went with LHP Clay Rapada.  Rapada threw one pitch which Cano laced for a single, scoring Teixera to tie the game at five.  Both O'Day and Rapada only lasted long enough to throw one pitch each.  Washington then brought in LHP Derek Holland with DH Marcus Thames due up.  Holland was the fifth pitcher Texas used in the inning.  None of the previous four had recorded an out.  Thames responded by hitting a broken-bat RBI single to score A-Rod and give the Yankees a one-run lead.  Holland then rebounded to retire the Yankees without allowing any further runs and went onto pitch a scoreless ninth, but the damage was done. 

RHP Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to record the save for the Yanks and preserve the 6-5 victory.  Sabathia will have a lot to think about before his next start, as he lasted only four innings and allowed five earned runs.  RHP Dustin Moseley earned the win in relief by pitching two scoreless innings.  RHP Kerry Wood earned a hold in the victory.  Wilson pitched seven innings and was charged with three earned runs, two of which came into score after Wilson yielded to the bullpen.  He received a no-decision.  O'Day was charged with the loss, as he allowed A-Rod to reach base who eventually came around to score the game-winning run.

It will be curious to see how Texas responds after imploding in the eighth.  They play game two in Arlington today at 4:00 PM.  RHP Colby Lewis is set to start beside RHP Phil Hughes.  Hughes has the best run support in the AL, so Lewis will try to stymie what should prove to be an overly potent offense.

Note:  The Rangers loaded their pitching staff with left-handers for the ALCS, apparently with the belief that New York would be susceptible to lefthanded pitching.  Four of the five Texas pitchers in the disastrous eighth inning were lefthanded.