Major League Baseball: Master Lee tames the New York Yankees game 3 (Part 2)
When the New York Yankees were going to face off against the Texas Rangers, Major League Baseball fans and critics, alike, knew what was expected from the two major ball clubs. The sides have a long history, though not as strong as the one with the Boston
Red Sox. The Yanks have never let the West champions triumph in the playoffs and that comes as no surprise given their strength in players. However, for the Texan side, they never had the opportunity to win a World Series or the American League championship.
Losing to the East giants in all post season series was a cruel fact to realize.
However, since both teams are now in the contest, times have changed and the names in the squads have been refreshed, as well. The only existing member from the 1999 Texas playoff team is, Michael Young and for the hitter, those 11 years feel like yesterday.
Another Rangers batter, Alex Rodriguez is playing for the Yankees and he too was part of that squad that fell to the Yanks.
The Rangers had the series squared 1 – 1 and the Yankees were glad to see the score on that frame as the third game went into schedule at the Yankees stadium. Monday night saw a crowd of 49,480 fans on the stands as the two teams went out to face each other
in an electrifying encounter. Two legends were going to start on the mound for the two teams.
Andy Pettitte was one man who has been there for the Yankees in a period spanning 15 years. His contribution to the game of baseball has been enormous and he was the start pitcher for the side in many post seasons. The veteran still has what it takes to
match his youthful years in terms of performance and in the normal league season, he showed phases of those glory years. His injury restricted him to 21 starts but he maintained a low Earning Runs Average of 3.28. He also managed to take out 101 hitters in
the regular campaign, making him an effective pick in the roster.
The Rangers, on the other hand, had their main man returning for the pitching duties. Cliff Lee, who was absent from the squad in the first two outings finally made his start against the Yanks. The ball thrower was amazingly under pressure during the final
days of the regular season but his form picked up in the last two games, getting him back in shape against the Tampa Bay Rays. The legendary maestro was in top form and given his devotion to strict training, he managed to beat David Price in the contest during
the first series in the post season.
Master Lee decimated the Rays comfortably and left David Price, who was the East title holders’ best pitcher with 19 wins in the regular season, reeling, as the Rangers claimed the spot in the American League championship. Both opponents faced off in the
Tropicana Field and it was Lee on both occasions who triumphed without trouble. Cliff was elegant to say the least and the display was contradictory to his season figures of 12 wins, 9 losses in 28 game starts. With 185 strike outs in the league, he was a
formidable force to be reckoned with.
The 32 year old was expected to thrive as his 8 years of experience showcased beautiful performances against the top seeded hitting faction. The post season figures were incredible and in both games against the Rays, his Earning Runs Average never climbed
higher than 1.30. In addition to that, he was the dangerous against the batters as he had 10 and 11 strike outs in both games.
The Texan fans were expecting a hard hitting Cliff Lee blazing the strike zone and as the game began the crowd jeered in excitement as both teams faced off for the 3rd game in the American League Championship.
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