New York Yankees Defeat the Texas Rangers to Win the First Game of the ALCS
After a long, difficult, yet exciting postseason, the winning teams would like nothing better than to relax for a few weeks, have a good time, maybe even take a vacation.
However, that’s not the case.
Mere days after the end of the postseason, the American League Championship Series (ALCS) has started with the first game that took place Friday night.
It was a clear, cool day at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas. The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers were celebrating their advancement to the ALCS and before they knew it, it had arrived.
Even after being ahead by four runs in the sixth inning, the Rangers didn’t have what it took to beat the Yankees last night, losing, 6-5. Throughout the entire postseason, and now continuing to the ALCS, the Rangers still haven’t won a home game, even after
being ahead by as many as five points.
The Yankees became the foremost MLB team to succeed in a postseason game after being behind by at least four runs in the eighth inning since 2005.
"I'm never surprised at what our guys do. Maybe thrilled, but never surprised," Joe Giraradi, the Yankees’ manager, said. "They stay on each other about grinding out at-bats. Chip away. There's a talented group in there that plays with a lot of passion."
The game started off with C.J. Wilson pitching for the Rangers. First up to bat was Derek Jeter. After he hit a grounder, the next batter, Nick Swisher, struck out, followed by Mark Teixeira, who also grounded.
In the bottom of the first, Texas came to bat, with CC Sabathia pitching for New York. After Elvis Andrus walked and Michael Young hit a single to center field, Josh Hamilton hit a 359 foot home run to the right, putting the Rangers ahead. After three more
hits but no runs in the remainder of the inning, the score was still in the favor of Texas, 3-0.
In the second and third innings, both teams hit pop flies and had batters struck out, with no change in the score.
In the top of the fourth, the Yankees came to bat but were unsuccessful in making any runs.
With Sabathia again pitching for New York, the Rangers came to bat in the bottom of the fourth, with Andrus and Matt Treanor both hitting singles and safe on first and second base, respectively. Next up to bat was Young, delivering a double to deep right
center field, allowing both Andrus and Treanor to score, making the score 5-0, to Texas.
The fifth and sixth innings proceeded without any hits or changes in the score.
In the beginning of the seventh, Robinson Cano started the comeback for the Yankees, after hitting a 394 foot homer to make the score 5-1, still to the Rangers. The rest of the seventh had no other hits or runs.
By the eighth, Wilson was beginning to tire out. Brett Gardner hit a single to get to first base, followed by Jeter who doubled to left field, allowing Gardner to score. The score was 5-2, and Darren Oliver came out to replace Wilson. On Oliver’s next two
pitches, he allowed Swisher and Teixeira to walk. Again changing pitchers, the Rangers sent in Darren O’Day. Yankees batter Alex Rodriguez then hit a single to left field with the bases loaded, allowing Jeter and Swisher to score.
Clay Rapada then came in to relieve O’Day with Teixeira on second and Rodriguez on first. Cano then came to bat once more, hitting a single with Teixeira scoring and Rodriguez to second. A throwing error by Hamilton allowed Rodriguez to advance to third
base. The score was now 5-5, and the Rangers were frantic, not believing that they were tied after being ahead by five runs. They sent in Derek Holland to pitch in place of Rapada, but even that wasn’t good enough, with Marcus Thames coming to bat and hitting
a single to left field with Rodriguez scoring, putting the Yankees ahead, 6-5.
Vain attempts by the Rangers to even the score and maybe even get ahead were unsuccessful, with no hits by them in the 8th, and only one hit per team in the ninth.
Their next game is on Saturday October 16, 2010, again at Rangers Ballpark, scheduled to start at 4:00 PM ET.
The first game between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies will also take place on Saturday October 16 at Citizens Bank Park with postseason all-star pitchers Tim Lincecum, who struck out 14 batters and allowed only two hits, pitching for
the Giants, and Roy Halladay, who is the second pitcher to pitch a no-hitter in the postseason since 1956, pitching for the Phillies.
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