ALCS Preview: Yankees vs. Rangers

Schedule

 Game 1:              Today, 8PM, Arlington

                              Sabathia vs. Wilson

 Game 2:              Tomorrow, 4PM, Arlington

                              Hughes vs. Lewis

 Game 3:              Monday 10/18, 8PM, New York

                              Lee vs. Pettitte

 Game 4:              Tuesday 10/19, 8PM, New York

                              Hunter vs. Burnett

*Game 5:             Wednesday 10/20, 4PM, New York

                              Wilson vs. Sabathia

*Game 6:             Friday 10/22, 8PM, Arlington

                              Hughes vs. Lewis

*Game 7:             Saturday 10/23, 8PM, Arlington

                              Pettitte vs. Lee

Who’s Hot:

NYY:        OF Curtis Granderson – 5-for-11 (.455), 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 1 BB/1 K, SB

                  RHP Mariano Rivera – 3.1 IP, 2 SV, 2 H, 0 BB/1 K, 0.60 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

                  RHP Phil Hughes – 1-0, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB/6 K, 0.71 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

TEX:        2B Ian Kinsler – 8-for-18 (.444), 5 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB/2 K

                  OF Nelson Cruz – 8-for-20 (.400), 5 R, 3 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB/6 K

                  LHP CJ Wilson – 1-0, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB/7 K, 0.63 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

                  LHP Cliff Lee – 2-0, 16 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 0 BB/21 K, 0.69 WHIP, 1.13 ERA

Who’s Not:

NYY:        OF Brett Gardner – 2-for-10 (.200), R, RBI, 1 BB/3K, SB

                  RHP Kerry Wood – 2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB/3 K, 3.00 WHIP, 4.50 ERA

TEX:        OF Josh Hamilton – 2-for-18 (.111), R, RBI, 2 BB/6 K, SB

                  3B Michael Young – 3-for-20 (.150), R, HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB/6 K

                  RHP Neftali Feliz – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB/2 K, 3.75 WHIP, 6.75 ERA

The Rest Factor

                  Who will it benefit more?  The Yankees, who haven’t played in six days?  Or the Rangers, who won’t have to worry about any rust accumulation?  This should be a bonus for Texas.  They’ll still be high from the franchise’s first post-season series victory, but will still have had a few days to settle down.  They’ll be playing in their home park—sure to be deafening (though they’ve never won a home playoff game in 6 tries)—against a starter who struggles sometimes when he’s too intense in C.C. Sabathia.  The Rangers need to jump early on the southpaw so that the other initialed lefty (C.J. Wilson) can play with the lead. Advantage: Texas

MVP Candidate Josh Hamilton has struggled with a rib injury since September.  He went 2-for-18 in the ALDS.

The Stars

                  The Yankees looked like the Yankees against the Twins…they played like a team who would settle for nothing less than a championship, from top-to-bottom.  The Rangers on the other hand, were a mixed bag.  Some players starred—like Lee, Kinsler and Cruz—but others, like Young and Feliz, struggled, especially in compared to their regular season campaigns.  The Rangers have to get their entire team on board to beat the Yankees.  Advantage: New York

Prediction  

(Hey, it's another theory...not fact!)

•  Rangers take Game 1 by jumping on Sabathia early.  Wilson stifles the Yankees left-handed bats (his .176 SLG against was the lowest in baseball this year), though he’s not flawless. Rangers lead, 1-0
• Game 2 goes to the Yankees, as Texieria launches a home run off Colby Lewis for the difference.  Phil Hughes turns in a solid 7-inning performance. Series Tied, 1-1
• Lee leads Texas to a victory in Game 3 with another strong outing.  Lee is 6-1 in his last 8 games against the Yankees including an unbelievable 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA and 2 complete games in the Bronx.  Andy Pettite pitches well, but can’t compete with the ace. Rangers lead, 2-1
• Game 4 proves to be a microcosm of the entire series.  AJ Burnett and Tommy Hunter are both knocked out before the 5^th inning and the lead goes back and forth a number of times.  The see-saw ends with the Rangers on top in a wild, high-scoring affair with Young as the catalyst. Rangers lead, 3-1
• The Yankees bounce back in Game 5 behind their ace, Sabathia.  A double-digit strikeout performance sends the Yankees to the airport with momentum on their side.  CJ Wilson pitches well, but stays in the game a little too long, giving up a 3-run bomb to Rodriguez before exiting. Rangers lead, 3-2



Colby Lewis will start twice in the ALCS

• In Game 6, Lewis extracts his revenge.  The pitcher who returned from Japan after figuring out how to pitch doesn’t let Texieria beat him today, striking him out twice to go with a weak pop-up.  The Rangers manufacture a key run early with aggressive baserunning and Vlad Guerrero hits a clutch home run off of Wood in the 7^th, erasing a great performance from Hughes, as the Rangers take the series with a one-run victory. Rangers win series, 4-2.