ALCS Pitching Matchups Update

Girardi flipped Pettitte and Hughes from their order against the Twins in the ALDS.  So now the matchups look like this:

Game 1 (Fri):  C.J. Wilson vs. C.C. Sabathia
Game 2 (Sat):  Colby Lewis vs. Phil Hughes
Game 3 (Mon):  Cliff Lee vs. Andy Pettitte
Game 4 (Tues):  Tommy Hunter vs. A.J. Burnett

A few thoughts.  One, I’m glad Ron Washington isn’t pitching Lee on 3 days rest on Saturday.  Lee can pitch on the road, and to be quite honest he might actually like that challenge.  Two, this is the Texas Rangers’ chance to prove that they can win without Lee.  Wilson, Lewis, and our bullpen have a chance to really show that the Texas Rangers are alot more than just Cliff Lee.  They’ve been pitching well all year, but now the whole nation is watching them.

Rangers Win 1st Postseason Series

Before last night, the Texas Rangers were the only MLB franchise to not win a postseason series.  After beating Tampa Bay 5-1 in game 5 of the series, this is no longer the case.

Cliff Lee:  clutch again.  Complete game, 11 Ks, 0 BBs, and only 1 ER.  So Cliff Lee’s postseason numbers up to this point- 6-0, 1.44 ERA, and 3 CG in 6 games pitched.  That is insane.

It was repeated several times that the Rangers of the late 90s would not have scored the way their first 3 runs came across last night.  Elvis scores from second on a ground out to first.  Vlad scores from second on a double play ball that didn’t quite work out and Price was busy arguing with the umpire on the call rather than looking at the runner at 3rd.  Cruz steals 3rd, Shoppach airmails the throw, and Cruz proceeds to home.  Three manufactured runs.  Not scored on hits.  Creating something.  And then Kinsler hits a 2 run shot to seal the deal.

It did upset me that Cruz was showboating after hitting his long double which should have been a triple.  He’s had an excellent series, and alot of players know when they hit it out, but you gotta know when you pull something like that.

Other than Cruz, Kinsler and Andrus had excellent series against the Rays.  Young’s 3 run blast was huge in game 2, but other than that he was rather quiet.  Lee and Wilson pitched great, but neither Hunter or Lewis were able to go 6 innings in their starts.

Now it’s the NY vs. TEXAS matchup I wanted in the ALDS.  Playing in Texas.  Since Lee pitched last night, our rotation is thrown off a bit.  It will probably be Wilson vs. Sabathia in gm 1 on Fri , Lewis vs. Pettitte in gm 2 on Sat, and Lee vs. Hughes in gm 3 on Mon in NY.  Lee pitching in New York isn’t necessarily bad though.  Pettitte and Hughes both pitched very well against the Twins, so Rangers hitters need to be prepared for some tough pitching.

Cliff Lee did work….(again)

Claw and Antlers

Just in case you didn’t already know, here is the Claw and Antlers explained for the Texas Rangers:

The Claw:

The claw was developed by minor league player Esteban German of the Texas Rangers.  It’s basically an air high five to the dugout from a player on base who gets a hit.

Antlers:

Antlers signify speed, commonly given after stealing a base or beating out a ground ball.  Josh Hamilton started this from hunting down a 10 point buck, which now hangs above his locker.

…

Cliff Lee:  “This is why you play the game.”
If you’re a Rangers fan, you really wanted the Rangers to sweep the Rays.  Then you really wanted them to beat the Rays on Sunday.  Now you might be getting nervous.  Don’t be.  The Rangers are happy to be playing game 5 in the ALDS.  You should be happy to be watching it.

2010 Postseason Pricing

It’s interesting to me to see how much pricing fluctuates during the postseason and over time. This is from the Texas Rangers website.

SECTION	Reg. Season	ALDS	ALCS
Cuervo Club	$125	$125	$175
VIP Infield	$100	$125	$175
Premium Infield	$80	$100	$175
Lexus Club Infield	$70	$100	$175
Lower Infield	$65	$100	$175
Lexus Club Box	$45	$100	$150
Lower Box	$50	$75	$150
Corner Box	$40	$75	$150
Lexus Club Terrace	$25	$60	$125
Lower Reserved	$30	$60	$125
Upper Home Run Porch	$35	$30	$60
Upper Box	$20	$30	$60
Bleachers	$16	$30	$60
Upper Reserved	$15	$30	$60
Grandstand Reserved	$6	$30	$60

Wishful Thinking

Ok, Rangers are up 2-0 against the Rays with the next 2 games in Texas and Yankees are up 2-0 against the Twins with the next 2 games in New York.  I really wanted the Rangers to face the Yanks in their first series.  However, I can’t help but think about an ALCS match up which would be even more huge.  Yes, I know both teams have to close their series out, and stranger things have happened than coming back from a 2-0 deficit in a 5 game series, but the odds are against that.  I’m already looking forward to the Cliff Lee – Sabathia match up on Friday, October 15th.

Colby Lewis on the hill on Saturday against Matt Garza.  I think Garza is the better pitcher of the 2, but Colby has a chance to really shine, especially considering his record could have been significantly better this season if he had more run support.

Postseason Ballpark Stadiums

Well, one of my favorite things about baseball is the stadiums.  A good stadium and a good field with a full crowd is a beautiful sight to see.  Here’s the 8 stadiums that will be in play this postseason.  I really like all the ballparks in play with the exception of Turner Field and Tropicana Field.

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, 2009, capacity – 50,000

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN, 2010, capacity – 39,500

Ameriquest Field, Arlington, TX, 1994, capacity – 49,000

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FLA, 1990, capacity – 36,000 +

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA, 2004, capacity – 46,500

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH, 2003, capacity – 42,000

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA, 2000, capacity – 42,000

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA, 1997, capacity – 50,000