MLB 2011!!

[SlowwHand]

Rangers win over Rays. Lee goes whole game.

[-Jrabbit]

Lee basically won the series for them, winning the first and last games.

The Rangers win their first post-season series in team history. That's 39 years. Congrats to them.

Another first -- the only time in MLB history that every game of a series was won by the visiting team.

[SlowwHand]

Yeah, that's weird.

[OzzyKP]

Go Rangers!!

[SlowwHand]

The Rangers need to send Darren Oliver home now, for good. Dumb bastard.

[-Jrabbit]

I turned off the game after the Yanks went scoreless in the 7th. I figured even the Rangers could manage to hold them under 5 runs with 6 outs to go. But NNNNOOOOooooo... Just like the first game of the Minny series -- only worse.

I admire and hate the Yankees more than ever.

[Arrian]

Game 1: Fantastic comeback, with a healthy dose of luck involved. CC looked terrible - and he didn't look good against the Twins either. Bad time for him to have a hiccup. Kinsler, WTF? Mo vs. Hamilton w/RISP for the final out... talk about tension. I was literally holding my breath.

Game 2: Oof. Obviously any loss hurts, but watching Hughes get pounded is especially painful.

Game 3 tonight. Pettitte vs THE IMMOVEABLE OBJECT (aka Cliff Lee). I think the Yankees can hit Lee (which is different than saying they WILL hit him). The problem, I think, is that the Rangers can hit Pettitte plenty too. I hope Andy can dance between the raindrops and give them another good start.

Game 4: A possible (likely?) AJ Burnett disasterpiece looms. I'd almost rather start Moseley.

-Arrian

[snoopy369]

I think at this point a Rangers win in 5 or 6 is very likely. I suppose the Yanks will have one more 'big game', but with Wilson and Lewis looking great against them, and only a bullpen implosion costing the Rangers game 1, I don't see the Yanks doing better than 2 wins this series.

Rangers-Phils for the World Series... Phils in 5? Or 4? Maybe Lee will win one game for them, but I imagine the rest will be Halladay/Hamels/Oswalt/Rinse and Repeat...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Cliff Lee be damned good in the playoffs. Just wow.

[SlowwHand]

10 strike outs as a bar is pretty good. I hope he doesn't take the bait to jump to the Yankees next year. Personally, I'd bet that he stays with Texas. The guy is awesome and the other pitchers take him as an example.
If the Rangers get by the Yankees, I think the World Series is theirs.

[-Jrabbit]

I'm really rooting for the Rangers, but after that debacle in Game 1, I have serious doubts.

Of course, if they can keep counting a HR or two from Cody Ross every freaking game, anything can happen.

[snoopy369]

What do the Rangers care about Cody Ross's HRs? I mean, I hope they're not looking that far ahead...

After last night, the Rangers just need one win by a guy not named Cliff Lee. Either Wilson or Lewis will deliver that I suspect, if Hunter doesn't manage to outlast the struggling Burnett tonight.

What they'd really like to do is win it in 5 or 6, so Lee doesn't need to pitch again, and he can be ready for the Game 1 matchup vs. Halladay...

[SlowwHand]

Hunter is a damned good pitcher.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Indeed. Underrated guy. Though has also never pitched more than 128 innings in a season, which does bode in his favor this postseason, but makes it interesting to see what he'll do next year with likely close to 200 innings.

[Ming]

I heard an interesting stat this morning... the Yankees have been down 2 - 1 games 11 times in the past for post season play... and they've won 8 of those series. I wouldn't count the Yankees out yet, but the Rangers are sure playing better than most of the talking heads expected