Given I don’t write about losses to the Yankees, I’ll keep this to a minimum.
Would it have been nice to win last night, sending the Yankees home for the season in the Bronx? Hell yeah, it would have been. However, I don’t think anyone really expected the Rangers to beat the Yankees three games in a row in the Bronx to eliminate them. One could make the point that if the bullpen had done it’s job in the 8th in Game 1, we wouldn’t have had to play last night, but there you go. I’m feeling fairly good about it, still. Two games at home should not be a problem. I would much rather us not get to Game 7 so we can use Cliff Lee in the World Series Game 1. But you do what you have to. Would much rather us nail it down Friday night.
CJ Wilson was completely ineffective last night. Looked pretty bad. Don’t know why, but he just wasn’t working. Thing is, a decently pitched game from CJ probably would have won the game, as Sabathia was still pedestrian at best. Way better than the Game 1 incarnation, but still beatable. We didn’t take advantage of it. Oh well, back to Arlington. Will make for a more annoying thing for the Yankees to fly back home losers after that.
Here are my Game 5 notes:
- Paul O’Neill says the Yankees seemed to expect the team would walk through the round lime they did with the twins.
- Here we go. Gsme 5. The stadium seems oddly vacant for the start of a game!
- You think the rangers might step on them in the first, but young grounds into dp in 1st
- Two hits and no runs in the first. CC looks hittable, just mot as wild as game 1.
- CJ answers back with 12 pitch 1-2-3 first
- Yay! Kinsler seeing through, not uppercut! A miracle!
- Kinsler stolen base in second is the 8th in the series, the cost against the Yankees ever in a postseason series.
- Kinsler stranded there on Treanor K
- CJ has thrown ball one to first four batters including four pitch walk to both Arod & Berkman
- Yankees score first bang bang play at home. It was a walk run.
- Two runs scored on a bad news bears play where the ball was thrown away twice. Young muffed a throw, and CJ threw it away too.
- Both walks have scored.
- Wilson comes back with a K on 9th, and a quick grounder on first pitch by Jeter to escape horrible inning where the Yankees scored 3.
- Shutdown inning executed by CC in third, but it wasn’t an easy one. We need to break through soon.
- CJ just does not have it. Back to back HR by Swisher & Cano. Who are we getting up?
- Berkman at first just took a bad spill sliding in foul territory. Don’t want to see that.
- Cj just came out for fourth, he still looks bad, he needs to come out before it gets any worse
- Jeter has grounded out 6-3 in his first three plate appearances.
- Cj put up a zero in fourth after leadoff double.
- Were on the board, with a solo HR by Matt Treanor in the 5th.
- Moreland follows HR with a single to center.
- Rangers look to be hitting CC a bit harder in the 5th.
- Dammit. Hamilton hit into dp with men on first and second to end 5th.
- In the bottom of the 5th, Wilson is still in, but Cruz is out. Tight hamstring. Uh-oh.
- Leadoff walk in bottom of 5th by cj. Why is he still out there?
- Kirkman in for the 6th. Leadoff double, but no runs. Good deal.
- Kerry Wood in for 7th. Andrus gets an infield hit on chopper off Woods hand.
- Elvis gets picked off – WTF! No more leads at all for him.
- Nothing quite as disheartening as a pickoff in the playoffs when behind. :(
- Ogando gives up another home run to Yankees. This time to Curtis Granderson
- Moreland fought off Rivera really well in the 9th, eventually getting a single to left.