ALDS NO SWEAT!

The ALDS hasn't really been that exciting to watch as both the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees have taken over both of their series’ with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins.

We start with Game 1 between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays and it was all Rangers in this one. Both teams had their aces pitching, for the Rangers Cliff Lee would pitch against David Price going for the Rays. Lee would work early with a 2-0 lead then Nelson Cruz would hit a solo home run in the 3rd inning and Bengie Molina would follow up with a solo home run in the 4th inning to make it a 4-0 Rangers lead. David Price would only last 6.2 innings, giving up 9 hits, 4 earn runs, 8 strikeouts, and threw 107 pitches. Cliff Lee went 7 strong innings, gave up 5 hits, 1 earn run, 10 strikeouts, threw 104 pitches and would win Game 1 by a score of 5-1. The Rangers would take a 1-0 series lead.


Game 2 pitching for the Rangers was young C.J. Wilson, pitching for the Rays was James Shields which was a questionable move thinking maybe Matt Garza or Jeff Niemann would start in Game 2. Once again in this game it was all Rangers beating up on the Rays pitching staff. In the 4th inning Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run to make it a 2-0 Rangers lead. Then in the 5th inning with 2 runners on Michael Young would go deep and now make it a 5-0 Rangers lead and that would be it for Shields who only lasted 4.1 innings pitched, gave up 4 hits, 4 earn runs, 2 strikeouts, threw 68 pitches. Meanwhile C.J. Wilson would just pick up from where Cliff Lee left off and went 6.1 innings pitched, gave up 2 hits, no earn runs, 7 strikeouts, threw 104 pitches and would win Game 2 by a score of 6-0. So the Rangers lead the series 2-0 heading back to Texas knowing one more win and they will head to the ALCS for the first time in team history. As for the Rays who had the best record in the American League will need to win 2 ball games in Texas to force a Game 5 in Tampa but if not the American League East Champs will have to pack up and hang up their jersey for the 2010 season. Game 3 between the Rangers and Rays will be on Saturday at 5:07 p.m. on TBS, pitching for the Rays will be Matt Garza to help keep the Rays playoff hopes alive and going for the Rangers will be Coby Lewis who will try to wrap things up for the Rangers.



Now to Game 1 between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees, this one was a heart breaker for the Twins. Pitching for the Twins was Francisco Liriano going for the Yankees was ace C.C. Sabathia. The Twins would take an early 3-0 lead in thanks to a Michael Cuddyer 2 run home run back in the 2nd inning. That would only last in till the 6th inning when the Yankees bats would come alive; Robinson Cano would hit a RBI single to make it a 3-1 Twins lead. Jorge Posada would then hit a RBI single to make it a 3-2 ball game. Curtis Granderson the next batter would hit a 2 run RBI triple to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead and that would be all for Francisco Liriano. Liriano went 5.2 innings pitched, gave up 6 hits, 4 earn runs, 7 strikeouts, and threw 106 pitches. In the bottom of the 6th inning the Twins would tie the game up at 4 on a Danny Valencia walk and C.C.'s night would be done. Sabathia would only go 6 innings, gave up 5 hits, 3 earn runs, 5 strikeouts, and threw 111 pitches. In the very next inning the Twins would give it back to the Yankees on a Mark Teixeira 2 run home run and put the Yankees up 6-4 and that's how it would end. The Yankees would win Game 1 and take a 1-0 series lead.


Game 2 pitching for the Twins was Carl Pavano going against former teammate Andy Pettitte. We start things off in the 5th inning score tied 1-1 but that was about to change from the bat of Lance Berkman would hit a solo home run to put the Yanks in front 2-1. In the 6th inning the "O-DOG" Orlando Hudson would tie the ball game up at 2 with a solo home run. Berkman would later hit an RBI double to put the Yankees in front yet again making the score 3-2. Pavano's day would be done going only 6 innings, gave up 10 hits, 4 earn runs, 3 strikeouts, and threw 93 pitches. Andy Pettitte on the other hand went 7 strong innings, gave up 5 hits, 2 earn runs, 4 strikeouts, and threw 88 pitches. The Yankees would win Game 2 by a score of 5-2 and now lead the series 2-0. So the Twins who played so great at home lost in back to backs game and it looks like signs are pointing back to last year’s postseason where the Yanks took care of the Twins in 3 games. As for the Yankees it must feel good heading home leading the series 2-0 and just one more win and they will move on to the ALCS and play against either the Texas Rangers or the Tampa Bay Rays. Game 3 will be on Saturday night at 8:37 p.m. on TBS, pitching for the Twins to keep their postseason hopes alive will be Brain Duensing and going for the Yankees will be young pitcher Phil Hughes to wrap the series up.