Josh Hamilton (above) powered the Rangers with two home runs as Texas again gave themselves distance late in the game. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)Something that was so inconceivable coming into the postseason is now a reality: the Texas Rangers are one win away from the World Series.
In dominating fashion, the Rangers have taken a 3-1 series lead against the defending World Series champion New York Yankees. Texas has outscored the Yankees by a combined 30-11 in the first four games, but this team isn't resting on it's laurels quite yet.
"We're going to keep focused. We haven't done anything yet," Nelson Cruz said.
For the first time all series, the Rangers found themselves trailing after the second inning. Robinson Cano drove a pitch off of Rangers' starter Tommy Hunter into the short porch in right field and it appeared Cruz would be able to make an attempt on the ball. Yankees' fans had other ideas, however, as one fan blocked Cruz's glove over top, while another literally pushed his glove off the wall. No fan interference was called and the umpire crew refused to review the play, so N.Y. took a 1-0 lead.
"From the angle I had, I was very confident that the ball was in the stands," right-field ump Jim Reynolds said.
The very next batter, Lance Berkman drove ball down the right field line that clearly disappeared behind the foul pole. It was ruled a home run on the field but, for some reason, this time they decided to review it and it was overturned.
Texas came right back in the third inning, playing small ball and turning a ground out and an infield single into two runs. New York bounced back in the next two innings with a little small ball of their own. Curtis Granderson knocked in Derek Jeter with an infield single in the third and Rangers' shortstop Elvis Andrus saved at least one run in the fourth inning with a diving play in the hole in short. Andrus dove and snagged a broken bat grounder, managed to get the ball out quickly and got one out at third base to prevent more than one run scoring.
New York's lead would quickly evaporate as the Rangers hit four home runs over the final four innings of the ballgame. Bengie Molina led off the barrage in the sixth with a go-ahead three-run homer that put the Rangers ahead for good at 5-3.
"It's not bad for a fat kid that everyone makes fun of when he runs," Molina said.
Josh Hamilton belted a home run in the seventh and ninth inning and Nelson Cruz added another as Texas took a commanding 10-3 lead with a three-run ninth inning. From the sixth inning to the end of the game, the Rangers racked up eight runs on nine hits - sealing the game four victory in N.Y.C.
"They all talk about home-field advantage," said Derek Holland, who got the win with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless one-hit relief. "We want to be able to show that there's no such thing."
Holland pitched marvelously in relief of Hunter. The 24-year old right-hander hasn't allowed a run in 5 2-3 innings vs the Yankees this postseason and he showed composure in a hostile environment to keep the Rangers ahead. Holland allowed only one hit, although he did walk two, and struck out three batters in picking up the first postseason win of his career.
The Yankees are now in the unenviable situation of hoping to face Cliff Lee again, as N.Y. now hopes for a seven-game series. Texas has been dominant for all of this series except for one costly inning, one that has, in hindsight, prevented them from a series sweep.
Don't sleep on this Yankees' team, though. This ballclub has come back from a 3-1 deficit before, and have the offensive firepower to put runs on the board in bunches.
Texas now has a quick turnaround before playing at the final game in New York in the A.L.C.S. The Rangers will send C.J. Wilson to the mound against Yankees Ace C.C. Sabathia.
"Tomorrow's game is the most important game in the history of this franchise," Wilson said.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:07 p.m.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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