Michael Young (10) joins the celebration in the Rangers dugout after blasting a three run home run in the fifth inning. Texas is now one win away from the first playoff series victory in franchise history. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)I think it's safe to say the Texas Rangers (2-0) are not just happy to be in the American League Divisional Series. The only active franchise in Major League Baseball without a playoff series victory is going back to Arlington with two chances to close out the series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays (0-2).
"Being up 2-0 is huge, especially winning two on the road. But we still haven't accomplished anything yet," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Our goal is to get as far as we possibly can, and we're just going to take it back to Texas and come out and try to play as hard as we can again."
While the first playoff game was dominated by stellar performances from the new additions to the Rangers this season, this game featured some of the more tenured Rangers.
From starter C.J. Wilson, to Ian Kinsler, and of course Captain Clutch himself Michael Young, this game showcased the many Texas playoff newcomers.
"I just think that we've had a great mentality these first two games," Young said. "We're not really thinking about some huge, grand picture here. We empty the bank for the game we're playing that day."
Young bounced back from a disappointing 0 for 4 in game one of the series with a huge day at the plate. After holding up on a check swing that would have had him called out on strikes in the fifth inning (on a play where Rays' coach Joe Maddon was ejected after vehemently arguing the call), Young launched a 3-2 pitch 427 feet over the wall in center for his first career postseason hit. The dagger put Texas up 5-0, and silenced what was an incensed Rays dugout and crowd.
Young finished 2 for 4 with a run and three RBI. He and Kinsler, who also went 2 for 4 with a run scored with two RBI, combined to knock in all five of the Rangers earned runs.
"Mike is our backbone," Wilson said. "He's our Derek Jeter or our Cal Ripken or whatever. That's our guy. We rely on him for all sorts of stuff."
On the mound, Wilson gave the Rangers everything they could have hoped for and much more. Wilson, who has watched and studied Cliff Lee's every move since he joined the club before the All Star break earlier this season, was just as outstanding if not better than the Rangers' ace.
The former relief pitcher allowed only two hits for the game, one to the first batter of the afternoon and the other to the second batter of the seventh inning, as he kept Rays' hitters guessing. Wilson did allow two walks, something he has struggled with all season, and hit a batter. But the lefty offset that with seven K's as he finished having allowed no runs on two hits in 6 2-3 innings pitched.
"They pitched two really good games, so there's not too much you can do about that," Rays' outfielder Carl Crawford said. "We've just got to hope we can get the next guy that's coming."
After struggling to win one playoff game in the first 49 years of the franchise's existence, the Rangers have now tripled that total in the span of two days. Texas is firmly in the driver's seat with back-to-back games over the weekend in Arlington, but the team that finished with the best record in the American League this season with a 96-66 record should not be counted out just yet. Tampa Bay also finished the season with the best road record in the Majors (47-34).
"We're definitely not going there to say we're going to lose one game, come home and start our offseason," Tampa Bay All-Star third-baseman Evan Longoria said. "I don't want to go home yet. I want to bring this series back here and continue on playing in November."
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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