Texas blows five run lead in 10th straight playoff loss to Yankees. Mariano Rivera (above) got three straight outs to end the Rangers' comeback hopes in the ninth. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)No lead is safe is against the New York Yankees.
The Yankees proved that during the regular season, coming from behind to win a Major League best 48 games, and N.Y. proved it again in game one against the Texas Rangers. The Yankees batted around in the eighth inning, scoring five runs to spoil an outstanding start from C.J. Wilson and net the decisive game one victory.
"I'm never surprised at what our guys do. Maybe thrilled, but never surprised," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "There's a talented group in there that plays with a lot of passion."
And it all started so well for this Rangers' team.
Texas jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to Josh Hamilton's first career playoff home run, a three-run shot that he lined just over the right field wall. Michael Young also responded after a dismal American League Divisional Series against Tampa Bay, cranking a two-run double into the gap that put Texas up 5-0 after four innings.
The Rangers were able to make Yankees' starter C.C. Sabathia throw a lot of pitches, and the 21-game winner this season lasted only four innings, giving up five runs on six hits along with four walks.
"He was definitely off today, but didn't give up 10 runs," Girardi said. "He kept it to five and we were able to come back. "
On the mound for Texas, Wilson was cruising up until the seventh inning. The Rangers' game one starter allowed only three hits through the first six innings, retiring six straight on two seperate occasions. Things began to get dicey in the seventh after Yankees second-baseman Robinson Cano led off the inning with a solo homer, breathing some life into N.Y. after a dismal start to the game. C.J. was able to retire three straight to end the inning, but wouldn't retire another batter the rest of night.
Wilson allowed an infield single to Brett Gardner to start the eighth, as the lefty failed to beat a sliding Brett Garden to the bag. This would come back to haunt him the very next batter as Derek Jeter slammed an 0-1 pitch down the left field line, scoring Gardner and trimming the deficit to three runs. That was all for Wilson as the lefty was pulled in favor of veteran reliever Darren Oliver.
Oliver responded in a 5-2 game with no outs and a runner on second by walking the first two batters he faced before being relieved himself by Darren O'Day. Going with O'Day, who hadn't allowed a runner in two previous innings this postseason, seemed like a good choice with the bases loaded. Unfortunately for Texas, Alex Rodriguez had other ideas and he cranked the first pitch he saw into the left field, scoring two runs and bringing N.Y. to within 5-4.
Clay Rapada came in for Texas, but couldn't stop the hit barrage as Cano took the first pitch he saw into center field, tying the game at 5-5. Rapada was then relieved by Derek Holland who allowed another RBI single, this time to Marcus Thames, and the Rangers' 5-0 lead was no more.
"It got away from us," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "But gave it away? No. We just didn't execute."
Six straight Yankees reached base to start the eighth inning, as N.Y. batted around in taking the lead for good. The Rangers used five pitchers in the eighth inning, giving up a total of five runs on five hits and two walks. Wilson saw his outstanding start dissolve and a demoralized Rangers ball club faced the challenge of coming back from a run deficit over the final two innings of the ballgame.
Texas didn't do much over those final two innings. Ian Kinsler's boneheaded play on the base paths in the bottom of the eighth took the tying runner off base as Kinsler misread the pitch and stumbled before being tagged out. Mitch Moreland singled to start the ninth and Elvis Andrus put him in scoring position with a sac bunt, but both Young and Hamilton were unable to manufacture a run with the game on the line against Mariano Rivera.
What seemed like an easy victory turned into a painful defeat as the Rangers' bullpen completely and utterly choked away a big lead. I'd like to believe Texas can rebound from a loss like this, but squandering a game of that kind of importance has got to take a toll on the players. The Rangers have yet to win a home playoff game. Texas is 0-7 in Arlington in postseason history.
Texas will turn to Colby Lewis (12-13, 3.72 ERA) to try and provide the same sort of start as Wilson did in game one. Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19) will get the nod for N.Y. Neither pitcher had a start against their playoff foe during the regular season.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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