Rangers take full command of ALCS while Brewers can’t stop Game Two bleeding
Written By: Brian Jerry
Staff Writer
A bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eleventh sent Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz to the plate with no outs. Just seconds later, Cruz belted a 0-1 breaking ball to the right-field bleachers. The first grand slam in MLB postseason history sent the 51,227 in attendance at the Ball Park in Arlington, Texas home happy. The Rangers went up two games to nothing in a best-of-seven series in the American League Championship Series, a game that was postponed on Sunday due to rain.
Texas is coming off a 3-1 series victory at the hands of Adrian Beltre’s three homeruns in game four of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Cruz, Beltre and the Rangers continue to deliver at the plate in route to going up 2-0 against the Detroit Tigers heading into Comerica Park on Wednesday. They look to resume their dominance over Detroit in games three and four on Michigan soil.
Detroit “Rock City’s” Tigers advanced to the ALCS by defeating the New York Yankees in five contests. After refusing to use ace Justin Verlander in a bullpen situation, Tigers manager Jim Leyland sent right-hander Doug Fister to the mound. Fister gave up one earned run off four hits and two walks in five innings, sending Detroit to their first ALCS since 2006.
The Rangers send Colby Lewis to the mound in Game three against Fister. Matt Harrison will oppose Rick Porcello in game four and, if necessary, C.J. Wilson will get the ball against Verlander in game five back in Arlington.
On the other side of things, the St. Louis Cardinals took care of business after a 12-3 thumping of the host, Milwaukee Brewers, at Miller Park Monday. Reports of Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan mocking Cardinals first basemen Albert Pujols surfaced around the web. The former Washington National reportedly referred to the slugger as “Alberta” on his Twitter account.
However, it was Pujols who had the last laugh, internalizing his anger by way of an offensive spark plug early. In the first inning, Pujols blasted a two-run shot of Shaun Marcum to go up 2-0. He would add three more RBIs as the Cardinals tied the best-of-seven National Series Championship up at 1-1 heading back home to Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
The Cards got to the NLCS by knocking off the heavy NL favorite Philadelphia Phillies in five games. St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter was called on in game five, striking out three and giving up three hits with no walks in a complete game shutout to send his team to the NLCS.
The Brewers, meanwhile, took care of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the same amount of games to advance to the next round. After denouncing his “haters,” Morgan suggested that he might celebrate after the presumed victory over Arizona by taking a nice, relaxing bath. He would deliver on his word, knocking a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning, defeating the Diamondbacks 3-2 in the series in route to the next round.
Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo looks to help his team regain home-field advantage against Carpenter at home in front of the Busch Stadium faithful Wednesday. Milwaukee’s Randy Wolf faces Kyle Losch in game four Thursday. When the series shifts back to Wisconsin, Zack Greinke and Jaime Garcia will take the mound for their respective ball clubs on Friday.
Each championship series have answered a handful amount of questions thus far, but not enough to predict who will represent their league in the upcoming fall classic. The winners of Rangers-Tigers and Brewers-Cardinals will square off in the 100th Annual World Series. The fall classic starts Friday, Oct. 19.
