Rangers Sweep Yankees: Does It Get Any Better?

Scores:
Friday: 6-5 (13 innings)
Saturday: 7-6 (walkoff style in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Sunday: 4-1 (Cliff Lee back to the man we signed)

As an intense Rangers fan (and thus Yankee hater,) what more could I ask for three-game sweep of so-named invaders at the Ballpark in front of crowds of more than 40,000 each night? The only thing better is doing it in the playoffs, a destination the Rangers appear to be headed toward for the first time in 11 years.

These weren’t your garden variety wins, either. The first required a double dose of heroics from Nelson Cruz. Cruz hammered a home run to tie it in the eighth to the game at 5 and complete a comeback from 4-1 down. After getting out of numerous jams and using 19 pitchers combined in the contest, Cruz once again came to the plate to lead off the 13th, when he hit the first pitch from Chad Gaudin over the Rangers bullpen. Scott Feldman got the win.

On Saturday, a victory probably seemed even more unlikely. A 5-3 Rangers’ lead disappeared in a matter of seconds when the target of the boos, Alex Rodriguez, hit a bases-clearing double to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead with Mariano Rivera warming in the bullpen. What was different about this night He seemed hittable. Ian Kinsler smashed a ball down the line for two RBI’s to tie the score. The Yankees initially walked pinch hitter Chris Davis to load the bases with nobody out. Pinch hitter Andres Blanco popped up to first to bring up Jeff Francoeur, who absorbed a pitch with the bases loaded for the Rangers to tally another walkoff victory. It was the first time the Rangers have ever won a game on an HBP and the first time Rivera, known for his control, had ever lost a game that way. All the craziness led to a 7-6 victory.

The big news Sunday was the return of Cliff Lee. After losing his last five decisions and eventually missing time with back soreness, this was a key start for Lee to prove he could return to his top-of-the-line form and pitch to win every time out. Lee not only did that but only surrendered two hits, both in the sixth inning, to E. Nuñez and Derek Jeter.

The Rangers put the game away in the seventh, scoring three runs on four straight hits for Julio Borbon, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and David Murphy, The speed of Borbon and Andrus was a big factor in their hits. After walking Jeter for the second time in the game (first time he walked the same batter twice all season,), Neftali Feliz recorded his 36th save.

Monday is a much-deserved off day.