Cliff Lee struck out 13 batters in eight innings Monday, helping the Rangers dominate the Yankees and hand them their worst postseason home loss ever.
In three postseason starts this season, Lee has fanned 34 and walked just one. Monday’s matchup with all-time postseason win leader Andy Pettitte was billed to be a pitch-by-pitch battle. But the combination of Josh Hamilton’s first-inning two-run homer and Lee allowing just three baserunners pulled this game the Rangers way from the beginning.
Lee simply takes opposing teams out of the game early because he stymies offenses like no one else. While it became clear that two runs would be enough, the Rangers clicked in the ninth inning, giving the Yankees a taste of their own big inning medicine. Against relievers Boone Logan and David Roberston, the Rangers scored six runs on six hits. Sparked by a Hamilton leadoff double, Vladimir Guerrero, Nelson Cruz, Bengie Molina, Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus all got hits to officially bookend the victory.
Yankee fans were left streaming toward the exits. Now that’s fun to see!
Neftali Feliz pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth with two strikeouts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment