Kuzul

11 combined runs, and it came as a shock to many to watch Lee allow the majority.

This is a pitcher who has possessed control that reminded of Greg Maddux. He made the Rays and Yankees look silly. He mixed his pitches impeccably.

Both Tampa Bay and New York knew it would be tough, and it turned out to be nearly impossible to even scrounge out a run against him. He was that good.

But he wasn’t that good against the Giants. For the first time in a long time he was hit and hit hard.

Texas scored a run in the first as Lincecum struggled against an offense that ranked first in the American League this season.

The consensus was that this may be enough for Lee. When a second run was scored in the next inning, the deficit was presumed nearly improbable to overcome give Lee’s prior dominance.

But it was far from that. A double was clubbed by Freddy Sanchez in the first and Aubrey Huff hit one in the second, and though neither scored, the pair of two-baggers gave a glimpse into Lee’s mortality.

The third was a nightmarish frame for Lee, and more bad dreams were to come.

Edgar Renteria reached to begin the inning, as third baseman Michael Young misplayed a grounder. And with that error the floodgates opened and the first wheel fell off of Lee’s once dependable truck.

After an unproductive out made by Lincecum, Torres was plunked in the forearm, signifying Lee’s lacking location, and then Sanchez scorched a double to left, scoring the first of many runs by the Giants.

A tying run soon followed, as Buster Posey added to his legend by lacing a single up the middle.

Hard hit balls were relatively uncommon against Lee over his first four starts this postseason. They came in droves in Game 1 of the World Series.

No inning was more of an example of this than the fifth.

Lee fooled no one, especially Sanchez and Juan Uribe. Following a one-out double by Torres, who logged over 1,000 minor league games before reaching the majors, Sanchez notched his third double, a shot into the left-center gap.

The Giants had the lead, and their advantage would only get larger as San Francisco played the way the Rangers did in disposing the Yankees.

The real fun began after Posey recorded the second out.

Producing two-out magic was Texas’ forté against New York, but they were given a taste of their own medicine.

Pat Burrell swung for the fences when he had the chance, as he had done in his first two at-bats, but was patient enough to work a walk. This proved to be the most important at-bat of the game so far, as the two-out free pass opened the floodgates.

Lee’s fastball wasn’t sharp, nor were his off-speed pitches altogether deceptive. He was clearly off his game pitching on eight days rest in front of a raucous crowd. The Giants showed no mercy, Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff and Uribe lowered the boom.

The two former hitters singled to center, scoring the Giants third and fourth runs, and then Uribe, who had a pivotal three-run blast against Philadelphia in Game 6, drove them home against reliever Darren O’Day.

A fastball was grooved right into Uribe’s wheelhouse from the side-armed right-hander, and the third baseman didn’t miss it, lifting a deep fly into the seats in left-center. Its majestic flight into the jubilant crowd had the Rangers shaking their heads.

It was now 8-2 Giants, with seven runs attached to Lee.

Lincecum had a hiccup in the Rangers top half of the sixth, but he improved his record to 39-0 in his career when given four runs or more of support.

The eventual tally of 11 was plenty, even for a shaky bullpen. San Francisco had drawn first blood.

Three more wins and a championship banner will fly proudly by the bay, and though it’s only Game 1, disposing of Lee as they did Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson and the Phillies “H20″ of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels Grand Roy Oswalt previously this postseason is a great start to what should be an exhilarating World Series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Games like this make baseball the greatest sport there is. Playoff baseball at its best, with one team trying to reach the World Series for the first time since the Barry Bonds era and the other attempting to keep their season alive. Philadelphia was packed full of fans not ready to say goodbye to 2010, while the San Francisco Giants blocked out the enthusiasts in their effort to end the National League Championship Series here and now.

The sixth game didn’t begin as they would have liked, as starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez was off from the start. He has been terrific for the Giants, posting a 3.07 ERA during the season and an ERA much lower this postseason, but if there is one negative it’s his tendency to be wild. He certainly was against the Phillies on this night; his start was auspicious, and his exit was soon thereafter.

Two runs crossed for Philadelphia in the first, as the young left-hander issued a walk and allowed three hits in the frame to put his team behind. He struggled with his control in the second but helped his cause in the top of the third.

Roy Oswalt, who took the loss in relief in Game 4, made quick work of the Giants in the first two innings but ran into trouble in the third, as Sanchez greeted him coldly. The pitcher made solid contact and rapped a single up the middle. With that, noise was made and a busy inning had begun. The suddenly hot Andres Torres singled him to second, then Freddy Sanchez did his job in bunting the two over for Aubrey Huff. San Francisco’s slugger delivered, scoring Sanchez with a single.

Torres wasn’t as fortunate, as the speedster was gunned out at home on a strong throw by Shane Victorino.

Usually rallies are killed by such plays, but heads up base-running by Huff made all the difference in keeping the inning alive. He went to second as the throw from Victorino went home, and the decision paid dividends, as first baseman Ryan Howard was unable to scoop Buster Posey’s ensuing grounder in an attempt to record the final out. Huff was on the move as soon as contact was made and kept running as Howard struggled to coral the dribbler. As he crossed home plate without a throw, the Giants tied the game. It would remain 2-2 for a long time.

That’s because of Oswalt’s superb outing and the remarkable performance put together by San Francisco’s bullpen. Sanchez was pulled after allowing the first two to reach in the bottom of the third and after his jawing match with Chase Utley in a mild, benches-clearing fracas. His mind was all out of sorts, which was especially sad considering how dominant he was in his previous start against Philadelphia. But Jeremy Affeldt had his back, retiring the dangerous 4-5-6 hitters in the Phillies lineup without relinquishing a run. One of those who fanned was Ryan Howard, who remained RBI-less in the postseason by grounding out.

Affeldt began the effectiveness out of the pen, and Game 4 starter Madison Bumgarner and lefty specialist Javier Lopez followed suit. The trio combined to pitch five innings of three-hit ball, and, as a result, the eighth inning began with the score stuck at two apiece.

Ryan Madson, who had relieved Oswalt to pitch a scoreless seventh, took the mound for the eighth, hoping to have another uneventful inning under his belt. The first two Giants went down harmlessly, but then Juan Uribe stepped to the plate.

Uribe, who had the game-winning sacrifice fly in Game 4, was looking to put San Francisco ahead once more. A stout six-footer, the nine-year veteran with a constantly aggressive mentality went after Madson’s first pitch, a slider, and made sure he wouldn’t get it back. A level, almighty swing produced a high fly-ball to right field. Uribe sprinted out of the box, not counting on it drifting into the seats. Then, as he approached first base, the ball snuck over the wall by no more than a foot. Citizen’s Bank Park went silent. All that could be heard was Uribe’s feet and the cheers from the Giants dugout. It was music to the ears of every fan of San Francisco.

Holding a 3-2 lead, Tim Lincecum of all pitchers entered. Their ace who started just two nights earlier had been warming in the pen at the time of Uribe’s liftoff, and, just making the second relief appearance of his career, he was unsurprisingly shaky. Two singles were allowed with one out by the unorthodox right-hander, which led to his exit and closer Brian Wilson’s entrance.

Life was pumped back into the stadium, but it was soon taken away, as Carlos Ruiz lined a fastball from Wilson right into Huff’s glove at first, starting a demoralizing inning-ending double play. Uneasiness consumed the crowd, and the silence returned. Their team was now possibly three outs away from vacating amidst severe depression.

Philadelphia wouldn’t go down without a fight, but they would indeed go down. Two walks were issued by the quirky, black-bearded Wilson, the second coming with two out, but Howard did what Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees had done just the night before. He stood there, bat on shoulder, and watched the seventh pitch of the appearance, a hard slider, hit the outside corner for strike three. The call was made, Howard stood dejected, and Posey jumped out of his crouch and rushed towards Wilson. His teammates did the same, and the celebration began.

With that, the suspense culminating in one memorable strikeout, San Francisco is heading to the World Series for the first time since 2002, trying to attain their first title since 1954.

Three years before their last championship, Bobby Thomson hit the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to win the NL Pennant. The Giants, then of New York, lost the World Series to the Yankees. Uribe’s blast wasn’t as dramatic, nor does it come close to comparing to Thomson’s incredible moment, but it could do something his did not. The homer to right could help the Giants to a World Series championship. Now, the Texas Rangers stand in their way.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It is hard to fathom a better ending.

Former Texas Ranger Alex Rodriguez, who once signed for a quarter of a billion dollars and juiced with the team, was at the plate. Closer Neftali Feliz was on the mound, ready to get the one out that the franchise has always been waiting for.

An adrenaline-filled fastball missed for ball one, but then three strikes were fired from Feliz’s electric right arm. Rodriguez’s bat just rested on his shoulders as the third whizzed by.

Catcher Bengie Molina jumped out of his crouch. Feliz jumped in the air. And then the two met at the mound and hugged. The three outfielders sprinted in. One of them, Josh Hamilton, fought back tears before doing so.

The bullpen emptied out onto the field. The dugout streamed towards the middle of the diamond. Fifty-four thousand fans went ballistic. And, just at that moment, confetti rained down, “American League Champions” shirts were handed out, and ginger ale flowed to honor Hamilton’s sobriety.

It was the first celebration of its kind for Texas. The franchise that had never reached the World Series now has.

The ending was perfect, with Rodriguez only left to stare at the flaming fastball, with the jubilation of celebration, and with what was so unselfishly said by all those players who made this possible.

Starting pitcher Colby Lewis was nearly as perfect as this scene, dominating the New York Yankees over eight innings. The 31-year-old, who has been released four times and played in Japan, commanded every pitch and was far from afraid of the Yankees.

He came inside, he worked both sides of the plate, his location was impeccable, and he maintained the unpredictability and composure necessary to succeed. The Yankees had no answer, and as a result the unflappable journeyman pitched eight remarkable innings to collect his second victory over the Evil Empire in this lopsided series.

New York wasn’t shutout only because of a terrible call made by home-plate umpire Brian Gorman in the fifth inning.

An inside, off-speed pitch clearly ricocheted off the shin of Nick Swisher, as Swisher’s reaction illustrated, but the ball rolled behind Molina and to the backstop, and Gorman allowed Rodriguez to trot home for the tying run.

Lewis handled business from there: The Yankees hacks turned laughable and their plate discipline became atrocious.

On the other side, Texas’ offense teed off on starter Phil Hughes. Vladimir Guerrero, who entered his fifth inning appearance with two RBI in the playoffs and one in the series, looked on as Josh Hamilton was intentionally walked for the fifth time in the series. As he strode towards the batters box, it was clear that he desired to make the Yankees pay.

He did, crushing a curveball into the left-center gap, scoring Mitch Moreland from third and Hamilton from first. New York second baseman Robinson Cano hung his head as center fielder Curtis Granderson threw the ball back in. The Yankees were in a hole, a hole they wouldn’t get out of.

If two runs of support weren’t enough, Nelson Cruz tacked on two more, bad hamstring and all. He demolished the first fastball he saw from woeful David Robertson after five effective curveballs and admired its flight into the seats in left-center. Five to one, if it wasn’t over before, it was after Cruz’s liftoff.

Now New York heads home, and Texas watches the NLCS to see who they will face. This is the first time they will experience something of this magnitude, and they will love every minute of it, knowing their spot in the World Series is secure for the very first time.

I can see it now: 25 players sitting in front of multiple televisions, with coaches and front office personnel looking on, watching intently as the Phillies and Giants fight to become the National League representative.

Who they will face matters nothing to the American League champion Rangers. Why?

When TBS announcer Matt Winer pointed out to Hamilton that Cliff Lee will be available for Game 1, the slugger grinned and replied, “That will be really, really good.”

Their ace will be pitching Game 1 of the World Series instead of Game 7 of the ALCS, a transition made possible by Lewis’ Lee-esque performance—the most memorable outing of his career, fueling the biggest win in Rangers history.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

To force a Game 6, the Philadelphia Phillies offense needed to figure out San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum. They did not, but, helped by an umpire’s blindness, a bad hop, and a hit-by-pitch, enough runs were scored against the the unorthodox right-hander to send the NLCS back to Philly.

How they pushed them across makes the season-prolonging trip to Philadelphia far from deserving. Lincecum sent the first six down and, considering how well he was mixing his pitches and how fooled the Phillies were, he appeared to be well on his way to another dominating start.

Then came the third, a nightmarish inning for the Giants and their fans. Raul Ibañez led off with a blistering single to right and absurdity ensued. Ahead 0-2 on a completely overwhelmed Carlos Ruiz, Lincecum’s change-up missed its spot and drifted inside. It headed towards Ruiz, but its pace was slow, meaning Ruiz had plenty of time to react and move out of the way.

Did he? No. He just took the pitch right in the side without a flinch. Umpires can nullify a hit-by-pitch if they feel the hitter doesn’t make an effort to get out of the way. This was certainly a time for that rule to go into effect, but umpire Jeff Nelson pointed to first. With that, a rally was formed, and with what followed, Nelson made some more enemies in the crowd, in the Giants dugout, and on the field.

Opposing pitcher Roy Halladay was up with one goal in mind: to bunt the runners to second and third. In essence, he did, but, if Nelson was competent, he wouldn’t have. The ball was bunted off home-plate, but it trickled foul. Nelson signaled fair.

Halladay didn’t run, thinking it was called foul. He was thrown out at first by third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who received Buster Posey’s throw in time to get Ibañez at third but, with Sandoval well off the bag, Halladay’s goal was attained.

Shane Victorino capitalized, but needed a favorable hop to indeed deliver. He laced a fastball from Lincecum to Aubrey Huff, a ball the first baseman should have been able to snag but instead watched ricochet off his glove and hit hard off his knee.

The ball struck his left knee so hard the ball shot into the center-field grass on a couple of bounds. Both runners scored with ease. Two gaffes by the umpire and an error; the Giants lead was lost. Adding insult to injury, Placido Polanco followed by driving in the third Phillies run with a single.

But, as in Game 1, Halladay wasn’t at his best atop the mound, as the fourth inning indicated. San Francisco needed to put the disastrous third behind them, and then did, as Pat Burrell and the continuously clutch Cody Ross hit back-to-back one out doubles to trim the margin in half.

Yet, though Halladay had his hiccups from time to time, he wasn’t that hittable. No more production came San Francisco’s way in the fourth, nor in the following five innings.

Halladay pitched six, and the bullpen did the rest. Jose Contreras, once a fairly good starting pitcher, then a mediocre starting pitcher, and now a valuable reliever, retired two in the seventh and J.C. Romero put the finishing touches on the frame. The Giants were six outs away from having to go back to Philadelphia, an unenviable situation despite their series advantage.

Ryan Madson dominated in the eighth, striking out the dangerous trip of Posey, Burrell, and Ross primarily using a cut-fastball with devastating late break down. He used his changeup, seen as his best pitch, only once. Closer Brad Lidge, who hadn’t pitched since struggling in Game 1, sent down San Francisco in order as well.

As the Giants were unable to clinch a World Series berth with their best pitcher on the mound, they now must win one of the next two games in hostile territory. Their offensive struggles are worrisome, but if the umpires can regain their competence and eye-sight in Game 6 and if the Giants possess the ability to field well, San Francisco will be World Series bound. It will just happen a couple days later than they had hoped.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When Texas Rangers catcher and eighth-place hitter Bengie Molina turned on an inside pitch from New York Yankees starting pitcher A.J Burnett in the sixth inning, all Alex Rodriguez could do was hang his head.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli was similarly dismayed, and Burnett was also in disbelief, with a “What have I done?” reaction.

Molina and his teammates in the dugout watched the ball’s flight, a majestic curvature into the left field seats, and after taking the few minutes necessary to run the bases, Molina pumped his chest and yelped a jubilant cry as high fives awaited him in the dugout.

The three-run blast with two outs gave the Rangers a 5-3 lead and capped off a nightmarish half-hour of baseball for New York.

In the fifth inning, everything appeared to be in the Yankees’ favor. Burnett had thrown five solid innings, and New York, ahead by one, was threatening with two on and none out. Mark Teixeira was up, their struggling power hitter who has made up for his misgivings at the plate with stellar defense at first.

On a 2-1 pitch from a laboring Tommy Hunter, he grounded a ball to Michael Young at third, who stepped on the bag and fired to first. Teixeira sprinted down the line as the ball closed in on Mitch Moreland’s glove, but then not 10 feet from the bag he reached for his hamstring. He fell into a slide, yelping in pain.

Accompanied by the team doctor and manager Joe Girardi, he hobbled off the field. Yankees Stadium was silent, as they would remain for most of the final four-plus innings.

Though he was safe, and though the Yankees were putting together quite a promising inning with two on and one out, the life was sucked out of the stadium when he went down. A strained hamstring was later the prognosis, and New York is considering adding Eduardo Nuñez to the roster, thereby making Teixeira ineligible to return, not only in this series, but also in the World Series if they advance.

Texas added insult to this injury just by putting runners on against Burnett in the sixth. The crowd groaned; the little confidence they had in Burnett was fading. Vladimir Guerrero led off with a single but was erased on a force-out grounded into by Nelson Cruz. Cruz made amends, changing the game with one play that will most likely be under-appreciated in some recaps.

Ian Kinsler lifted a deep fly ball to center, and what does Cruz do? The 6’4″, 240-pound, deceptively quick right fielder (who was the victim of Jeffrey Maier-esque interference in the second inning) tagged up and headed to second. This forced an odd decision out of Girardi, who elected to intentionally walk Burnett’s nemesis, David Murphy, to pitch to Molina. The move clearly backfired.

Derek Holland, the Rangers’ prized 24-year-old left-hander who had relieved Hunter much earlier, proceeded to add to the Yankees’ misery by pitching two scoreless innings. Despite his excellence and the depressing atmosphere, New York still had a shot to come back. Their chances, though, were hurt severely by a case of déjà vu for their bullpen.

Last night, the Rangers broke a two-run game wide-open in the ninth by scoring six runs, five of which were charged to David Robertson. On this night, Robertson was the only Yankee reliever not to allow a run.

Before Holland pitched his second straight perfect inning, Josh Hamilton continued his ALCS brilliance. Their best power hitter, who managed to swing weakly in Game 3 and still hit it out to right, put together a much more powerful swing against Boone Logan, a high drive that landed a few rows up in the same vicinity.

It was his third blast of the series, it darkened the Yankees’ outlook and it wasn’t even close to being the final run Texas would muster.

Joba Chamberlain, who may not be with the team next year given his performance this season, followed Logan and continued to pitch ineffectively. His outing began by allowing a ringing double by Guerrero, and then he walked Cruz and let the seventh Rangers run score as Michael Young proceeded to single. The boo birds were out. Some fans had already left. Others were now joining them in the streets of New York.

Texas just wouldn’t quit. After escaping a tough bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the eighth, their bats made the Yankees pay for not coming through as they did in the same inning of Game 1.

Hamilton was once again in the middle of it, smacking his fourth homer of the series, this time off Sergio Mitre and this time into the bullpen in right—his fourth homer in as many games. Then, after Guerrero socked his third hit, Cruz crushed a lifeless fastball into the second deck in left. It was now 10-3. The couple thousand fans who were left could go home now.

The Yankees players may join them soon enough. In losing, New York fell behind 3-1 in this series; they need to win their next three to move on. But just like a miracle is needed for Teixeira to return, the Bronx Bombers need a miracle if they want to prolong this one-sided battle—and just as Teixeira’s immediate future is in doubt, so are New York’s chances of accomplishing their yearly expectation.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees crowd rose to their feet, cheering on their team. But what they were cheering was indicative of the start put together by a certain Texas Rangers unflappable left-handed pitcher. The ovation formulated when a Yankees hitter worked a three-ball count—nothing more. This is how dominant Cliff Lee—their nonchalant, modest, 31-year-old ace—was.

He entered this Game 3 start with a  6-0 record and a 1.44 ERA in his postseason career. When the Rangers lost Game 1 I immediately thought if Game 2 was won they would have an advantage entering Game 4.

Considering they proved victorious in the second game, the Yankees hopes of holding a series advantage were slim even though Lee was up against Andy Pettitte, the winningest pitcher in postseason history. Pettitte clearly isn’t chopped liver, but Game 3 was unquestionably Cliff Lee’s to lose.

He received immediate run support, as Michael Young slapped a one-out single then Josh Hamilton followed with one of the more effortless swings ever produce a home-run. The lefty power hitter waited on a 2-1 cutter, stuck his bat out to reach the outside pitch, and poked it into the left-field seats.

It was the weakest looking hack, but the testament to Hamilton’s strength silenced a hyped-up crowd and gave Lee some insurance before he took the hill.

Once he did, it became evident those two runs may have been all that was necessary to fuel a victory. He picked up right where he left off against the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting his spots and mixing his pitches as the second-coming of Greg Maddux. Maddux, a future Hall of Famer, pitched where the catcher’s glove was positioned routinely over 23 remarkable years.

Lee did the same on this night, painting the inside and outside corners with such precision. He was just having fun out there, playing catch with catcher Bengie Molina, and executing to perfection. He set up the Yankees with everything from a curveball to a changeup, keeping them off guard with masterful unpredictability.

Three no-hit innings were thrown to start. In the fourth he allowed a walk. A free pass to Mark Teixeira and the popular question was: what’s wrong with Cliff Lee?

It was a sarcastic question, of course, asked by many of whom I follow on Twitter, but there was something to it. How so? Lee just doesn’t walk people. He didn’t in his two starts against the Rays, spanning 16 innings. During the regular season he only walked 18 batters, including two intentional, in 212 1/3 innings.

As the New York Times’ Pat Borzi wrote in his article, “Mission Control: Lee Wins by Avoiding Walks:”

“No pitcher in the last 70 years has thrown so many innings and yet walked so few.” And, on top of that, he was only the third pitcher since 1900 to throw more than 200 innings and walk fewer than 20, joining Babe Adams of the 1920 Pittsburgh Pirates (262 innings, 18 walks), and Red Lucas of the 1933 Cincinnati Reds (219/18). Adams nor Lucas were strikeout pitchers. Lee is, and certainly was against New York.

He had already struck out seven before Teixeira’s walk, including the hitters ahead of the lefthanded first-baseman in that fourth inning. The cheer for that walk was as if a leadoff triple had been hit. Getting a runner on base was a win for New York, according to the crowd. But, nothing could be done to capitalize on the surprising occurrence out of Lee.

A lined shot off the bat of Alex Rodriguez was chased down by a deceptively quick Nelson Cruz in right. That was the only hard hit ball the Yankees had off Lee. Everything else put in play was either a weak pop-up, a lazy fly-ball, or a pathetic groundball.

And when balls weren’t put in play, those in a lineup I consider to be one of the more dangerous in baseball stared at called strikes or swung through changeups, equally well-placed fastballs, or junk intentionally tossed into the dirt. I haven’t seen the Yankees that befuddled in a long time, and it was all because of Lee.

If not for that homer by Hamilton, a pitchers duel for the ages would have been in the works. Pettitte, aside from the costly hiccup, was superb, firing seven brilliant frames in keeping the deficit the same as it was entering the bottom of the first. Lee was just a lot better.

He ran into a little trouble in the sixth, as Brett Gardner, who comically missed the first-base bag on a head-first slide earlier, singled to begin the inning and then stole second. But Lee worked around that, though it took a bit more effort than the previous five frames. He went on to pitch two more dominant innings, with the lead still 2-0.

Having allowed just two hits and the walk to Teixeira while striking out 13 Yankees, it appeared their ace would head out for the ninth despite throwing 119 pitches. There was a catch: he would do so only if the Rangers went down quickly in the top. That was not so, as they read a lot into the term “insurance-run.”

Insurance runs came across, as poor David Robertson came on to pitch after Boone Logan allowed a lead-off double to Hamilton and promptly served up batting practice. He proceeded to relinquish five hits. Four earned runs were attached to his name, then a fifth as Sergio Mitre uncorked a wild-pitch to let in the eighth Texas run. All the fans who remained in the stands were cheering on Texas.

With the once close game transformed into a rout, Lee’s night was done. Handshakes and hugs extended Lee’s way in the dugout, congratulating him on his latest masterpiece. A masterpiece that, whether admitted or not, had to come to the surprise of no one, even those baffled Yankees whose season now relies heavily on the mediocre right arm of A.J. Burnett.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel walked to the mound in the eighth inning, talked with his starting pitcher, and walked back to the dugout, as a San Francisco Giants fan I was hoping this would be his Grady Little moment. Little, once the manager of the Boston Red Sox, infamously left ace Pedro Martinez on the mound in the 2003 ALCS and watched him implode against the New York Yankees.

But with the way Roy Oswalt was pitching, it was a fool’s hope. He was clicking on all cylinders, and there was little the Giants could do to make Manuel pay.

Oswalt was what Roy Halladay was not in Game 1: stifling. On the other side, Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, who struck out 11 Atlanta Braves in his first postseason start, struggled out of the gate. Sanchez was a very dependable third starter this season for the staff that led the major leagues in ERA, winning 13 games. But if there was one knock on him it was his wildness. He led the majors with 96 walks in 193 innings, a concerning ratio. And the negative managed to rear its ugly head, in the form of three first-inning walks and 35 painful pitches.

He was all over the place, but the home plate umpire was too, calling clear balls strikes and clear strikes balls. One blown call came with the bases loaded. Entering his appearance against Jimmy Rollins, the 27-year old  had struck out two, walked two, and witnessed a throwing error by third baseman Mike Fontenot that brought Aubrey Huff well off the first-base bag. Forty-six thousand were on their feet as Rollins dug in, then they cheered profusely as umpire Dan Iassogna inexplicably called a 3-1 pitch that clearly nipped the inside corner a ball, allowing Chase Utley to walk home for the game’s first run.

Iassogna gave pitchers the outside corner throughout, but he was far from kind when they painted the inner portion. For Sanchez’s pitch to reach the inside corner, as a lefty the ball has to cross the plate somehow. But, Sanchez somehow managed to put that blown call behind him and allow just the single run, striking out Raul Ibañez to end the threat.

When the bases were loaded, the Giants were wary of Sanchez’s rough start, as reliever Guillermo Mota was loosening in the bullpen. But Sanchez forced Mota to sit back down in limiting the damage, and the bullpen didn’t stir for a while as he settled into a groove. A lot of pitches were thrown. Some more walks were issued and hits were allowed, but he persevered, putting up three straight zeros and then was rightfully rewarded for his efforts by an unsurprising bat.

Oswalt had cruised through the first four innings, pitching very effectively and economically to keep his pitch count low entering the fifth. With one out in that inning, Cody Ross stepped to the plate. The same bearded Cody Ross who slugged two inside fastballs in nearly the exact same section of the left-field seats in Game 1. Oswalt missed away with the first pitch, but then made a costly mistake.

A fastball was fired in, approaching the inside corner, right in Ross’ wheelhouse. And he didn’t miss it, crushing the pitch to nearly the same exact spot as Saturday night’s two. It was an amazing scene, and for the third time in as many nights groans from Phillies fans and screams of joy from Giants fans could be heard after liftoff.

Groans turned to cheers and cheers screams of joy turned to groans as Philadelphia quickly fought back, receiving a leadoff double by Shane Victorino just past a diving Fontenot at third and two sacrifice flies by their big hitters to snag a 2-1 lead. San Francisco now had to get another run out of Oswalt to have a chance of heading home with a 2-0 series advantage, but Oswalt made sure Ross’ majestic shot was all his opponent would muster.

His fastball was lively, sitting at a deceptively quick 93 on the gun all night. His sinker was sharp, and his changeup had its late movement. Sanchez managed to pitch into the seventh, which was a tremendous feat given his first-inning woes and early high-pitch count, but Oswalt was the man of the match. Tim Lincecum unquestionably led his Giants in Game 1, and Oswalt did the same for his Phillies, striking out hitters right and left to put together a superb outing.

Despite his excellence, it was only a one-run margin. That was, until the seventh, when the bullpen fell apart. Manager Bruce Bochy, who trusted Sanchez enough to pitch him in the do-or-die 162nd game against the San Diego Padres, sent him back out there to only pull him one batter in. His 100th pitch was slapped up the middle by Oswalt of all hitters, and then Sanchez, receiving a bevy of high-fives, took his seat on the bench and looked on in horror as the bullpen imploded.

After his replacement, Ramon Ramirez, allowed the Phillies third run to score, Rollins delivered the crushing blow against Santiago Casilla, lacing a double into the right-center gap to plate three teammates. The lead was now 6-1, and Philadelphia would go on to win by that margin, as Oswalt pitched the eighth and Ryan Madson handled the ninth to even the series.

The series now heads to San Francisco, with the Phillies bats hot and every Giant except for Ross not. He can’t do it all, and if the Giants are going to reach their first World Series since 2002 they need other bats to wake up so Oswalt’s performance can’t be duplicated.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Neftali Feliz just couldn’t wait. The rookie closer for the Texas Rangers propped open the bullpen door just a crack, peering onto the field to watch the action in the bottom of the eighth.

The Rangers’ bullpen struggled in Game 1, surrendering a five-run lead to the mighty Yankee offense. Feliz was ever so anxious to redeem the unit. Redemption was the theme of Game 2 against New York. And the Rangers, seeking their first-ever postseason win at home, were in prime position to get it.

Just as C.C. Sabathia was shelled in Game 1, Phil Hughes struggled for the Yankees in the American League Championship Series’ second game. Sabathia was all over the place, and Hughes was as well.

This contest was as déjà vu as possible over the first four innings. Texas jumped all over Hughes early and often, while Colby Lewis shut down the Yankees bats. The Rangers started their scoring in the first thanks to a terrible decision by New York catcher Jorge Posada and Elvis Andrus’ intelligence on the base paths.

Andrus singled, reached second base on a wild pitch, stole third and then sprinted home as Posada foolishly took no notice of him while Hamilton attempted to steal second. Robinson Cano received the throw, and may have been able to tag Hamilton for the inning’s final out before Andrus crossed the plate, but fired back to Posada instead. Andrus slid in safely, and a 1-0 lead was taken by Texas.

They would add to this advantage and, just as they did in Game 1, tacked on more than just a couple more runs. David Murphy tagged a 2-0 cutter left high in the zone by Hughes into the upper-deck in right then, after the second out was recorded, three straight hits were acquired to plate a third run.

A doubles parade followed in the third as Hughes completely lost his command. Nelson Cruz pulled into second for a two-bagger leading off, then Murphy and Bengie Molina followed with back-to-back doubles, giving the Rangers a five-run lead.

Five to zero: a familiar score. It was the same lead Texas held not 20 hours earlier. The same lead they lost in such shocking fashion. Therefore, it was to no one’s surprise that the atmosphere was tense despite the margin. And it was only more so after what transpired in the top of the fourth.

Cano ignited New York in Game 1, ending C.J. Wilson’s shutout bid with a solo-shot, and attempted to do the same. This time it was a lead-off double, but it served the same purpose as Lance Berkman plated him with a two-out single down the right-field line. The Yankees were on the board. Here we go again, the Rangers fans had to think.

What had happened up to this point was eerily similar. But what took place next broke the familiarity. Though it really did nothing to calm the fans’ nerves (as the atmosphere in the latter innings would suggest), Texas managed to take an even bigger lead. Hughes was remarkably sent out to the hill to begin the fifth by manager Joe Girardi, and the decision backfired.

Cruz ripped his second straight double that was no more than a foot from leaving the park, then Ian Kinsler roped a liner past a diving Nick Swisher for a triple, scoring a sixth run and sending Hughes to the showers. A seventh proceeded to come their way, as Mitch Moreland delivered in the clutch with a two-out single to score Kinsler from third.

Yet, this 7-1 lead was far from safe. The fans knew what the Yankees were capable of. There isn’t an easy out in their lineup and they have been one of the game’s best comeback teams over the past few seasons.

So, when Cano once again did his part, the fans were either literally or figuratively on the edge of their seats. The MVP candidate slugged a blast into the right-field’s upper deck. Luckily for the Rangers, it was only a solo-homer, but it was another Yankees run nonetheless. New York is only getting started, their fans must have thought.

Within five, during the latter innings: Again, a familiar site. But, though minor heart-attacks were spread throughout the Rangers’ Ballpark in Arlington when two reached with two out, this lone run would be all the Yankees could muster. Lewis remained composed, and the four relievers succeeded in washing away their nightmarish Game 1 appearances.

Clay Rapada was the first, outlasted Marcus Thames for the final out of the sixth, Alexi Ogando was next, then the Darrens (Oliver and O’Day) continued the bullpen’s effectiveness.

The quartet handed the ball to Feliz with the unchanged margin, and Feliz gave the Rangers the win-clinching inning they were looking for. He made life interesting, issuing back-to-back walks with one out in the ninth to get the crowd’s blood pumping, but both Alex Rodriguez and Cano were retired.

With that, it was a 7-2 victory. The Rangers coaching staff shook hands in the dugout, players celebrated, and the crowd cheered. A redeeming win, and now the tied series shifts to New York.

Cliff Lee awaits for the Yanks, as Texas will try to ride this momentum to an advantage in the ALCS, an advantage they know they should already have.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the top of the eighth inning began, I was brainstorming for this article. I even wrote a title, and was looking forward to chronicling C.J. Wilson’s magnificent start for the Texas Rangers and harping on how woeful CC Sabathia was for the New York Yankees.

Considering they held a 5-1 lead, I assumed Texas was on their way to their first playoff win at home. Assuming is a dangerous thing. And, too much confidence fueled bad case of Karma. My foolish presumption began to backfire.

For two-plus hours of the American League Championship Series’ Game 1, plenty of good came Texas’s way. Wilson was brilliant, picking his spots, mixing his pitches, and keeping the powerful Yankees lineup off-balance. Even when he did get into jams, his fearless mindset—built up under the tutelage of fellow lefty Cliff Lee—helped him escape without any harm done.

Before he stepped to the mound to make his first ALCS start and second postseason appearance, his nerves were calmed by Sabathia’s dreadful pitching and a big blast off Josh Hamilton’s bat.

Sabathia, a 21-game winner this season, was a complete mess. His pitches had no life. He wasn’t deceptive. His changeups, sliders, and curveballs weren’t close enough to even tempt the Rangers, and his fastballs were served on a tee for their big hitters.

Hamilton qualifies as one of those power threats, and his eyes widened as an 0-2 heater left the big lefty’s hand. Thrown high in the zone and placed right down the pipe, the MVP candidate stroked the offering just over the fence in right-field for a three-run homer. Forty thousand-plus fans rose as one.

Texas, a team that had only mustered two runs in their previous 60 postseason innings against Yankee pitching, eclipsed that mark with one almighty swing.

They continued to work Sabathia hard, as the Cy Young contender threw 36 first inning pitches and more balls than strikes. Six of the first seven Rangers reached, but the three runs were all they could muster, as Nelson Cruz ended his team’s bases-loaded, two-out threat in being rightfully called out at home plate trying to score on a ball that evaded catcher Jorge Posada.

Though it was a very close play, that gamble to go for home with Sabathia laboring and on the ropes ultimately came back to bite Texas. Considering what transpired over the next few innings for Texas, who knew it would?

The contrast between Wilson and Sabathia was glaring. Wilson sent the first nine Yankees down in order. He was so composed, so fearless. In comparison, everything was a battle for Sabathia. His pitch count ballooned, equivalent to his heft atop the mound, but though base-runners continued to reach for Texas, runs weren’t pushed across.

Their lead was 3-0 in the third, but the Rangers could have held a five or six run advantage. Would have, could have, should have. Missed opportunities is part of the game, and boy oh boy did it come back to bite the home team in the end.

Wilson could do nothing about the missed chances. All he could do was pitch–do his part. And he continued to pitch brilliantly, and as a result, Texas’s bats finally broke through. Two runs were scored in the bottom of the fourth, in what would be Sabathia’s final inning, as career-long Ranger Michael Young crushed a two-out double deep to center field, scoring Matt Treanor and Elvis Andrus.

Wilson now had a five run lead to work with, and he took advantage. While the Yankees bullpen cooled the Rangers bats following Sabathia’s early exit, Wilson continued to baffle, making the top and heart of New York’s order look far from intimidating. Wilson was indeed the intimidator, but then trouble came his way in the form of Robinson Cano, the Yankees second baseman and MVP candidate who has delivered all season long.

With nine outs to go, New York needed to show some sign of life, and Cano successfully performed CPR, wrapping a flat fastball around the right field pole. New York was on the board.

Wilson regained composure and sent down the next three Yankees in order. Seven superb innings in the books, and his Rangers six outs away from taking a 1-0 series lead into Game 2, and then potentially a 2-0 series lead into Cliff Lee’s start and Yankees Stadium in Game 3.

A lot was riding on these next two innings. There is a reason why winners of the first game more often than not go on to win the series. And if Texas could get six outs without allowing more than four runs the ALCS would be considerably in their favor.

But that would not take place. Wilson came out for the eighth and his pitch count was manageable. But smooth sailing soon turned rough, as Brett Gardner unnecessarily slid into first solely for the “What a gritty, all-out effort by Gardner!” praise he proceeded to receive. The dirtying of the jersey when a simple lunge would have sufficed resulted in a single.

Then, possessing great speed, he zoomed around the bases to score on Derek Jeter’s ensuing liner in the gap. Wilson left to a resounding applause, and acknowledged the crowd. The lead was still Texas’s, and his outing deserved such an ovation, but his would be the last time cheers would engulf the stadium.

The usually solid veteran Darren Oliver entered and stunk. He walked the only two batters he faced, loading the bases with nobody out, a situation another Darren, Darren O’Day, had to deal with. He didn’t handle it well, either. One pitch thrown to Alex Rodriguez, one single roped past Young at third and into left-field, scoring two runs.

Young’s shortstop instincts came into play, as he didn’t have the wherewithal to get in front of the grounder, instead trying to pick it like a middle-infielder would. It was a tough play, considering how hard it was hit, but it was a play the likes of Adrian Beltre, the retiring Mike Lowell, and Scott Rolen would have made.

Suddenly, New York was down just one. And then, after Clay Rapada relieved O’Day, they weren’t. Cano ripped Rapada’s first pitch up the middle, scoring Teixeira and tying the game. Rapada exited to a chorus of boos, but his replacement was no better.

After Derrick Holland fired in a 2-2 fastball to Marcus Thames he turned and watched it helplessly drop into left. The deficit had already been erased, now the tie was no more. The Yankees held the lead. Silence fell over the Ballpark in Arlington.

If the Yankees could comeback, so could Texas, right? They had their chance against Kerry Wood in the bottom of the eighth, but that opportunity was thrown out of the window when Ian Kinsler, who led off with a single, was picked off first. It was just Wood’s second pickoff in the past five years.

Another chance formulated in the ninth, as a runner reached second with one out against the great Mariano Rivera. But Rivera, who entered with the most postseason appearances in history (91), most saves (41), and ERA (0.42), worked his magic, retiring Young and Hamilton to end the wild affair.

The 6-5 defeat was gut-wrenching for Texas. They had a win in their grasp, then, as sport tends to do, it slipped away in the blink of an eye. Sleep will be hard to come by, but luckily the Rangers won’t have much time to think about the collapse. Game 2 is 3:30 Texas time tomorrow.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Bobby Cox bids farewell after the San Francisco Giants defeated his Atlanta Braves to move on to the NLCS.

The unexpected tend to come up big during the playoffs, which has certainly been the case in the gripping series between the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves.

It was Rick Ankiel on Atlanta’s side in Game 2, and tonight it was the Giants’ turn to have a hero, as outfielder Cody Ross did all he could to propel his team to a series-winning victory.

With the way Derek Lowe was pitching for Atlanta on three days’ rest, it not only seemed the Giants’ bats would be silent throughout, but it appeared Brian McCann’s sacrifice fly that scored Andres Torres in the third would be enough support.

Lowe spun his sinkerball masterfully, as he struck out five Giants through four innings, relying heavily on that pitch and then mowed them down in the fifth.

The lead was still intact. A bid for a no-hitter was alive and well. And if not for an error by Alex Gonzalez at shortstop, a perfect game would have been in the works.

Just then, with one out in the sixth, Ross put the no-no bid to bed, roping the first pitch he saw from Lowe just high enough to clear the wall in left. It was a sinkerball that didn’t sink, just sitting there on a tee for Ross, waiting to be pummeled.

Yet, Lowe, a 16-game winner this season, a 13-year veteran, and someone who has delivered in past postseasons, retired the final two hitters in the frame, then watched from the dugout as McCann eased his pain.

The Braves catcher, who is currently far and away their best hitter, took Ross’s approach and went after the first pitch he saw.

Leading off the inning, he didn’t waste any time, smashing a hanging curveball from the left arm of Giants starter Madison Bumgarner into the seats in right, putting Atlanta quickly ahead by one once more.

Now, the question remained: Could a clearly fatigued Lowe, who was pitching on three days rest, keep the advantage in the Braves favor?

It became apparent that the 37-year old right-hander could not. He retired Freddy Sanchez for the first out to begin the seventh, but four sinkers missed to Aubrey Huff, issuing him a free pass, and then Buster Posey tapped a grounder down the third base line and reached due to the sloth-like slowness of third baseman Troy Glaus.

The Giants had a threat brewing, and Braves manager Bobby Cox walked up the dugout steps and onto the field. Lowe’s night was seemingly over.

But he would have none of it. As Cox walked to the mound, Lowe was clearly distraught, cursing and shaking his head. When Cox reached the former World Series champion, there was more of the same, though some pleading was tossed in as well.

It was a hilarious reaction by Lowe, and the scene became more humorous when Cox heard what Lowe had to say, walked off the mound, and made his way back to the dugout.

Lowe talked his way into staying in, reminding me of a certain Boston Red Sox manager’s decision to stick with a certain starting pitcher in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

I am of course referring to Grady Little and Pedro Martinez. Little’s choice to trust Martinez backfired and ultimately fueled the end of Boston’s season at the hands of the New York Yankees.

Turner Field’s boisterous crowd cheered when Lowe remained on the hill, but they soon fell silent and grumbled. What happened next wasn’t of Pedro Martinez proportions, but it hurt the Braves nonetheless.

Pitchers always think they can get the next hitter out, no matter how many pitches they have thrown or how tired they are. It’s their competitive instinct. Lowe had lost all command of his sinker; it’s placement was poor and sharp movement was lacking.

As a result, four of five sinkers thrown to Pat “The Bat” Burrell missed, loading the bases and leading to Lowe yelping the clearest of F-word’s in disgust.

Cox came out from the dugout again. This time, Lowe didn’t even attempt to smooth talk the illustrious manager. He met him halfway and walked off to an ovation.

Peter Moylan, one of the many who dominated in the Braves bullpen during the regular season, entered and proceeded to get the groundball he was asked to get.

But, a night after Brooks Conrad committed three heart-breaking errors, Gonzalez committed his second gaffe, throwing high to second baseman Omar Infante, who couldn’t make the catch and stay on the bag at the same time. The bases were reloaded and the Giants had notched a 2-2 tie.

Aaron Rowand foolishly swung at a slider thrown low by Jonny Venters (the same exact pitch in the same exact location as the previous offering, which he took) striking out to give the Braves hope of escaping having only allowed the one run.

They could not, however, as Ross built upon his home run by stroking an RBI single into left.

Posey scored easily, but Matt Diaz scooped up the single, fired to McCann at home, and looked on as the catcher blocked the plate perfectly and tagged out Burrell.

The inning was over. A fourth run wasn’t attained, but an important third was. The Giants had the lead, and they wouldn’t lose it.

They did the night before, as the bullpen struggled late, and nearly did in Game 4 as closer Brian Wilson allowed two to reach with one out in the ninth, but the final two outs were recorded.

Infante struck out and pinch-hitter Melky Cabrera, the Braves last breath of hope, grounded out.

The celebration began in San Francisco. They are moving on to the National League Championship Series for first time since there last postseason appearance in 2003.

Hugs and high-fives were well spread as the team congratulated each other near the pitchers mound. Then, they stopped to appreciate Cox. He had popped out of the Braves dugout, tipped his cap to the Giants, and then waved emotionally to the standing crowd.

While the Braves fans applauded, San Francisco’s players and coaches did the same. It was an incredible moment; a classy moment; and a sad moment. Cox, who played all of one year in the major leagues, spanning 1968 and 1969 with the New York Yankees, then began his managerial career just two years later and spent the next four-plus decades in baseball as a general manager or manager.

He led the Braves to one World Series title and a whopping 14 straight division titles. Now, he’s hanging up his metal spikes, the shoes he wore to every game.

As he heads into retirement, the Giants move on. After applauding Cox on a brilliant career, they doused each other in champagne, basking in their first series win in the post-Barry Bonds Era.

Now, as San Francisco is forced to face H2O (Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt, the three Phillies aces) the Braves face life without Cox. Though the futures are daunting for both parties, I believe both will be bright.

(Photo: Zimbio)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com