2010 ALCS ~ Rangers at Yankees ~ Game 4

2010

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME FOUR

TEXAS RANGERS

vs

NEW YORK YANKEES

Bronx, New York

Tommy Hunter (Tex) vs. A.J. Burnett (NYY)

Rangers  10

Yankees  3

FINAL SCORE

The Texas Rangers now lead the best of seven series;

3-1



New York:

JETER   2-5; run, double, triple

GRANDERSON   1-3; single, 2 walks, rbi

TEIXEIRA   0-3; K   ***Left game with injury in 5th inning***
pr-Thames (5th inning-rf)

RODRIGUEZ   0-2; run, walk, HBP 

CANO   2-3; run, single, Home Run, walk, rbi

SWISHER-RF, 1B   0-3;  2 K's

BERKMAN   1-3; single, K 

GARDNER   1-3; single, fielder's choice, rbi, K

CERVELLI   0-3; K (ph)
ph-POSADA 8th inning ~ 0-2; K

Pitchers:

1) - AJ BURNETT - SP
99 pitches ~ 62 strikes
6 innings pitched
6 hits
5 runs/earned
3 walks
4 strikeouts
1 home run

2) - D. ROBERSON -RP - 7th inning
8 pitches ~ 5 strikes
0.2 innings pitched
0 hits
0 runs
0 walks
1 strikeout

3) - B. LOGAN - RP - 7th inning
2 pitches ~ 1 strike
0.0 innings pitched
1 hit
1 run; earned
0 walks
0 strikeouts
One Home Run Allowed


4) - The JOBA "Ruse" - RP - 7th inning
26 pitches ~ 14 strikes
1.1 innings pitched
3 hits
1 run; earned
1 walk
1 strikeout


5) - S. MITRE - RP - 9th inning
23 pitches ~ 12 strikes
1 inning pitched
3 hits
3 runs; earned
1 walk
0 strikeouts
2 Home Runs Allowed

Texas:

Andrus

Young

Hamilton ~ 2 HR today; 4th Home Run of series.

Guerrero

Cruz ~ Two Run Home Run.

Kinsler

Murphy

Molina ~ Three Run Home Run.

Moreland

Pitching:

1) - TOMMY HUNTER - SP
70 pitches ~ 46 strikes
3.1 innings pitched
5 hits
3 runs, earned
0 walks
5 strikeouts
1 home run


2) - DEREK HOLLAND - RP
54 pitches ~ 30 strikes
3.2 innings pitched
1 hit
0 runs
2 walks
3 strikeouts

3) - DARREN O'DAY - RP - 8th inning

4) - CLAY RAPADA - RP - 8th inning

5) - DARREN OLIVER - RP - 8th inning

6) -

In-Game Comments:

FIRST INNING
* AJ Burnett retires first three batters in order.

* After 1st at-bat tonight, Teixeira is now 0-12 in series.

* Yankees out in order in bottom of 1st inning.

SECOND INNING
* AJ Burnett looking sharp early on.  Three strikeouts in first two innings.  Retires first six batters.

27 pitches/21 strikes.

* Hunter brushes back ARod with a high hard one.
* ROBINSON CANO Solo Home Run.  Ron Washington argues fans reached over yellow line
(RF Wall) and that fans made contact with Cruz' glove during attempted catch.  Home Run stands.
* LANCE BERKMAN Solo Home Run.  Wrapped around the RF foul pole.  Here comes Ron Washington again ~ Fair or Foul?  Replay looks like ball was foul ~ There go the umpires off the field for a Review ~ And...The HR will not stand; FOUL BALL.
* Hunter got jobbed on a strike three call to Berkman in same at-bat.   Hunter gets a call back; Berkman strikes out looking at a fastball at the knees.


THIRD INNING
* AJ Burnett walks his first batter (Murphy).
* Home Plate Umpire calling the low strike tonight.
* (TEX-Molina) Ball in dirt; Wild Pitch; then followed by a HBP > Molina.  Rangers runners on first and third one out after Sac Bunt by Moreland.  Great play by TEX preventing a hit; score the play 3 to 1.  Runner from third base scores.  Runner at third, two outs.  Infield dribbler by Young, not handled cleanly scores runner (Molina) from third base.  Rangers score two runs this inning.
* Hunter records 4th strikeout (third in a row).
* Derek Jeter misses Home Run by inches, hitting off CF wall; Triple with two outs.  Kinsler could not handle a Granderson line drive.  Jeter scores from third base.  BALK against Hunter; Granderson to second base (called by home plate Ump Hernandez).
* Teixeira is now 0-13 in the series.

*** DEREK JETER has scored his 32nd run in ALCS play***


FOURTH INNING
* VLAD had a disgusting looking at-bat and singled up the middle.  Vlad is stranded at first.
* ARod 2 for 14 this series; HUNTER comes high and tight to ARod again and hits him this time.
* HUNTER is coming up on 50 pitches; the Texas bullpen is now active.
* Cano single to left; ARod to second base; no outs.  Mike Maddux, TEX Pitching Coach visits mound.  Hunter is clearly stressing ~ 3-2 count to Swisher; 1st and 2nd...High Fastball Strikes Out Swisher!  Stress this!  One out for Berkman (FAT ELVIS) ~ Pitch number 70 is on the way..and another full count, to Berkman ~ base hit through 1b-2b hole to RF; runners hold.  ARod would have been out by a mile.  Washington is coming out to make a pitching change.
* Now Pitching for TEXAS, DEREK HOLLAND ~ bases loaded; one out; Brett Gardner up ~
first pitch 95mph fastball for a strike ~ 2nd pitch 96mph ~ Shattered bat breaks camera lens and a Great DIVING PLAY by Andrus diving to right and getting force out at third base.  ARod scores; two outs for Cervelli ~ Looks at strike three; fastball 96mph.
* Yankees take lead and get into Texas bullpen in the 4th inning.  That may play huge in the coming frames.  Already up by a run the Yankees can turn this into a blow-out during these middle innings.


FIFTH INNING
* TEIXEIRA ain't hitting a lick but his defense has been stellar tonight, as usual.  He just started the 3-6-1 double play.
* AJ starting to battle himself a bit also; walks YOUNG.  Hamilton to plate with runners on 1st and 2nd; two outs; HAMILTON ~

*** First Jeffery Maher made an appearance in RF tonight....NOW Steve Bartman showed up down the left field line; foiled GARDNER's attempt to catch a foul in the stands!!!

...Hamilton's at-bat ~ Flies out to CF.
* AJ pitches through the 5th inning with the Yankees leading 3-2.
* That stupid Yankee fan down the left field line gets to walk out of the Stadium tonight a very lucky man as there was no harm done.  The fans showered him with BRONX CHEERS; rest assured about that.
* Yankees up in the bottom half ~ DEREK JETER doubles off the RF wall!  GRANDERSON ~ 4 pitch walk.
* Pitching coach Maddux out to mound again.
* Teixeira at-bat ~ two on base and no outs ~ TEIXEIRA might be HURT! ~ a bouncer to 3b and Rangers get the force out at 3b; Teixeira is safe at first.  Teixeira pulls up LAME with what appears to be a hamstring pull.  He's out of the game and THAMES replaces him as the runner on first base.
* ARod up at bat ~ 1st and 2nd with one out ~ DOUBLE PLAY 6 to 4 to 3!  End of inning.
* The Yankees still can not get a key hit with runners on!


SIXTH INNING
* AJ comes out for the sixth inning.  The Yankees let the Rangers hang around this game thus far.
* BENGIE MOLINA HITS A THREE RUN HOME RUN...pulled down the left field line; scoring Murphy (walk) and Cruz.
* Rangers take the lead 5-3.
* If the Yankees were going to walk Murphy anyway with the bullpen warming-up....why would Girardi open himself up to the Classic second guess?  This is all they will be talking about tomorrow.  Sheesh!
* Derek Holland completes another inning of scoreless relief.  Yankees go quietly in the bottom half of the inning.
* Not being able to get a key hit with runners on and in scoring position officially came back to bite them in the butt.


SEVENTH INNING
* Girardi just pulled Robertson for Logan.  Hmmm.
* JOSH HAMILTON has just hit his third Home Run this series.  Joe Girardi is coming out.  Boone Logan is out...JOBA is coming in.
* VLAD hits JOBA's first pitch into the LF/CF gap for a double.
* JOBA walks Cruz.
* Base hit KINSLER; VLAD scores from 2nd base.  Yankees just got victimized with a dinky-dunk they've killed so many teams with.


STRETCH!!


* Bottom 7th ~ (O'DAY warming up for Texas) Holland still pitching ~ Gardner lead-off batter ~ grounds out.
* Posada pinch hits for Cervelli.  Strikes out swinging!
* Derek Holland (TEX) retired his 7th in a row!!
* Derek Jeter is retired; hit the ball on the nose.


EIGHTH INNING
* MOLINA lead-off single off JOBA.
* Rangers have left 7 on base tonight.  Yankees coming up.
* HOLLAND issues a lead-off walk to Granderson.
* Out comes Washington...out come Holland ~ In comes Darren O'Day to pitch for TEXAS
* At-bat ~ THAMES ~ Strikes out.  One out ~ One on for ARod (2 for 15 in series) - WALKS.
* Robinson Cano...Washington is coming out of dugout again.  RAPADA will replace O'DAY.
* Cano at-bat ~ (7 for 15 in the series) ~ 1st and 2nd with one out ~ WALK!!  BASES LOADED.
* Washington out again....Rapada is out; DARREN OLIVER is in.  SWISHER coming up; one out.

HERE WE GO!

* Oliver vs Swisher ~ strike one-ball one (he was actually hit by that pitch)...next pitch he flies out to CF.  Non-call by umpire ~ ball brushed Swisher's pant leg.  2 OUTS
* Berkman with two outs ~  strike one-strike two-ball one- ground ball to short...force out at 2nd base.  Sparkling play by YOUNG at 3rd base.
* Rangers escape inning.
* Yankees fail to get the big hit....AGAIN.


NINTH INNING
* (NYY) S.Mitre in to pitch.
* JOSH HAMILTON HITS HIS 2nd HOME RUN of the NIGHT; 4Th of SERIES...into the bullpen.
* VLAD ~ infield base hit.

Awful lot of empty seats at the Stadium.

* ...AND NELSON CRUZ Crushes a Mitre pitch and loses it into the second deck of LF.  10-3 TEXAS!

...And the Stadium is almost empty now.

* The Yankees led this game 3-2 with two outs in the 6th inning.  Joe Girardi will feel the wrath of the sports radio talkers and scribes for today's mismanagement of the pitching changes.
* Three more runs for the Rangers.
* Here come the Yankees for their "Last Licks".
* TEXAS ~ Oliver starts the 9th inning ~ Gardner leads off with a base hit.  He takes 2nd base on Catcher's Indifference.  Gardner moves to 3rd base on ground out by Posada.
* JETER pops up.  Jeter is now 5 for 18 in the series.
* Granderson lines out.
* END OF GAME

The New York Yankees are one game away from elimination in the 2010 playoffs.  The Texas Rangers now lead the American League Championship Series three games to one.

The Rangers can close the series out tomorrow with a win in

Yankee Stadium.  Tomorrow the Yankees will have their ace CC Sabathia pitching.

Tonight the Yankees went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.  For the series the Yankees are 6 for 36 with runners in scoring position.  Time and again the Bombers had opportunities to blow the game open but in the end , could not.

The Yankees were leading this game 3-2 with two outs in the 6th inning.  It's speculation on my part but I think Joe Girardi is going to get raked over the coals tomorrow for sticking with AJ Burnett a batter too long after intentionally walking Murphy to pitch to Molina.  But to hurl slings and arrows at Burnett would be somewhat misplaced frustration.  Girardi on the other hand?

AJ did alright.  AJ Burnett has been a lot worse.  But the whole day was compromised from the very beginning because of the nonsense about AJ not being able to pitch to Posada.  Posada wasn't behind the dish when AJ almost tossed a wild pitch on an intentional walk, now was he?  AJ makes the Yanks take Jorge out of the line-up.  You can't DH him because you can't have both your catchers in the line-up together.  I just don't think you should be compromising yourself in the playoffs if you can help it.  Although, there is something to be said for AJ's performances when Cervelli is catching.

It remains to be seen if Mark Teixeira will be available for tomorrow's game.  I think he may be doubtful, compounding the Yankees' problems while going down three games to one.

Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez' bats have left the building.  But Teixeira's glove work would be sorely missed if he's out any period of time.  It looks like he will miss Game 5 for sure.  Tonight he put on another defensive clinic.  But that doesn't disguise the massive hole they both have been, in the heart of the Bomber's line-up.

It just hasn't worked out for the Bombers.  Josh Hamilton is hot and outside of Robinson Cano, the Yanks are not.

The Yankees benefited from another Jeffery Maier moment and even had their own Steve Bartman moment (I'm sure Gardner would agree).  All the ghosts of Yankee Stadiums past had nothing in the way of assistance this time.  There is no haunting of the Rangers this series.  They aren't scared in the slightest.  As a matter of fact, the Texas Rangers are flat out giving the Bronx Bombers, ghosts and all, an education in Savvy Baseball.  The over-all, well balanced and sound game the Rangers play has thoroughly embarrassed the mighty Yanks and left them all holding their money clips with mouths wide open in disbelief.

"HOLY COW"

Mike.BTB