ALDS Game 1 - Yankees at Rangers
The Rangers are the underdogs once again as they face the Yankees in the 2010 ALCS.
It's been 50 seasons since the Texas Rangers were born as baseball's second coming of the Washington Senators. Now, 39 seasons after relocating to the Lone Star State, the club is finally playing for its first AL Pennant. Standing in their way are the New York Yankees who are playing for their 41st American League flag and chance at a 28th World Championship.
Yeah, you might say this is a bit of a David versus Goliath matchup.
Ok, there really aren't any 'David' teams once you reach the postseason, though Texas is definitely a huge underdog both at the baseball betting window and in the minds and hearts of fans. Bookmaker.com opened the Rangers on a plus 145 line to win the ALCS with the Yanks priced at minus 165. The same book had the Yankees minus 144 to take Game 1 Friday (8 p.m. ET) with the Rangers plus 134 and 8½ for the total ('under' minus 120).
Texas has been defying the odds all season, listed as 20/1 to win the World Series back in the spring and the second choice to win the AL West behind the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers weren't supposed to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS and were underdogs in three of the five games. They won all three.
So now the question is can they rebel against the MLB oddsmakers at least one more time against one of the greatest sports franchises ever?
If C.J. Wilson's track record this season is any indication, Texas can indeed. Wilson (25-9, 3.25) will be one-half of an all-southpaw pitching matchup in Game 1 against New York's C.C. Sabathia (24-11, 3.21).
Wilson had made just six career starts before the 2010 campaign got underway. He had to practically beg to have a chance to win a slot in the rotation when the club reached spring training way back in February. The result? Including his ALDS Game 2 win over Tampa Bay, no pitcher started more winning games for his team with Texas 25-9 in his 34 starts up to now.
Two of those Rangers wins came in Wilson starts against New York, both of them at home in Texas. The Rangers were 140 chalk in a 4-3 win on Aug. 10 and a month later pulled out a 6-5 triumph as 135 money line favorites. Wilson wasn't at his best in either game, however, with New York scoring six times in his 8 1/3 combined innings.
Wilson also surrendered three earned in six innings of action in New York back on April 16, a 5-1 loss to Sabathia who was heavy 210 chalk.
Wilson was the underdog in nine of his starting assignments in 2010, counting the ALDS contest. All nine were on the road with the Rangers winning six.
Sabathia's only appearance against Texas in the three regular season series between the clubs came in that April matchup against Wilson. C.C. struck out nine in six innings and allowed just the lone Rangers run in the game. His last appearance on this mound was June 5, 2008 while a member of the Indians staff. Sabathia look the loss in a 9-4 Texas win, giving up five runs (four earned) in six frames.
Umpires for the LCS round of the playoffs had yet to be announced at press. Keep an eye on that news to be made public possibly late Thursday afternoon (Oct. 14). It will be interesting to see if longtime veteran Tim McClelland is left off the list after some controversial calls in recent LCS games. McClelland has been part of an LCS crew the past three years and six times in the last nine postseasons.
The long-term weather forecast looks good for Games 1 and 2, though more precise info will be available as the first pitch draws nearer. Friday should find mostly clear skies in the D-FW metroplex, with an afternoon high in the mid-80s. Look for a game-time temp around 75ºF.
Game 2 will have the squads making a quick turnaround with a 4 p.m. ET start. New York was allegedly still mulling its starting pitcher for that contest with Girardi choosing between Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte. If the Yankees skipper is indeed going to use a four-man rotation in the series, I expect Hughes to grab the Game 2 assignment, pushing Pettitte to Game 3 and possibly Game 7.
Texas is expected to send rookie right-hander Tommy Hunter to the hill Saturday afternoon.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start, including the postseason.
The Rangers are the underdogs once again as they face the Yankees in the 2010 ALCS.
It's been 50 seasons since the Texas Rangers were born as baseball's second coming of the Washington Senators. Now, 39 seasons after relocating to the Lone Star State, the club is finally playing for its first AL Pennant. Standing in their way are the New York Yankees who are playing for their 41st American League flag and chance at a 28th World Championship.
Yeah, you might say this is a bit of a David versus Goliath matchup.
Ok, there really aren't any 'David' teams once you reach the postseason, though Texas is definitely a huge underdog both at the baseball betting window and in the minds and hearts of fans. Bookmaker.com opened the Rangers on a plus 145 line to win the ALCS with the Yanks priced at minus 165. The same book had the Yankees minus 144 to take Game 1 Friday (8 p.m. ET) with the Rangers plus 134 and 8½ for the total ('under' minus 120).
Texas has been defying the odds all season, listed as 20/1 to win the World Series back in the spring and the second choice to win the AL West behind the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers weren't supposed to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS and were underdogs in three of the five games. They won all three.
So now the question is can they rebel against the MLB oddsmakers at least one more time against one of the greatest sports franchises ever?
If C.J. Wilson's track record this season is any indication, Texas can indeed. Wilson (25-9, 3.25) will be one-half of an all-southpaw pitching matchup in Game 1 against New York's C.C. Sabathia (24-11, 3.21).
Wilson had made just six career starts before the 2010 campaign got underway. He had to practically beg to have a chance to win a slot in the rotation when the club reached spring training way back in February. The result? Including his ALDS Game 2 win over Tampa Bay, no pitcher started more winning games for his team with Texas 25-9 in his 34 starts up to now.
Two of those Rangers wins came in Wilson starts against New York, both of them at home in Texas. The Rangers were 140 chalk in a 4-3 win on Aug. 10 and a month later pulled out a 6-5 triumph as 135 money line favorites. Wilson wasn't at his best in either game, however, with New York scoring six times in his 8 1/3 combined innings.
Wilson also surrendered three earned in six innings of action in New York back on April 16, a 5-1 loss to Sabathia who was heavy 210 chalk.
Wilson was the underdog in nine of his starting assignments in 2010, counting the ALDS contest. All nine were on the road with the Rangers winning six.
Sabathia's only appearance against Texas in the three regular season series between the clubs came in that April matchup against Wilson. C.C. struck out nine in six innings and allowed just the lone Rangers run in the game. His last appearance on this mound was June 5, 2008 while a member of the Indians staff. Sabathia look the loss in a 9-4 Texas win, giving up five runs (four earned) in six frames.
Umpires for the LCS round of the playoffs had yet to be announced at press. Keep an eye on that news to be made public possibly late Thursday afternoon (Oct. 14). It will be interesting to see if longtime veteran Tim McClelland is left off the list after some controversial calls in recent LCS games. McClelland has been part of an LCS crew the past three years and six times in the last nine postseasons.
The long-term weather forecast looks good for Games 1 and 2, though more precise info will be available as the first pitch draws nearer. Friday should find mostly clear skies in the D-FW metroplex, with an afternoon high in the mid-80s. Look for a game-time temp around 75ºF.
Game 2 will have the squads making a quick turnaround with a 4 p.m. ET start. New York was allegedly still mulling its starting pitcher for that contest with Girardi choosing between Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte. If the Yankees skipper is indeed going to use a four-man rotation in the series, I expect Hughes to grab the Game 2 assignment, pushing Pettitte to Game 3 and possibly Game 7.
Texas is expected to send rookie right-hander Tommy Hunter to the hill Saturday afternoon.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start, including the postseason.
And to top it off, if I liked them to go 'over' the win total and win the AL West, why didn't my dumb butt go on and throw $25-$50 on them to win either the AL or the World Series?
