WATERCOOLER CHAT: POST SEASON OPENING DAY: RANGERS CAME TO PLAY, HALLADAY MAKES HISTORY, YANKS START SWINGING
BASEBALL
It was opening day of the post-season.
First up, it was the Texas Rangers vs. The Tampa Bay Rays. Mid-season acquisition Cliff Lee took the mound for the Rangers who are hoping to make some major noise in the playoffs. Cliff Lee was just as dominant for the Texas Rangers as he was for the Phillies last year. He absolutely smoked the Rays, only giving up one run. On the other hand, the Rangers’ bats came to play — everyone got in on the action including a homer by Nelson Cruz. However, don’t count out the Rays, they were the hottest team in the league coming into the post-season. Texas 5, Tampa Bay 1.
Next up, it was a showdown between last year’s National League Champion, the Philadelphia Phillies, and a playoff newcomer, the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds organization has been essentially dormant for 15 years. But they had a terrific season, and feel just as confident as any team. There’s only one problem — they had to face, probably, the best pitcher in the league: Roy Halladay. The Phillies brought Halladay in this year for this very reason — to be clutch in the post-season. Well, Halladay did more than that — he made history. For only the second time in major league history, we saw a no-hitter in the playoffs. This was all Halladay. Think about how remarkable that is. The Reds are a very strong team. For them not to even get one hit, that’s a testament to Halladay’s dominance. And with that, the Phils take a 1-0 lead in the series. Philadelphia 4, Cincinnati 0.
Finally, the Yankees came to Minnesota for a prime-time showdown. The Twins got things off to a fast start with a 2-run homerun by Michael Cuddeyer. Then Orlando Hudson hit a shot to drive in a run. Suddenly, it was 3-0 Twins. And that’s when the Yankees bats started swinging. Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, and Curtis Granderson all drove in runs to make it 4-3. The Twins tied it up with a walk and forced run, but then, in the 7th, Yankees slugger Mark Tiexeria smashed a 2-run shot to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead. Then, Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera came in to finish up the game. Yankees lead the series 1-0. NY Yankees 6, Minnesota 4.
