The first round of the 2010 playoffs began and ended with Texas Rangers left−hander Cliff Lee beating the Tampa Bay Rays. But there was plenty of drama and top−notch pitching sandwiched in between.
The Philadelphia Phillies proved that their vaunted starting rotation is every bit as good as advertised in a resounding sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. Roy Halladay began the three−game demolition with the second no−hitter in postseason history, the first since Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, while Cole Hamels closed it out with a complete game shutout, a sign that he has rediscovered the form he showed in 2008.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees continued their postseason dominance of the Minnesota Twins with a sweep of their own. Manager Ron Gardenhire's team simply could not contend with the stellar pitching of CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes or the hot bats of Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira.
The San Francisco Giants also advanced on the back of their pitching staff, but then needed help from the Atlanta Braves' porous infield to score enough runs to eliminate Bobby Cox's team in the final season of the manager's legendary career. Without a plethora of errors by Brooks Conrad and Alex Gonzalez — along with a critical missed call by second−base umpire Paul Emmel in Game 1 of the series — the Giants might not have cashed in on their starters' stellar performances, which led to a combined 0.93 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 29 innings.
In the final series, the Rangers used an onslaught of home runs — including three each from Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz — to oust the favored Rays in five games. The series featured a couple of postseason firsts: It was the first time the visiting team won all five games in the series and the first series−clinching victory celebrated with ginger ale instead of champagne, in honor of outfielder Josh Hamilton's recovery from alcohol addiction.
Now, with their first playoff series victory under their belts, the Rangers will seek to attain another first — the first American League pennant in franchise history. But they'll have to overcome the defending World Series champions — the Yankees — in order to do it.
With Game 1 scheduled for Friday at 8:00 p.m. EST in Arlington, Texas, the Rangers are already at a disadvantage. Because Lee pitched on Tuesday night, he will be unable to start for the Rangers until Game 3 in the Bronx. The Yankees, by virtue of their sweep of the Twins, have had plenty of time to realign their rotation so that Sabathia can pitch three times — in Games 1, 4 and 7 — if necessary.
The Rangers' pitching staff will also face a tough test in the Yankees' lineup. Not only do the Yankees have quality hitters from top to bottom, but Joe Girardi's offense also excels against left−handed pitching. The Yankees ranked second in the American League with a .790 OPS against southpaws during the regular season, and Granderson's resurgence has eliminated their lone weak link. With C. J. Wilson toeing the rubber for the Rangers in Game 1, the Yankees will look to immediately seize home−field advantage.
But the Rangers won't go down easily. Their dynamic offense, which features speed at the top and tremendous power in the middle, should enable them to keep up with the Yankees on the scoreboard, and their young relievers have the talent to shorten games the same way Mariano Rivera and Kerry Wood have for the Yankees.
In the NLCS, the Phillies will seek their third consecutive pennant, while the Giants, who have yet to win a World Series since moving to San Francisco in 1958, will hope to earn their first since 2002.
The series begins Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. EST with a pitching matchup for the ages: Tim Lincecum vs. Halladay. But don't sleep through the Game 2 battle between Jonathan Sanchez and Roy Oswalt or the Game 3 duel between Matt Cain and Hamels either.
Runs will be at a premium in the NLCS, especially if both offenses remain as dormant as they were in the division series. The Giants' one−dimensional attack, which lives and dies by the long ball, was kept in check by the Braves' bevy of sinkerballers, while the Phillies' highly reputed lineup managed only a .212 average, a .574 OPS and one homer against the Reds' unproven pitching staff.
If the Giants trail the Phillies in rotation talent, they surpass them in the bullpen, where manager Bruce Bochy has more quality options than his counterpart, Charlie Manuel. Brian Wilson is a more trustworthy closer than Brad Lidge, and the Giants have an excellent lefty specialist in Javier Lopez to neutralize the Phillies' southpaw sluggers — Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez. Philadelphia's lone relief advantage may come in the eighth inning, where Ryan Madson thrived to the tune of a 1.50 ERA after the All−Star break.
Offensively, Philadelphia unquestionably has more depth. The Giants do not have enough left−handed hitters in their lineup to pose a threat to Halladay or Oswalt, while the Phillies have both the speed and power to do more damage than the Braves. It is worth noting that the Giants were 5−2 during the regular season in games started by Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels, but the Phillies have similarly dominated Cain, who is 0−3 in five career starts against them.
The Giants' pitching should make this a closer series than it appears on paper, but the Phillies are a deeper, more talented team and will likely remain on track to return to the World Series.
