I also think back to a game played in Arlington last year. The season finale on a hot windy 96 degree day. The Rangers had a 6-0 lead before the bullpen let it slip away with walks and timely hits. A frustrating 7-6 loss. Time and again I have seen Tampa Bay whirl its magic late in the game. The one bat I am waiting to see awaken tomorrow is Carl Crawford. The same can be said for Mr. Bartlett.
Matt Treanor will get the catching duties this afternoon as Bengie Molina gets the day off. Ron Washington has been doing everything right in 2010 so I won't question a thing until the season is over. Josh Hamilton looks to be ready to raise a little hell. One stat that stood out is that Vladimir Guerrero is the best 2 out hitter in baseball in 2010. 53 RBI's produced on the swing of a bat by Vlad. That is some hitting.
You expect players with playoff experience to step in moments like this. I give you Bengie Molina, Jeff Francoeur, and Cliff Lee. Three acquisitions after the season began for this very moment. It's only 1 game but I believe the Rangers are in the drivers seat to advance to the next level of play. Provided CJ Wilson can turn up the heat and get at least 6 innings of effective pitching. Nelson Cruz hit a monster blast in the 5-1 victory!
In theory, an estimate of 250,000 people making their way to North Texas as a paying customer to choose between the following: 1. A TCU home game 2. An SMU home game 3. A Baylor-Texas-Tech matchup at the Cotton Bowl 4. A home game for North Texas and their depleted QB situation 5. An A&M-Arkansas hookup at the Jones Mahal and lastly 6. The first home playoff game for the Texas Rangers since 1999 with a 4:07 start time on will be Derek Holland's birthday. Is TMS running any races? Lets raise the number to half a million!
I am also reminded of the fall of 1995. I was in Seattle and remembered how electric the city was when the Mariners defeated the Yankees after an 0-2 start. For what it's worth, I know everybody outside of Texas expects the Rays to win this series handily. Allow me to go out of my way to predict a Ranger victory in four games. Especially if Cliff Lee wins Game 1! That will set a tone for the series. All the numbers shall favor Tampa Bay on the offensive side.
Friday, October 8, 2010 at 9:06AM