The LCSs

Almost unbelievably, the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants jumped out to 3-1 series leads in their respective LCSs. Perhaps more unbelievable, if the Rangers' bullpen could have held onto a 5-0 lead against the New York Yankees in the 8th inning of game 1, they would have swept the Yankees out of the playoffs and would await the Giants or the Philadelphia Phillies. But, as they stand now, the Yankees and Phillies have both forced a game 6, albeit under different circumstances.

The Yankees sent out their ace, CC Sabathia, and got off to a hot start in game 5 to send the series back to Texas. Without 1B Mark Teixera, who will be out for the remainder of the playoffs, they built a 5-0 lead against CJ Wilson, but Sabathia was not sharp as he scattered 2 runs on 11 hits over 6 innings. Sabathia was able to do just enough to keep the Rangers from getting back into the game and the Yanks cruised to a 7-2 victory. Game 6 will feature a rematch of game 2 starters, Phil Hughes goes for the Yanks and Colby Lewis for the Rangers. Hughes was awful in game 2, giving up 7 runs on 10 hits over 4 innings, while Lewis gave up 2 runs on 6 hits in 5.2 innings. If Hughes doesn't find his game tonight, the Yankees [and their fans] can stop worrying about Cliff Lee because he'll be pitching game 1 of the World Series instead of game 7 of the ALCS. I'll be pulling for the Rangers to win this series in 6 so that Lee can open the World Series, but I just have a feeling the Yankees will win game 6 and force a game 7, but will lose to Cliff Lee, who will be a Yankee next year.

Finally, a couple thoughts on the ALCS and the possibility of the Yankees coming back. The Yankees and their fans can't go using the 2004 ALCS as inspiration. This "why not us" idea is just ridiculous in this case because they are the team that gagged away that ALCS. (Oh, what's that, you say, you forget what happened? Well, let's go back and review.... Well, the Yankees had a 3-0 series lead against their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, and had their closer, Mariano Rivera, on the mound with a lead in game 4. Dave Roberts stole 2nd off Rivera and scored the tying run on a Bill Mueller single. Later in the 12th, David Ortiz hit a game-winning 2-run homer. The next night, Rivera AGAIN blew a lead, and after tying the game at 4 in the 8th, the Sox won on another game-winning hit by Ortiz. In Game 6, Curt Schilling, bloody sock and all, came up with a legendary performance to even the series at 3. The comeback was made complete in game 7 as the Sox knocked the Yankees around 10-3 and the greatest collapse in the history of baseball was complete.) Nor, if the Yankees do come all the way back and win, and it's a very real possibility that they will, is it as historic as the epic choke of 2004. I mean, as a good and loyal Mets fan, I am not going to cite 2007, when the Mets blew a 7.5 game with 17 to play, if my team is far back in the standings; I'll be smart and point to the New York baseball Giants coming back in 1951 against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Speaking of the National League, the Phillies are also trying to come back from 3-1 down. They got, what should be, the hardest game out of the way when they beat Tim Lincecum in game 5. Game 6 would seem to favor Philadelphia as Roy Oswalt will take on Jonathan Sanchez; Oswalt beat Sanchez 6-1 in game 2. If the Phils, whose bats have been cold most of the series, do force a game 7, it will be Cole Hamels for Philadephia against San Francisco's Matt Cain; Cain beat Hamels 3-0 in game 3. Because of the depth of starting pitching that the Phils have, I think they've got the better chance of completing the comeback and getting back to the World Series, but if Cody Ross keeps hitting like he has been for San Francisco, then it doesn't matter and the Giants will be in the Series. I'll pick the Phillies in 7.