Yesterday's two playoff games couldn't have been more different. The first was a nail biter that went into extra frames and the second was a no-doubter and the only drama was how many extra base hits Albert Pujols was going to compile. Speaking of Albert Pujols, after last night's one-man freak show, Pujols has thirty extra base hits in just 63 post season games. His post season slugging for his career is 1.030. His regular season OPS lifetime? 1.037. Yeah, the guy is pretty good.
@TaoofStieb said last night on Twitter that Nelson Cruz has the easiest tape measure power swing in baseball. He may be right. But it was the bullpen that won that game for the Rangers. If they don't throw up all those zeroes against the Tigers, Cruz wouldn't be the hero he is today because the Tigers' bullpen was just as good until the eleventh inning. Cruz made history with that walk-off grand slam to end the game and deserved the pie face. But Scott Feldman and company deserve one too.
Due to the postponement of the game in Texas the other day, the Rangers and the Tigers get to play another day after flying last night to Detroit with no off days. With the bullpens pitching so many innings yesterday, that could be an issue today. If one of the teams' starters can't go deep, that team will be in trouble. That's why the pick is:
- The Rangers over the Tigers: The Rangers certainly have old momentum going for them, but Doug Fister has a better chance of going deep into the game than Colby Lewis. Then again, Lewis has pitched big in the post season over the last two seasons. In fact, Lewis has never lost a post season game. Plus, Comerica Park will help him in his proclivity to give up homers. The Tigers have dug themselves a deep hole and if they lose again tonight, not even Justin Verlander can save them.
Yesterday: 1-1
Week: 2-1
Month: 14-8
Season: 1377-1073
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