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Rangers-Yankees to open ALCS Friday
ARLINGTON, Texas, -- The second phase of the Major League Baseball playoffs begins Friday with the playing of the first game of the American League Championship Series.
The New York Yankees, who have won 27 World Series titles, and the Texas Rangers, who Tuesday won the first playoff series in their history, will start the best-of-seven showdown in what is forecast to be perfect baseball conditions.
Texas advanced to the ALCS by ousting Tampa Bay, the team that got the best of the Yankees in the battle for the American League East title. The Rangers and Yankees played five times in Arlington this season and Texas won four of those games.
New York will send CC Sabathia to the mound Friday nine days after he last pitched. Sabathia, who posted a 21-7 regular-season record, won the opener of the American League Division Series against Minnesota.
Texas will counter with C.J. Wilson, who also had a win in the second game of the five-game series with Tampa Bay.
The Rangers would have started Cliff Lee if he had been available, but Lee was called on to pitch in the deciding game against the Rays and he came through with a complete-game effort that turned out to be the most significant victory in the history of the franchise.
Lee will not pitch in the ALCS until the third game, which is scheduled for Monday in New York.
Game 2 of the New York-Texas series will be played Saturday, the same day the National League Championship series between San Francisco and Philadelphia will start.
ARLINGTON, Texas, -- The second phase of the Major League Baseball playoffs begins Friday with the playing of the first game of the American League Championship Series.
The New York Yankees, who have won 27 World Series titles, and the Texas Rangers, who Tuesday won the first playoff series in their history, will start the best-of-seven showdown in what is forecast to be perfect baseball conditions.
Texas advanced to the ALCS by ousting Tampa Bay, the team that got the best of the Yankees in the battle for the American League East title. The Rangers and Yankees played five times in Arlington this season and Texas won four of those games.
New York will send CC Sabathia to the mound Friday nine days after he last pitched. Sabathia, who posted a 21-7 regular-season record, won the opener of the American League Division Series against Minnesota.
Texas will counter with C.J. Wilson, who also had a win in the second game of the five-game series with Tampa Bay.
The Rangers would have started Cliff Lee if he had been available, but Lee was called on to pitch in the deciding game against the Rays and he came through with a complete-game effort that turned out to be the most significant victory in the history of the franchise.
Lee will not pitch in the ALCS until the third game, which is scheduled for Monday in New York.
Game 2 of the New York-Texas series will be played Saturday, the same day the National League Championship series between San Francisco and Philadelphia will start.
