We saw a variety of different games on this first day of the 2010 baseball playoffs.
The Rangers routed the Rays in an afternoon tilt with heavy offense and a stellar performance by left-handed ace Cliff Lee. Then Phillies righty Roy Halladay made history in an early evening contest, stealing the show by hurling only the second postseason no-hitter in a decisive Game 1 victory over the Reds.
As for Yankees vs. Twins, the night cap? Well, that had everything.
Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer launched a two-run homer to straightaway center field in the bottom of the second inning and Francisco Liriano kicked off his start with five strong scoreless innings. The Twins looked confident, Target Field was rocking and the home team carried a 3-0 lead into the sixth frame.
But the Yankees, always primed for a rally, kicked in four runs in the top of the sixth on a series of base hits that knocked Liriano from the game and put the Bombers up 4-3.
The resilient Twins managed three walks in the bottom of the sixth inning against a tiring CC Sabathia, including a bases-loaded free pass that tied the game at 4-4. Sabathia reached 112 pitches and wouldn’t return in the seventh. But that’s the last sniff of hope that the fans at Target Field would get.
Enter Mark Teixeira.
The big first baseman, battling a sore thumb for close to a month, launched a towering two-run homer to deep right field in the seventh inning to put the Yankees back on top 6-4. That lead would hold, many thanks to a four-out save by future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, who threw cutter after cutter in the exact same spot and left the Twins’ final batters hopeless for a comeback. By our count, Mo broke three bats.
Welcome to the 2010 edition of baseball’s postseason.
