Texas @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2010 ) NY Yankees 2, Texas 7
The New York Yankees went into Texas and came away with a split in the first two games of the American League Championship Series.
Now, with the best-of-7 series shifting to Yankee Stadium for the next three games starting Monday night, New York would appear to have a decided advantage.
So why do the Texas Rangers like their chances against the reigning World Series champions?
Start with tonight's starter for Texas - veteran left-hander Cliff Lee.
The most dominant pitcher over the past two years in the playoffs, Lee will look to remain perfect in the postseason when he takes the mound against Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte.
Lee has already turned in a pair of dominant performances in the AL Division series, winning Game 1 and the decisive Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 32-year-old Lee allowed just two runs and 11 hits while striking out a division series-record 21 in 16 innings.
The two wins improved his career postseason record to a spectacular 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA. Among those victories were a pair of wins over the Yankees in last year's World Series, when Lee was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
And while pitching in Yankee Stadium can be unsettling for many opposing pitchers, Lee has been unflappable in the Bronx, winning his last five decisions and pitching to a 1.67 ERA.
Lee last faced New York in Texas on Sept. 12 and had his way with the Yankees' lineup, allowing one run on two hits in eight-plus innings.
Shortstop Derek Jeter has had the most success against Lee, batting .417 (15-for-36) with four doubles and six RBIs. Mark Teixeira is 10-for-30 (.333) with a homer and six RBIs. Lee has managed to neutralize Robinson Cano (.214), who is 5-for-9 with two homers in the series.
Fortunately for the Yankees, Pettitte enters tonight’s start with a postseason history that few pitches can rival. The 38-year-old southpaw is baseball’s career leader with 19 playoff victories as opposed to nine losses.
The Yankees are in dire need of a solid effort from one of their starters after ace CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes were battered by the Rangers in Arlington. Only a dramatic five-run, eighth-inning rally in Game 1 has prevented the Yankees from staring at an 0-2 hole in the series.
Pettitte has made only four starts since spending a two-month stint on the disabled list. After a pair of ugly outings to end the regular season against Boston, he stifled the Minnesota Twins on two runs and five hits over seven innings in Game 2 of the ALDS. It was his record 41st postseason appearance.
One player Pettitte can expect to see in the lineup tonight is Jeff Francoeur, who is 5-for-8 with a homer lifetime against him. Vlad Guerrero is batting .346 (9-for-26) against Pettitte.
Following the demoralizing loss in Game 1, the Rangers responded with a 7-2 victory in Saturday’s Game 2 that snapped a 10-game postseason losing streak to the Yankees.
Nelson Cruz had two of the Texas’ seven extra-base hits Saturday and has hit safely in all seven postseason games for the Rangers.