Texas v. Tampa Bay, Game 1

Game Over
5-1, Texas
Feliz didn't look good early, surrendering back-to-back walks to begin the inning and then allowing a seething liner to right by Zobrist (who was all over everything all day) that was caught. Then he struck out two and turned out the lights with nice movement on high 90s gas. Carlos Pena struck out three times for Tampa and gave you no confidence that he was going to make contact this month.

With a questionable Shields (over Garza?) set to start Game 2, the Rays seem to Mr.Z to be in trouble.

Bottom 8:
5-1, Texas
Darren O'Day made Upton look very uncomfortable during a three-pitch AB and Oliver got Crawford and Longoria without incident.

Bottom 7:
5-1, Texas
Well, a Zobrist HR dangles the possibility that the Rays could bring the tying run to the plate if Qualls can skate through the 8th.

Bottom 6:
5-0, Texas
Lee's up to 10 Ks. Hard to believe that arguable the two best pitchers in baseball -- Lee and Halladay -- were both sent back to the minor leagues after spending significant time in the show.

Bottom 5:
5-0, Texas
Lee got his 8th K right about when TBS flashed a graphic listing him as tied for second with Bob Gibson for all-time playoff Game 1 ERA at 0.50. The don of Game 1 donuts is El Tiante.

graphic that lee is tied for 2 with bob gibson for gm 1 era, .50, 8 ks now

Top 5:
5-0, Texas
Vlad drilled a 3-0 fastball off the base of the center field wall to score Hamilton, who reached on an error. Most of Texas' hits have been of the tip-your-cap variety, but this one to Vlad was a ham sandwich.

Bottom 4:
4-0, Texas
Lee flipped huge, slow yakkers to K Pena and Baldelli, and let's move right into this Joe Madden riddle: why is Rocco Baldelli -- who had retired earlier this year and hasn't been a productive player for years -- starting this game?

Top 4:
4-0, Texas
Price was looking dominant, with another couple ticks on his fastball, then Molina popped a cheapie over the left-field fence. Looking bad for TB, as Lee is clearly settling in to this one.

Top 3:
3-0, Texas
Nelson Cruz hit a 3-0 fastball on the inside corner that was not badly placed approx. 440 feet to dead center.

Bottom 2:
2-0, Texas
Man, does Cliff Lee look good. Every fastball was either on the black or someplace unhittable but purposeful when he was ahead in the count, which was always. Zobrist hit a leadoff double, then it was K, F-8, K.

Also, batting average is a pretty meaningless stat, but Tampa has two starters hitting under .200 and neither is Sean Rodriguez. Not sure this team has the pop or starting pitching to hang with Texas.

Actually interesting from Buck Martinez: the pitcher who coaxes the highest percentage of first-pitch swings in baseball? Cliff Lee.

Top 2:
2-0, Texas
Francouer absolutely drilled a Price fastball off the center field wall to drive in Kinsler, who had singled, and Molina dropped a single into left to score the much maligned former Met who has hit .370 since joining the Rangers. The bottom of the Texas order changed their strategy against Price there, swinging early in the count. They have five hits already; this is a deep and very difficult lineup to pitch to. Lee with a lead is not good for Tampa.

Bottom 1:
0-0
Lee also stuck mostly to ol #1 and worked out of a bases-loaded jam after singles by Bartlett, Crawford, and Longoria. His cutter has so much lateral break it almost looks like a slider; that pitch looks like it'll be death on righties as it moves into their hands. Carlos Pena looks pretty lost. Hitting with the bases loaded and one out, he kept stepping out and calling time, and sure, this might have constituted a little gamesmanship, but you had the feeling he had no chance. He eventually struck out looking on a laser of a two-seamer from Lee, who has only walked 18 all year. Incredible stat.

Top 1:
0-0
Exciting initial half-inning of the playoffs. Despite two-out singles by Hamilton and Vlad, Price looked great. He threw almost all fastballs, almost all just off the outside corner. But Andrus and Cruz both worked long at-bats and got Price up to 24 pitches. Price seems determined to get through the order once without really showing them that slider.

As an aside, Josh Hamilton's batting stance is that of a left-handed Eric Davis.

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Ah, the playoffs... Ouch, an early setback: Buck martinez is the "analyst" for TBS. Is he actually wearing noseplugs while making these inane observations of what is completely obvious or does it just sound that way?