Audio By Carbonatix
The Texas Rangers lead the ALCS over the New York Yankees, 2-1.
In Monday night’s Game 3 they waltzed into fabled Yankee Stadium and laid an 8-0 whupping on the Bronx Bombers.
The Rangers have dominated the series, out-scoring New York 20-8 with five of the Yankees’ runs coming in that epic bullpen meltdown in the 8th inning of Game 1 in Arlington.
Needing only two wins to reach the World Series, the Rangers still have starts coming by C.J. Wilson and Cliff Lee.
When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
But tonight’s Game 4 starter – Tommy Hunter – is perhaps a little over-confident? I know Rangers’ manager Ron Washington told his players to avoid Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park – mystique leads to mistakes, remember? – but Hunter yesterday insulted the joint and its rabid inhabitants.
“I had Mom screaming at me when I was 12,” Hunter said. “That’s probably more intimidating than people I don’t know.”
The bad news: Hunter couldn’t get to the 5th inning of his only playoff start, a Game 4 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The good news: Tonight he’ll face off against A.J. Burnett.
Burnett, who was left off New York’s ALDS roster, has not pitched since October 2 and did not win any of his last six starts. The Rangers produced four hits, three walks and two runs off him in a September 11 win over New York at Rangers Ballpark. And during the ALDS Burnett pitched a simulated game in an attempt to stay sharp, and plunked consecutive Yankees’ batters.
After Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte locked left arms in a dazzling, dramatic pitcher’s duel in Game 3, something tells me there’ll be more than a combined eight runs scored tonight.
In Tommy We Trust?
