ALCS Game 5 Reactions: Hope Still Alive

After Tuesday night’s Game 4 loss to the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees fans were searching for answers. On Thursday morning, after a Game 5 victory, Pinstripe nation can still cling onto hope.

Here are your morning reactions as the Yankees closed within a game of the Rangers, 3-2, in the best-of-seven series, which continues Friday night at 8 p.m. on TBS. (To read the full articles click on the links.)

Newsday.com writer Ken Davidoff says after the Game 5 victory fans can’t question the Yankees character:

“Maybe Joe Girardi deserves credit for holding a quick meeting early Wednesday morning, when the Yankees seemed deader than disco.”

“Perhaps top billing goes to C.C. Sabathia, who bent like a congressman but never cracked, giving his team the starting pitching performance it needed so badly.”

“And let’s not forget the Rangers, who contributed to the game’s key sequence by recreating the ‘Look at how bad these guys are while Roy Hobbs sits on the bench’ montage from ‘The Natural.’”

“Choose your motivation and motivator, but know this: By prevailing, 7-2, over the Rangers in the American League Championship Series Game 5 Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, the defending World Series champions silenced the doubts about their character.”

ESPN baseball guru Buster Olney was asked on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike In The Morning, did the Yankees win in Game 5 change anything in the series?

“The mindset certainly changed. And, so many of the players were talking after the game about how Joe Giardi had a well timed meeting after Game 4. It was a very brief meeting where he said, ‘Hey, you guys are a great team. How many times did we lose three straight games during the regular season? Narrow your focus and just do what you do, be aggressive and win yourself a ball game.’ They looked a lot better and clearly the runs they put up in the second inning, and crazy trip around the bases by Jorge Posada really seemed to lighten the mood in the clubhouse… You can sense this is a team with a lot of veterans with their backs against the wall and they felt really good coming out of that win. It would not surprise me if they pushed this to a Game 7.”

ESPNNewYork.com writer Ian O’Connor spotlights C.C. Sabathia’s 2008-’09 recruitment and his Game 5 performance:

“So there was Sabathia on the mound in Game 5, inspired to pay back his teammates in an extra-large way. In was CC’s turn to deliver the bail-out package, and this time around there would be no excuses, not with Sabathia going on regular rest.”

“He stood tall on the Yankee Stadium mound, all 6 feet, 7 inches and 300 pounds of him. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, and even if Cliff Lee qualifies as his BFF, Sabathia had to be sick and tired of the never-ending conversation about Lee’s otherworldly skill.”

“CC did something about it. He protected the early 5-0 lead the Yankees game him, held the Rangers to two runs over six innings despite surrendering 11 hits and sent the ALCS barreling back to Texas, where the Yanks will have a Game 6 mountain to climb just to take their place in Lee’s rarefied air.”

New York Daily News writer John Harper comments on Robinson Cano’s filthy play in the ALCS:

“If the Yankees are going to come all the way back, it’s going to be up to the bats to set the tone against Colby Lewis in Game 6 and then find a way to scratch out some runs against Cliff Lee…”

“…The big difference is Robinson Cano moving to Teixeira’s No. 3 spot, and Cano responded with a solo home run Wednesday…”

“…In many ways, then, this appears to be Cano’s time, putting together a big postseason on the heels of a season that made him a legitimate MVP candidate.”

NY Daily News sports writer Sean Brennan thinks Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher’s pants had something to do with the Game 5 victory.

“When you are batting .067, you’ll try anything to change your luck.”

“For Nick Swisher Wednesday, the key might have been the alterations to his pants, as he caved in to both Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, who urged him to go with the high-sock look Wednesday…”

“…The Yankees might make it mandatory dress for Swisher for Game 6 Friday night, as he responed with a homer while also walking and scoring another run as the Yankees survived with a 7-2 victory at the Stadium.”

YES announcer Ken Singleton joined ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike In The Morning on Thursday. He was asked about the Yankees Game 6 starting pitcher, Phil Hughes, and if he will bounce back from his Game 2 start in Texas:

“Until he gets to the bullpen and starts to warm up (for Game 6), maybe, he will be thinking about it (his Game 2 start). But he needs to put that behind him. I think that everybody needs to bounce back from a rough game. What happens in baseball is it’s primarily an everyday game. So, he quickly has to put aside the wins and the losses. Particularly the losses. I think Mariano Rivera said it best, particularly with closers, you have to have a very, very short memory. Whether it’s good or bad with things that have happened to you on the field. I think that Phil Hughes, once he starts warming up, it’s a new day and he has to get the job done.”

MLB.com Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch sums it up best:

“The Rangers had been a perfect 5-0 on the road this postseason, but the Yankees put an end to that, scurrying off to the airport with a sense of accomplishment. They still must win out to advance, including toppling Cliff Lee in a potential Game 7, but just getting to the runway was enough for now.”

“‘We had a great attitude,’” Swisher said. “‘Guys came in, everyone was wearing their suits and it wasn’t time for us to end this thing. Especially at home, that’s the last thing we wanted to happen, ending this here.’”

ALCS Game 5: Yankees 7, Rangers 2

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) – CC Sabathia didn’t have his dominant stuff but tossed a quality outing regardless, and Curtis Granderson went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI to help the New York Yankees stay alive in the American League Championship Series with a 7-2, Game 5 victory over the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers put the Yankees on the brink of elimination with three consecutive victories after blowing a 5-0 lead in the series opener, but New York was able to pull within a three games to two deficit despite getting outhit, 13-9, on Wednesday.

Sabathia (2-0) scattered 11 hits and two runs with no walks, striking out seven in a must-win start. The Rangers had runners on base in each of his six innings on the mound, but the Cy Young Award candidate was able to work out of jams, as Texas finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

“We could have gotten a couple of hits to put some crooked numbers on the board,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “But you have to give them credit. They won today, we didn’t give it to them.”

Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano also homered for the Yankees, while Jorge Posada went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI for the defending World Series champions.

C.J. Wilson (1-1) was roughed up for six runs — five earned — on six hits and four walks in five innings for Texas, which is one win away from its first Fall Classic appearance.

Matt Treanor, starting in place of Bengie Molina as Wilson’s personal catcher, homered and added a run-scoring groundout in the loss, the Rangers’ first on the road this postseason.

The series now shifts back to Arlington, where on Friday Phil Hughes will toe the rubber for New York and Colby Lewis for Texas. Lewis earned the win in Game 2 after his teammates touched Hughes for seven runs in four innings.

Before the game New York made a roster move that severely hindered its chances at repeating, as infielder Eduardo Nunez replaced an injured Mark Teixeira. The first baseman suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring trying to beat out a ground ball in Game 4 and will not be available if the Yankees move on to the World Series.

Teixeira’ ALCS production (0-for-14) epitomized the Yankees’ struggles this series as they were outscored 25-5 between Games 2 and 4.

They got out of that rut early thanks a pair of walks and an ugly fielding display by Texas in the second inning. Alex Rodriguez led off with a walk, moved to second on a one-out free pass to Lance Berkman and scored on Posada’s single to left.

Granderson lined a single to right field to bring in Berkman, and Jeff Francoeur’s off-target throw from right got away from third baseman Michael Young. Wilson was backing up on the play, but his toss home went high over Treanor’s head, allowing Posada to score for a 3-0 game.

Swisher and Cano pushed the margin to 5-0 with back-to-back homers to open the third. Swisher cranked an 0-1 fastball into the left-field seats, while Cano sent a slider deep to right-center for his fourth home run of the series.

“I feel good at the plate, but the bottom line is [we] won the game,” Cano said. “If [we] didn’t win, it doesn’t mean anything.”

The Rangers didn’t crack the scoreboard until Treanor deposited a 1-0 Sabathia fastball over the left field wall in the fifth. Sabathia put two more runners on before getting the red-hot Josh Hamilton to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom half, as Swisher walked leading off, Rodriguez one-hopped the wall in left for a ground-rule double and Marcus Thames was given an intentional walk with one out. The hosts got a run across on Berkman’s deep sacrifice fly to center.

Texas filled the bags in the sixth but also managed just one run. Three consecutive singles by David Murphy, who came in for an injured Nelson Cruz (hamstring), Ian Kinsler and Francoeur preceded Treanor’s RBI groundout.

Sabathia ended his outing by winning an eight-pitch battle with Mitch Moreland, freezing the rookie on a backdoor slider.

Elvis Andrus started the away seventh by beating out an infield single off Kerry Wood, whose wild pitch moved the runner to second. Andrus, though, was caught leaning off second, and Wood threw behind him for the pick off.

Wood stayed in for the eighth and set down the Rangers in order for the only time in the game.

Granderson took Alexi Ogando over the right field wall for another insurance run in the eighth, and Mariano Rivera worked around a two-out single in the ninth to extend New York’s season at least one more game.

“We have not played extremely well in this series to say the least. There was determination that we were going to go out and play our game today,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “This club has been through a lot of difficult losses and then bounced back. There’s so much character in that [locker] room.”

The Yankees are 9-3 against left-handed starters in the postseason over the last two years, with all three losses coming against Rangers ace Cliff Lee, whom they will face if the series goes to a Game 7…Berkman took over at first base and went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI…Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits in just four innings in the series opener but did not get a decision. He improved to 7-4 lifetime in 13 postseason starts…The Rangers have homered and doubled in each of their 10 games this postseason, tying the 2006 Tigers’ record for one playoffs…Texas had two steals, upping its total this series to nine…Hamilton was voted as the 2010 Sporting News Major League Baseball Player of the Year on Wednesday…Michael Kirkman tossed two scoreless innings of relief for Texas…Andrus went 3-for-5 and has a hit in each of Texas’ postseason games this year…There was no immediate word on the injury to Cruz, who also has a hit in all 10 of the Rangers’ games thus far…Of the previous 17 times a team has been down three games to one in the ALCS, four have advanced to the World Series.

ALCS Game 5: Yankees 7, Rangers 2

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) – CC Sabathia didn’t have his dominant stuff but tossed a quality outing regardless, and Curtis Granderson went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI to help the New York Yankees stay alive in the American League Championship Series with a 7-2, Game 5 victory over the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers put the Yankees on the brink of elimination with three consecutive victories after blowing a 5-0 lead in the series opener, but New York was able to pull within a three games to two deficit despite getting outhit, 13-9, on Wednesday.

Sabathia (2-0) scattered 11 hits and two runs with no walks, striking out seven in a must-win start. The Rangers had runners on base in each of his six innings on the mound, but the Cy Young Award candidate was able to work out of jams, as Texas finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

“We could have gotten a couple of hits to put some crooked numbers on the board,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “But you have to give them credit. They won today, we didn’t give it to them.”

Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano also homered for the Yankees, while Jorge Posada went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI for the defending World Series champions.

C.J. Wilson (1-1) was roughed up for six runs — five earned — on six hits and four walks in five innings for Texas, which is one win away from its first Fall Classic appearance.

Matt Treanor, starting in place of Bengie Molina as Wilson’s personal catcher, homered and added a run-scoring groundout in the loss, the Rangers’ first on the road this postseason.

The series now shifts back to Arlington, where on Friday Phil Hughes will toe the rubber for New York and Colby Lewis for Texas. Lewis earned the win in Game 2 after his teammates touched Hughes for seven runs in four innings.

Before the game New York made a roster move that severely hindered its chances at repeating, as infielder Eduardo Nunez replaced an injured Mark Teixeira. The first baseman suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring trying to beat out a ground ball in Game 4 and will not be available if the Yankees move on to the World Series.

Teixeira’ ALCS production (0-for-14) epitomized the Yankees’ struggles this series as they were outscored 25-5 between Games 2 and 4.

They got out of that rut early thanks a pair of walks and an ugly fielding display by Texas in the second inning. Alex Rodriguez led off with a walk, moved to second on a one-out free pass to Lance Berkman and scored on Posada’s single to left.

Granderson lined a single to right field to bring in Berkman, and Jeff Francoeur’s off-target throw from right got away from third baseman Michael Young. Wilson was backing up on the play, but his toss home went high over Treanor’s head, allowing Posada to score for a 3-0 game.

Swisher and Cano pushed the margin to 5-0 with back-to-back homers to open the third. Swisher cranked an 0-1 fastball into the left-field seats, while Cano sent a slider deep to right-center for his fourth home run of the series.

“I feel good at the plate, but the bottom line is [we] won the game,” Cano said. “If [we] didn’t win, it doesn’t mean anything.”

The Rangers didn’t crack the scoreboard until Treanor deposited a 1-0 Sabathia fastball over the left field wall in the fifth. Sabathia put two more runners on before getting the red-hot Josh Hamilton to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom half, as Swisher walked leading off, Rodriguez one-hopped the wall in left for a ground-rule double and Marcus Thames was given an intentional walk with one out. The hosts got a run across on Berkman’s deep sacrifice fly to center.

Texas filled the bags in the sixth but also managed just one run. Three consecutive singles by David Murphy, who came in for an injured Nelson Cruz (hamstring), Ian Kinsler and Francoeur preceded Treanor’s RBI groundout.

Sabathia ended his outing by winning an eight-pitch battle with Mitch Moreland, freezing the rookie on a backdoor slider.

Elvis Andrus started the away seventh by beating out an infield single off Kerry Wood, whose wild pitch moved the runner to second. Andrus, though, was caught leaning off second, and Wood threw behind him for the pick off.

Wood stayed in for the eighth and set down the Rangers in order for the only time in the game.

Granderson took Alexi Ogando over the right field wall for another insurance run in the eighth, and Mariano Rivera worked around a two-out single in the ninth to extend New York’s season at least one more game.

“We have not played extremely well in this series to say the least. There was determination that we were going to go out and play our game today,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “This club has been through a lot of difficult losses and then bounced back. There’s so much character in that [locker] room.”

The Yankees are 9-3 against left-handed starters in the postseason over the last two years, with all three losses coming against Rangers ace Cliff Lee, whom they will face if the series goes to a Game 7…Berkman took over at first base and went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI…Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits in just four innings in the series opener but did not get a decision. He improved to 7-4 lifetime in 13 postseason starts…The Rangers have homered and doubled in each of their 10 games this postseason, tying the 2006 Tigers’ record for one playoffs…Texas had two steals, upping its total this series to nine…Hamilton was voted as the 2010 Sporting News Major League Baseball Player of the Year on Wednesday…Michael Kirkman tossed two scoreless innings of relief for Texas…Andrus went 3-for-5 and has a hit in each of Texas’ postseason games this year…There was no immediate word on the injury to Cruz, who also has a hit in all 10 of the Rangers’ games thus far…Of the previous 17 times a team has been down three games to one in the ALCS, four have advanced to the World Series.

ALCS Game 5: Yankees' Mark Teixeira Off Postseason Roster

Mark Teixeira’s injured hamstring has knocked him off the New York Yankees’ postseason roster.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before Game 5 that Teixeira would be replaced on the roster by infielder Eduardo Nunez.

Should the Yankees overcome a 3-1 deficit against the Rangers in the best-of-seven ALCS, Teixeira would not be eligible for the World Series. Teixeira said the injury will need six-to-eight weeks to heal.

ALCS Game 5: Berkman To Play First Base; Cano To Hit Third In Lineup

MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons reported on MLB Live that Lance Berkman will play first base and hit from the right side against lefty C.J. Wilson; and second baseman Robinson Cano will bat third in the Yankees lineup for Game 5 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium.

From the right side against left-handed pitchers, Berkman hit just .177 with one home run and five RBI in 82 at bats during the 2010 regular season.

According to BaseballReference.com, Cano did not hit in the third spot in 2010.

ALCS Game 5: Yankees Try To Save Season Today

(Sports Network) - Winning on the road this postseason has come easy for the Texas Rangers. Another road triumph today will send the Rangers to the World Series for the first time in franchise history, as the pennant-starved club squares off with the New York Yankees again in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series from the Bronx.

Texas won three road games to oust Tampa Bay from the ALDS and has won two in a row at Yankee Stadium, including Tuesday's 10-3 pounding of the hosts, to grab a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series. The two clubs split the first two games in Arlington and the series will shift back to the Lone Star State if New York pulls off a win Wednesday afternoon.

Rangers All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton has turned Yankee Stadium into his own personal launch pad, much like he did a few years ago at the old historic park during a home run derby. Hamilton cracked a pair of homers in last night's win to match an LCS record and became just the second Texas player with a multi-homer game in the playoffs. Juan Gonzalez did it back in 1996 against the Yankees in the ALDS. Hamilton is hitting .333 with four home runs, seven RBI, five walks and three stolen bases in this series.

"I feel like my swing is getting better," said Hamilton, who entered the playoffs a bit rusty due to balky ribs. "I'm starting to barrel more balls up and squaring the ball better. I put a couple good swings on the ball tonight."

Bengie Molina got into the long-ball act with a three-run homer in the sixth inning and Nelson Cruz delivered a two-run shot in the ninth after Hamilton led off the frame with his second blast of the night. Vladimir Guerrero had four hits and a run scored for the AL West-champion Rangers, who have outscored the Yankees by a 25-5 margin after losing Game 1 by a 6-5 score. Tommy Hunter started for the Rangers and did not receive a decision after he allowed three runs and five hits through 3 1/3 innings.

Derek Holland was able to pick up the win with 3 2/3 frames of relief and struck out three batters. Darren Oliver got the save for holding the Yankees scoreless over the final 1 2/3 innings.

"Derek came in and settled things down a little bit until we could get in the flow of the game offensively, and we ended up doing that," said Rangers manager Ron Washington.

Washington will hand the ball to C.J. Wilson today with a chance to clinch an AL pennant for the first time in club history. Wilson beat Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the ALDS and is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two postseason starts. He did not factor in the outcome of Texas' only loss to New York on Friday and was reached for three runs and six hits in seven innings. The Rangers blew a 5-0 lead in that game. The left-hander won 15 games in the regular season and has never beaten the Yankees in his career, going 0-3 in 20 regular season games (three starts) before Friday's no-decision in the playoffs.

The defending World Series-champion Yankees are on the brink of elimination and have to win out in order to keep hope alive for a 28th title. They were able to earn a split in Arlington and the losses continued with an 8-0 setback Monday, when Cliff Lee struck out 13 batters in eight shutout innings.

New York failed to get the bats going again last night, save a solo home run by Robinson Cano in the second inning. Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner had the other RBI for the Yankees, who may have lost slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira for the rest of the postseason due to a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring. Teixeira sustained the injury in the fifth inning.

"I was running down the line trying to keep out of the double play, running as hard as I could, and it just gave," Teixeira said. "I didn't hear a pop, but I definitely felt it. I knew right away it wasn't good."

There certainly hasn't been much pop in the New York lineup. Teixeira went 0- for-14 in the series before being injured, while All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez is 2-for-15 with just two runs batted in during the ALCS. Possible candidates to fill the void at first base are Lance Berkman or Nick Swisher. According to the team's website, infielder Eduardo Nunez will likely fill the vacant spot on the roster.

The Yankees, who swept Minnesota in three games to win the ALDS, were hoping starting pitcher A.J. Burnett could exorcise his latest mound demons by handing him the ball Tuesday. However, the high-priced righty was dealt the loss for allowing five runs and six hits, including Molina's three-run blast in the sixth inning, over six frames. Sergio Mitre surrendered two homers and three runs in an inning of relief.

"We liked the way A.J. was throwing the ball," Yanks skipper Joe Girardi said. "He was throwing the ball good, and we decided to leave him in. We liked the matchup, A.J. against Molina. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."

Girardi will be pulling out all the stops today with ace and AL Cy Young Award candidate CC Sabathia on the mound. A 21-game winner in the regular season, Sabathia beat the Twins in Game 1 of the ALDS back on Oct. 6 and was touched for four runs -- three earned -- in six innings of a 6-4 win. He then took the hill again last Friday against the Rangers and did not factor in the outcome even though he allowed five runs and six hits in just four innings.

Sabathia is 8-3 in 14 starts against the Rangers in the regular season. The left-hander, known for his success on home mounds, will have to keep the ball away from Hamilton, who clubbed a three-run homer off Sabathia in Game 1 of this series. Sabathia is also taking the mound on regular rest.

The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a playoff series was Boston back in 2007 against Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians.

The Rangers have homered in all nine postseason games, longer than any streak they had during the regular season. The Yankees and Rangers split eight games during the regular season.