MLB Tournament of Champions: ALDS Series 1

The postseason rolls on in the MLB Tournament of Champions!

I'm making sure to devote one post to every individual series to make sure that they all get the attention they deserve. Today, we're looking at the American League. I'm also starting things off with our series that doesn't involve the Wild Card, because I do want to give the winners of those series an opportunity to rest a little bit.

In this series, on one side we have the 2011 Texas Rangers. A team that came one strike away from winning the 2011 World Series before Cardinal Devil Magic took over, the Rangers spent a little time in first place in the AL West early in the tournament, then suffered a sweep at the hands of the 2001 Mariners to fall into third place. But they hung around and retook the lead in mid to late June and, other than briefly dropping out after a bye, hung on to win the West with one of the better records in the league.

They take on the 2004 Boston Red Sox, a cursebreaking team that started the tournament a little slow, but by mid-May was in first place and for a while, contending for the top spot in the American League. While the Red Sox couldn't keep that pace, they played more than well enough to take the AL East crown by the second to last weekend of the tournament. Their sweep at the hands of the 2005 White Sox hurt their chances, but the Rangers got swept on the final weekend as well, which allows Boston to take home field advantage into this round.

That home field advantage will be in a 2-2-1 format, and I'm glad their records were separated by a game, because these two teams split their regular season series, with the road teams taking four of the six matchups. That might present an advantage to the Rangers, but we'll have to see. I will also be keeping track of stats for this and every round of the postseason, and you can view those here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's head down to the field.

Sunday, July 23rd

Game 1
'11 TEX 7, @ '04 BOS 5
W: Wilson (1-0) | L: Leskanic (0-1) | SV: Feliz (1)

Texas drew first blood in the top of the second, as Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz launched back to back jacks to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. They added another run in the third on a Beltre sac fly, but then Boston's bats came alive. Orlando Cabrera hit a two run shot to cut the deficit to one, and four batters later David Ortiz hit a two run homer of his own to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. They'd add some insurance in the 4th on a Cabrera RBI double that made it 5-3. The starters settled in from here, until the top of the eighth when Curtis Leskanic took over for Curt Schilling. Leskanic walked the first batter he faced, then allowed back to back singles to load the bases. He was pulled for Mike Timlin, who promptly gave up a three run double to Michael Young to put the Rangers back on top. Boston nearly tied the game in the bottom half off of reliever Darren Oliver when he plunked Manny Ramirez, Manny stole second, then took third on a throwing error by Mike Napoli. But Oliver struck out the next two batters and induced a groundout to get out of the jam. Beltre would add an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth, and other than some two out trouble, Neftali Feliz was able to lock down the ninth to earn the save and give Texas the Game 1 win.

Rangers starter C.J. Wilson allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings, but only walked one batter while striking out 10. Beltre had a strong performance, going 3-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Cruz also went 3-4 with a solo home run and scored twice, while Young had the game's big hit with a double and three RBIs. Schilling struck out seven in seven innings despite allowing three runs on seven hits while walking a pair. Orlando Cabrera went 3-4 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBIs, and David Ortiz also had that two run home run.

Monday, July 24th

Game 2
'11 TEX 13, @ '04 BOS 7
W: Lewis (1-0) | L: Martinez (0-1)

The sluggers were out in force at Fenway early in Game 2, as Josh Hamilton kick started things with a two out solo home run in the top of the first. Colby Lewis couldn't hold the lead in the bottom half as Johnny Damon led off with a homer of his own, and Manny Ramirez launched one two batters later to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. Then the wheels fell off for Boston in the top of the third. Orlando Cabrera mishandled a grounder to start the inning, and Ian Kinsler hit a two run single to give Texas the lead again. Pedro Martinez alternated walks with strikeouts, and the Rangers' bats came to life Nelson Cruz cleared the bases with a three-run triple, came around on Michael Young's single, who would score on a single by Craig Gentry; all told, the Rangers put up seven runs, only one of which was earned in the frame. Adrian Beltre hit a sac fly in the fourth, which Jason Varitek answered in the bottom half with a solo homer, which Hamilton answered in the top of the fifth with an RBI single, though the Rangers would leave the bases loaded in the frame. Boston responded with a four spot in the bottom of the fifth with a Varitek RBI single, and after a Beltre error, Bill Mueller crushed a three run blast to make it 10-7 Rangers. Texas would add some insurance in the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings to put the game away and take a 2-0 series lead back home.

Colby Lewis got the win for Texas, but allowed four home runs and seven runs total, four earned, in six innings while giving up ten hits and a walk, and striking out four. Josh Hamilton went 3-6 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs, Nelson Cruz went 3-5 with two runs and four RBI's while finishing a double shy of the cycle. Mitch Moreland also had three hits for the Rangers. Jason Varitek led the Red Sox attack with a 3-4 day with a solo home run, two runs scored, and two knocked in, Bill Mueller had the three run homer, and Manny Ramirez doubled and homered. Pedro Martinez allowed 10 runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings, but only four of those runs were earned, and he walked two while striking out six before being pulled.

Wednesday, July 26th

Game 3
'04 BOS 6, @ '11 TEX 5
W: Timlin (1-0) | L: Lowe (0-1) | SV: Foulke (1)

The Rangers picked up where they left off offensively in the bottom of the first back home. Ian Kinsler was hit by a pitch, stole second, then scored on a single by Elvis Andrus. Andrus would score when Mike Napoli bounced into a double play, and the Rangers were up 2-0 after one. The Red Sox got one back on an RBI single by Doug Mientkiewicz, then after a few quiet innings, put something together in the fifth. Mientkiewicz walked, and after an error and single loaded the bases, he came home Mark Bellhorn drew a bases loaded walk. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz followed with back to back sac flys and Boston took a 4-2 lead. The Rangers roared back in the bottom half as Napoli launched a two run shot to tie the game, and Adrian Beltre followed with a solo blast to make it 5-4 Texas. Each team blew a chance with two runners on in the seventh, but the Red Sox came through in the eighth as Jason Varitek walked and Bill Mueller doubled. Varitek scored on a Napoli passed ball to tie the game, and Mueller came in on a Yoshinori Tateyama wild pitch to give Boston a 6-5 lead. Scott Williamson and Keith Foulke combined to retire the final six Ranger batters and keep the Red Sox alive for another day.

It was a banner day for Boston's bullpen; Curtis Leskanic walked the two men he faced, but he was bailed out as Mike Timlin, Williamson, and Foulke retired 12 in a row to close out the game, striking out three. Jason Varitek scored two runs, and Bellhorn and Ortiz each had two hits and an RBI. Hamilton, Beltre, and Nelson Cruz each had two hits, with Hamilton hitting a double and Beltre homering. Napoli drove in a pair with a long ball. Red Sox manager Terry Francona was also ejected from the game for kicking dirt on an umpire.

Thursday, July 27th

Game 4
@ '11 TEX 10, '04 BOS 4
W: Holland (1-0) | L: Lowe (0-1)

The Red Sox got some base runners in the first two frames of Game 4, but couldn't cash in, which allowed the Rangers to score first for the fourth straight game, this one on an RBI double by Adrian Beltre. They added two more in the third, both with two outs, on a Josh Hamilton Single and Mike Napoli double. They added another in the fifth on a fielder's choice to make it 4-0, then the Red Sox finally broke through. Manny Ramirez led off the sixth with a solo homer, followed by Boston loading the bases with only one out. They only got one more run out the opportunity though on an Orlando Cabrera RBI single. Texas got one back in the bottom half on an RBI double by Mitch Moreland. Texas put the game away with a five run seventh, with Ian Kinsler and Napoli both homering. Cabrera gave the Red Sox a couple more runs with a single in the eighth, but that was as close as Boston would get, as the Rangers pull the upset and move on to the ALCS.

Derek Holland got the win for Texas, throwing six innings of two run ball, allowing seven hits and walking two while striking out seven. Kinsler and Napoli both doubled and homered, scoring two runs apiece with Napoli knocking in three. Nelson Cruz finished his torrid ALDS with a 2-4 day with two runs scored, and Mitch Moreland went 2-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Cabrera paced Boston with a 3-4 day with three runs knocked in, Kevin Millar also added three hits, and David Ortiz went out with a whimper and a platinum sombrero: 0-5 with five strikeouts.

To view the updated bracket, click here.

Congratulations to the 2011 Texas Rangers, who continue their redemption tour into the next round! They will take on either the 1995 Cleveland Indians or the 2001 Seattle Mariners. Barring a sweep, that series as well as the Cubs-Reds series over in the National League will conclude either tomorrow or on Sunday. Check back in the next couple days to see who else will advance in the MLB Tournament of Champions!