Game 1: Milwaukee 4 Arizona 1
The last time the Brewers played in the postseason, current Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia stood on the hill for Milwaukee after a deadline deal brought the lefthander over from Cleveland.
This time out, Yovani Gallardo played the role of the ace as the Brewers stiffled the Diamondback bats and took Game 1 of the NLDS 4-1.
Gallardo struck out nine, allowing four hits and one run over eight innings of work--building upon a regular season that yielded a career high 17 wins for the 25-year old.
It was Gallardo's second stint in the postseason, pitching on the same staff that featured Sabathia in 2008 that was unable to escape the first round of the playoffs.
During the 2008 postseason, Gallardo started one game and appeared in another as a reliever, notching seven scoreless innings of work as all three of the runs he allowed were unearned.
He now has pitched 15 total innings in the playoffs with just one earned run charged to his name, giving Gallardo a career ERA of 0.60 in the postseason.
The middle of the Brewers lineup lived up to their All-Star billing, going a combined 5-for-12 for the game to give 21-game winner Ian Kennedy all he could handle.
The three, four and five spot in the lineup wasn't nearly as productive for Arizona, yielding one hit in eleven combined at-bats between Justin Upton, Miguel Montero and Chris Young.
Ryan Braun was 3-for-4 with two runs scored from the third spot in the lineup for the Brewers, but Prince Fielder delievered the dagger from the cleanup spot with a two-run homerun in the seventh.
Fielder's homerun off of Kennedy runied what was on track to be a quality start for Kennedy, making a one run game a 4-1 Brewers advantage.
The three run lead was plenty for Gallardo and closer John Axford, who collected his first career postseason save by retiring Arizona in order in the ninth inning.
GAME 2: Milwaukee 9 Arizona 4
Needing a win to even the series, Arizon turned to Daniel Hudson in Game 2 who won 16 games in 2010 after never winning more than eight games previously in his career.
The Brewers bats weren't as welcoming as the regular season to Hudson, tagging him for five runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched in his first-ever postseason start--enought to secure a 2-0 series lead with Game 3 and Game 4 being played in Arizona.
After the middle of the Milwaukee order finished with five hits in a Game 1 victory for the Brewers, it was deja vu all over again for Arizona as Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks combined to go 5-for-12 for the second night in a row.
Braun was 3-for-4 yet again after finishing with the same statline in Game 1, launching a homerun in the first inning of Game 2 to give the Brewers an early 2-0 lead.
Milwaukee starting pitcher Zack Greinke wasn't notably sharp, allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings pitched, but the Milwakee bullpen held Arizona scoreless for the last four innings.
Not only did Milwaukee's bullpen hold the Diamondbacks to zero runs--the four relievers summoned by the Brewers didn't allow a single hit, recording six of the final 12 outs via strikeout.
With the Milwaukee offense rolling on all cylinders, it's going to be an uphill battle to say the least for a young Arizona team to win the final three games of the series.
Game 3 Forecast MIL @ ARI: Prediction: Milwaukee 8 Arizona 7
Collmenter was another pleasant surprise for the Diamondbacks rotation this season, but is unproven and has no postseason experience like many of Arizona's other arms.
The Brewers can flat out hit and have a lineup that has very few holes, meaning Collmenter is going to have to be on point to avoid the sweep.
After watching Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson get hit well by the Brewer bats, it's not likely Collmenter is going to have much more luck.
As long as Shaun Marcum can keep the Brewers in the game, he should get ample run support which should be enough to send Arizona packing.
Look for Milwaukee to continue their offensive assault and capture the first and only sweep of the 2011 postseason.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
MLB Postseason Analysis: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers (Series tied 1-1)
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to ride the rollercoaster of momentum that helped them jolt past the Boston Red Sox on the final day of the season-- a whirlwhind that has sent each respective franchise in drastically different directions since the events that took place Thursday.
While the Red Sox have parted ways with manager Terry Francona and are calling for a makeover of the roster after a historic collapse, the Rays fate has brought them to the postseason after trailing Boston by more than eight games in the standings in early September.
ALDS GAME 1 Recap: Tampa Bay 9 Texas 0
Pitted against the defending champion Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the ALDS, Tampa turned to a home grown prospect named Matt Moore, who had just one major league start under his belt entering his inagural postseason.
Manager Joe Maddon must have known the kid was ready as Moore silenced the thunderous Ranger bats over seven innings of two-hit ball, not allowing a run and striking out six en route to a 9-0 Tampa Bay victory.
The Rays were fueled on offense by catcher Kelly Shoppach's career day, providing more than enough run support for the rookie left-hander with a pair of homeruns and five RBIs (3-for-5).
Johnny Damon also added two hits and three RBIs, homering off of Texas starting pitcher C.J. Wilson in the second inning to get Tampa Bay on the scoreboard early.
After Damon's blast in the second put the Rays up 2-0 , it was smooth sailing for Moore who was relieved in the eighth inning after blanking one of the league's best offenses in his postseason debut.
Shoppach tacked on with homeruns in the third and fifth inning, both coming off of Wilson who allowed eight runs (six earned) in five innings pitched.
Moore's impressive debut gives Tampa Bay another arm to use along with David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and Jeff Neimman--making the Rays pitching rotation one of the deepest and most talented in the postseason.
ALDS GAME 2 Recap: Texas 8 Tampa Bay 6
Having lost Game 1 at home to a rookie pitcher making his postseason debut, Texas needed a victory to avoid digging a series defecit that few teams are able to overcome.
The Rangers called on Derek Holland who won 15 games during the regular season in Game 2, matching him against James Shields of the Rays who threw more complete games than any other pitcher in the big leagues in 2011.
Holland responded, helping the Rangers even the series at one game apiece by limiting the Rays to three runs, just one earned, in five innings pitched.
He left the game with a comfortable 7-3 lead, but the Rays would make things interesting with a three-run homerun by Evan Longoria in the seventh off of Texas reliever Koji Uehara.
Longoria's homer trimmed the lead to 7-6 and put momentum in the Rays favor, but the back-end of the Rangers bullpen was able to hold the lead and help secure the 8-6 victory.
Relievers Darren Oliver, Mike Adams and closer Neftali Feliz closed the door on the Rays comeback, each pitching a scoreless innning late in the game to styme further heroics from Tampa Bay.
More importantly, the win evens the series at one game apiece as the Rangers leave the friendly hitting confines of their ballpark in Arlington to play two games under the dome in Tampa Bay.
Game 3 is slated for Monday, as Texas will send last year's postseason star Colby Lewis to the mound to face David Price of the Rays, just a year after Lewis went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA during the 2010 playoffs to help catapult the Rangers to the World Series.
Game 3 Forecast: Prediction--Rays 6 Rangers 4
Colby Lewis found lightning in a bottle during the Rangers postseason run a year ago, but the Rays may bring him back down to earth in 2011 considering how well they are swinging the bats as a team.
Couple their offensive success with a young, deep and talented pitching rotation, and you have a team that is build to make a run in October.
Look for David Price to continue his success at home in Game 3 and for the Rays offense to knock Lewis around a bit on their way to a 2-1 ALDS lead.
While the Red Sox have parted ways with manager Terry Francona and are calling for a makeover of the roster after a historic collapse, the Rays fate has brought them to the postseason after trailing Boston by more than eight games in the standings in early September.
ALDS GAME 1 Recap: Tampa Bay 9 Texas 0
Pitted against the defending champion Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the ALDS, Tampa turned to a home grown prospect named Matt Moore, who had just one major league start under his belt entering his inagural postseason.
Manager Joe Maddon must have known the kid was ready as Moore silenced the thunderous Ranger bats over seven innings of two-hit ball, not allowing a run and striking out six en route to a 9-0 Tampa Bay victory.
The Rays were fueled on offense by catcher Kelly Shoppach's career day, providing more than enough run support for the rookie left-hander with a pair of homeruns and five RBIs (3-for-5).
Johnny Damon also added two hits and three RBIs, homering off of Texas starting pitcher C.J. Wilson in the second inning to get Tampa Bay on the scoreboard early.
After Damon's blast in the second put the Rays up 2-0 , it was smooth sailing for Moore who was relieved in the eighth inning after blanking one of the league's best offenses in his postseason debut.
Shoppach tacked on with homeruns in the third and fifth inning, both coming off of Wilson who allowed eight runs (six earned) in five innings pitched.
Moore's impressive debut gives Tampa Bay another arm to use along with David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and Jeff Neimman--making the Rays pitching rotation one of the deepest and most talented in the postseason.
ALDS GAME 2 Recap: Texas 8 Tampa Bay 6
Having lost Game 1 at home to a rookie pitcher making his postseason debut, Texas needed a victory to avoid digging a series defecit that few teams are able to overcome.
The Rangers called on Derek Holland who won 15 games during the regular season in Game 2, matching him against James Shields of the Rays who threw more complete games than any other pitcher in the big leagues in 2011.
Holland responded, helping the Rangers even the series at one game apiece by limiting the Rays to three runs, just one earned, in five innings pitched.
He left the game with a comfortable 7-3 lead, but the Rays would make things interesting with a three-run homerun by Evan Longoria in the seventh off of Texas reliever Koji Uehara.
Longoria's homer trimmed the lead to 7-6 and put momentum in the Rays favor, but the back-end of the Rangers bullpen was able to hold the lead and help secure the 8-6 victory.
Relievers Darren Oliver, Mike Adams and closer Neftali Feliz closed the door on the Rays comeback, each pitching a scoreless innning late in the game to styme further heroics from Tampa Bay.
More importantly, the win evens the series at one game apiece as the Rangers leave the friendly hitting confines of their ballpark in Arlington to play two games under the dome in Tampa Bay.
Game 3 is slated for Monday, as Texas will send last year's postseason star Colby Lewis to the mound to face David Price of the Rays, just a year after Lewis went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA during the 2010 playoffs to help catapult the Rangers to the World Series.
Game 3 Forecast: Prediction--Rays 6 Rangers 4
Colby Lewis found lightning in a bottle during the Rangers postseason run a year ago, but the Rays may bring him back down to earth in 2011 considering how well they are swinging the bats as a team.
Couple their offensive success with a young, deep and talented pitching rotation, and you have a team that is build to make a run in October.
Look for David Price to continue his success at home in Game 3 and for the Rays offense to knock Lewis around a bit on their way to a 2-1 ALDS lead.
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