2010 American League Division Series
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American League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
(ALDS) were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth "Wild Card" team (the team with the best record among teams not winning their division) played in two series from October 6 to 12. TBS televised all games in the United States. Under MLB's playoff format, no two teams from the same division were matched up in the Division Series, regardless of whether their records would normally indicate such a matchup.
Home field advantage In team sports, the term home advantage – also called home ground, home field, home-field advantage, home court, home-court advantage, defender's advantage or home-ice advantage – describes the benefit that the home team is said to ga ...
went to the team with the better regular-season record with the exception of the wild card team, which defers home field advantage regardless of record. The matchups for the 2010 ALDS were: * (1)
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
(Eastern Division champions, 96–66) vs. (3) Texas Rangers (West Division champions, 90–72): Rangers win series, 3–2. * (2) Minnesota Twins (Central Division champions, 94–68) vs. (4)
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
(Wild Card qualifier, 95–67): Yankees win series, 3–0. This was the second consecutive season and fourth season overall in which the Twins and Yankees met in the ALDS; the Yankees won all their previous series, 3–1 in 2003 and 2004, and 3–0 in 2009. The Rays and Rangers had never met previously in the postseason, with Tampa Bay making only their second postseason appearance in franchise history (after 2008) and Texas making their fourth appearance (and first since 1999). The Rangers' win was the first postseason series victory in franchise history; the series also became the first MLB postseason series in which the visiting team won every game. On the other side, the Yankees extended their postseason dominance over the Twins to four consecutive series wins. The Rangers went on to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS, then lose the 2010 World Series to the National League champion
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
.


Matchups


Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers


Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees


Tampa Bay vs. Texas


Game 1

1:30 p.m. ( EDT) at
Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the team's inaugural sea ...
in
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
Rangers ace Cliff Lee dominated the American League East champions in Game 1. He struck out ten while allowing five hits. During one stretch, he retired 16 of 17 batters before giving up a home run to
Ben Zobrist Benjamin Thomas Zobrist (; born May 26, 1981), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Chi ...
in the seventh. The win also snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak that began in 1996 for the Rangers. Longtime Ranger Michael Young appeared in his first playoff game after playing in 1,508 games in his career. Only
Randy Winn Dwight Randolph Winn (born June 9, 1974) is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily as an outfielder. Winn was a switch hitter, and threw right-handed. He mad ...
has played more games (1,717) without getting a shot in the postseason. Young was 0-for-4. The Rangers got on the board in the second off of Rays ace David Price when
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
hit a leadoff single and scored on
Jeff Francoeur Jeffrey Braden Francoeur (; born January 8, 1984), nicknamed "Frenchy", is an American former professional baseball right fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royal ...
's double. After a strikeout, Francoeur scored on Bengie Molina's single.
Nelson Cruz Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...
and Molina hit home runs in the third and fourth respectively and
Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero Sr. (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler", is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and designated hitter. He played for ...
hit an RBI double in the fifth. In the ninth inning, pitching in a non-save situation, Rangers closer
Neftalí Feliz Neftalí Feliz Antonio (; born May 2, 1988) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh ...
walked the first two batters, but then settled down and induced a lineout from Ben Zobrist before striking out
Reid Brignac Reid Michael Brignac (pronounced Brin-yack) (born January 16, 1986), is an American professional baseball manager and former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, New ...
and Matt Joyce to end the game.


Game 2

2:30 p.m. ( EDT) at
Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the team's inaugural sea ...
in
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
The Rays still had no answers for both the Rangers' starting pitching and their offense.
Matt Treanor Matthew Aaron Treanor (born March 3, 1976) is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. High s ...
was hit by a pitch, and eventually scored on Shields' pickoff error to first base in the third. Ian Kinsler hit a homer in the fourth to make it 2–0. In the top of the fifth inning, with one out and
Julio Borbon Julio is the Spanish equivalent of the month July and may refer to: *Julio (given name) *Julio (surname) *Júlio de Castilhos, a municipality of the western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * ''Julio'' (album), a 1983 compilation albu ...
on base,
Elvis Andrus Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Ente ...
hit a single. Shields was pulled, replaced by
Chad Qualls Chad Michael Qualls (born August 17, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, New Yor ...
. After a controversial
checked swing A checked swing is a type of motion in baseball made by a batter. A checked swing occurs when a batter starts to swing the bat at the ball, but stops the swing in order to allow the ball to pass without hitting it. If the swing was indeed check ...
call, Michael Young hit a three-run home run to extend the lead to 5–0. Rays manager
Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. Maddon began his coaching career in MLB ...
was ejected after arguing that Young's prior swing on the 2–2 pitch should have been called strike three. Ian Kinsler's RBI single later in the same inning made it 6–0 Rangers. The Rays had their best chances in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Ben Zobrist Benjamin Thomas Zobrist (; born May 26, 1981), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Chi ...
walked then advanced to third base on Willy Aybar's double. However,
Kelly Shoppach Kelly Brian Shoppach (pronounced SHOP-ick; born April 29, 1980) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariner ...
and Matt Joyce both struck out, then Jason Bartlett hit a fly ball to center field to end the threat. C. J. Wilson pitched shutout innings for Texas, giving up two hits and striking out seven while walking two.


Game 3

5:00 p.m. ( EDT) at
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Choctaw Stadium, formerly Globe Life Park, is an American multi-purpose stadium in Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. Originally built as a baseball stadium, it was home to the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball and the Te ...
in
Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...
In seeking their first franchise postseason home game win and series sweep, the Rangers sent Colby Lewis to the mound to face the Rays' Matt Garza. The Rays were counting on the 2008 ALCS MVP to come through once again and prevent a sweep. The Rangers struck first in the bottom of the third inning.
Mitch Moreland Mitchell Austin Moreland (born September 6, 1985), nicknamed "2-Bags", is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres ...
hit a lead-off double in the bottom of the third inning, advanced to third on a passed ball by Rays catcher
John Jaso John Edward Jaso (; born September 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Jaso mostly served as a designated hitter and catcher throughout his career, but had to stop catching due to concussion issues. He played in Ma ...
, then scored on
Elvis Andrus Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Ente ...
's RBI ground-out. After being shut down for 16 consecutive innings in this series, the Rays finally came back to life. After walking
Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 through 2017, and the S ...
, Lewis was replaced by reliever
Derek Holland Derek Lane Holland (born October 9, 1986) nicknamed "Dutch Oven", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco ...
. The next hitter Matt Joyce hit a ground ball to Rangers second baseman
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
. Longoria was out at second base, but Joyce was ruled safe at first on a close play. Dan Johnson singled, but Joyce was tagged out at second base after a failed attempt to advance to third. Holland was replaced by
Alexi Ogando Alexi Ogando Acosta (born October 5, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians. He was an MLB All ...
after walking
Carlos Peña Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, C ...
. Orgando gave up an RBI double to
B. J. Upton Melvin Emanuel Upton Jr. (born August 21, 1984), known as B. J. Upton, is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Pad ...
that scored Johnson. The game was tied at 1–1. Another controversial play occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning when Andrus stole second on
Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...
's strikeout. Garza and Maddon argued with the second base umpire
Jeff Kellogg Jeffrey William Kellogg (born August 29, 1961) is a retired Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1991 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019. He wore uniform number 8, formerly worn in the NL by ...
that Andrus' right leg did not stay on base. Ian Kinsler's go-ahead homer in the bottom of the seventh inning took the lead for the Rangers and also knocked Garza out of the game. Rays designated hitter Dan Johnson doubled in the top of the eighth inning, then Peña's RBI single scored pinch-runner
Desmond Jennings Desmond Delane Jennings (born October 30, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays. Early life Jennings was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the secon ...
to tie the game at 2–2. Later, John Jaso hit a two-out RBI single that scored Peña. This was the Rays' first lead in the series.
Carl Crawford Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed "The Perfect Storm", is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He ba ...
led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run. Later, Peña's two-run homer increased Rays' lead to four, which was enough for Rays closer
Rafael Soriano Rafael Soriano (born December 19, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago ...
, despite a home run by
Nelson Cruz Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...
in the bottom of the ninth inning.


Game 4

1:00 p.m. ( EDT) at
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Choctaw Stadium, formerly Globe Life Park, is an American multi-purpose stadium in Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. Originally built as a baseball stadium, it was home to the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball and the Te ...
in
Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...
The Rays scored first in the top of the second inning.
Carlos Peña Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, C ...
hit a triple that bounced over the head of Rangers center fielder
Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...
, then scored on Rangers second baseman
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
's fielding error. Back-to-back doubles by
Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 through 2017, and the S ...
and Peña in the top of the fourth inning brought in another run for the Rays. After two strikeouts,
B. J. Upton Melvin Emanuel Upton Jr. (born August 21, 1984), known as B. J. Upton, is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Pad ...
hit the third double in this inning to score Peña. Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer off Rangers reliever
Derek Holland Derek Lane Holland (born October 9, 1986) nicknamed "Dutch Oven", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco ...
in the fifth inning to increase the Rays' lead to five. The Rangers showed some sign of life when
Nelson Cruz Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...
hit a home run, his third in this series, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Later
Mitch Moreland Mitchell Austin Moreland (born September 6, 1985), nicknamed "2-Bags", is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres ...
's RBI double off
Grant Balfour Grant Robert Balfour (born 30 December 1977) is an Australian former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays, and Oakland Athletics. ...
scored Ian Kinsler to make the score 5–2. After that, the Rays bullpen was excellent. Balfour got out of the inning and pitched a scoreless seventh, before handing it over to setup man
Joaquín Benoit Joaquín Antonio Benoit Peña (born July 26, 1977) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Toronto ...
, a Ranger until this year. He worked a perfect eighth to pick up the
hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (ship), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Ferm ...
. Rays closer
Rafael Soriano Rafael Soriano (born December 19, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago ...
then pitched a perfect ninth for the save. The series was tied at two and the Rangers were unable to notch their first postseason home game win. It marked the first time since 2005 that a Division Series in either league went the full five games.


Game 5

8:00 p.m. ( EDT) at
Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the team's inaugural sea ...
in
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
Game 5 featured a rematch of Game 1's two aces, the Rangers'
Cliff Lee Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for four teams, most notably the Philadelphia Philli ...
versus the Rays' David Price.
Elvis Andrus Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Ente ...
led off the game with a single, later stole second, and scored for the Rangers on
Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...
's RBI ground-out in the top of the first inning. Rays' pitcher David Price was covering first on the play and was unaware of the runner rounding third. The Rays tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning when
Sean Rodriguez Sean John Rodriguez (born April 26, 1985) is an American former professional baseball utility player who is currently a player development instructor for the Philadelphia Phillies. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los ...
scored on
Ben Zobrist Benjamin Thomas Zobrist (; born May 26, 1981), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Chi ...
's RBI single. In the top of the fourth inning,
Nelson Cruz Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...
hit a two-out double that barely missed being a home run in the deepest corner of the field, stole third, then scored on Rays' catcher
Kelly Shoppach Kelly Brian Shoppach (pronounced SHOP-ick; born April 29, 1980) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariner ...
's throwing error. The Rangers got another run in the top of the sixth on a similar play to the one that occurred in the first.
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
grounded the ball to first and the Rays attempted to turn a double play, with Price covering first. Once again, Price seemed to forget about the runner coming from second when he turned to the umpire to see the call.
Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero Sr. (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler", is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and designated hitter. He played for ...
barely beat Price's throw to the plate and the Rangers led, 3–1. All three Texas runs in the game to this point had been scored due to some sort of defensive miscue. Price was relieved by
Grant Balfour Grant Robert Balfour (born 30 December 1977) is an Australian former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays, and Oakland Athletics. ...
in the seventh inning, having gone six innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits, a slightly better line than his first game but not good enough to match Cliff Lee. Lee dominated the Rays through nine innings, allowing one earned run on six hits, with 11 strikeouts. The Rangers got another two runs in the top of the ninth on Kinsler's two-run homer off Rays closer
Rafael Soriano Rafael Soriano (born December 19, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago ...
. Cruz had singled before the homer, one of his three hits. Kinsler also had three hits for Texas. Lee's complete game gem made this series the first MLB postseason series in which the visiting team won every game, and his 21 strikeouts in the two games combined set an ALDS record for most strikeouts in a series. Lee finished the series with a 1.13 ERA in the two games. It was the first playoff series the Texas Rangers had ever won.


Composite line score

2010 ALDS (3–2): Texas Rangers over
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...


Minnesota vs. New York


Game 1

8:30 p.m. ( EDT) at
Target Field Target Field is a baseball stadium in the North Loop, Minneapolis, historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. The stadium hos ...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota Hoping to break their streak of postseason defeats against the Yankees, the Twins struck first in this first postseason game in Target Field. In the bottom of the second inning, Yankee starter CC Sabathia hit the leadoff hitter,
Jim Thome James Howard Thome (; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball corner infielder and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). He played for six different teams during the ...
, then allowed a two-run home run by Michael Cuddyer.
Orlando Hudson Orlando Thill Hudson (born December 12, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball from 2002–2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, ...
scored on
Jorge Posada Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and ...
's passed ball to make it 3–0 in the bottom of the third inning. Francisco Liriano held the Yankees scoreless until the top of the sixth inning. Following
Robinson Canó Robinson José Canó Mercedes (; born October 22, 1982) is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Die ...
's and Jorge Posada's RBI singles,
Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), nicknamed the "Grandyman", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Ange ...
's RBI triple scored both Canó and Posada, made it 4–3 Yankees, and knocked Liriano out of the game. In the bottom of the sixth inning,
Danny Valencia Daniel Paul Valencia (דני ולנסיה; born September 19, 1984) is an American-Israeli professional baseball player who currently plays for the Israeli national baseball team. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota ...
's walk tied the game at 4–4. The Yankees took the lead again in the top of the seventh inning as Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer to right field. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's four-out save (his 40th career postseason save) sealed the Game 1 win.


Game 2

6:00 p.m. ( EDT) at
Target Field Target Field is a baseball stadium in the North Loop, Minneapolis, historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. The stadium hos ...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota In Game 2, 17-game winner Carl Pavano started for the Twins, hoping to even the series. Pavano faced Yankee veteran
Andy Pettitte Andrew Eugene Pettitte (; born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won fiv ...
. Like in Game 1, the Twins struck first in the second inning when
Delmon Young Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Ray ...
scored on a
Danny Valencia Daniel Paul Valencia (דני ולנסיה; born September 19, 1984) is an American-Israeli professional baseball player who currently plays for the Israeli national baseball team. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota ...
sacrifice fly. The Yankees tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, as
Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), nicknamed the "Grandyman", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Ange ...
doubled, advanced to third base on
Mark Teixeira Mark Charles Teixeira ( ; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anahei ...
's single, then scored on
Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
's sacrifice fly. Designated hitter
Lance Berkman William Lance Berkman (born February 10, 1976), nicknamed "Fat Elvis" and "Big Puma", is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman, who is the current head baseball coach of the Houston Christian H ...
homered in the fifth inning to take the lead for the Yankees. However,
Orlando Hudson Orlando Thill Hudson (born December 12, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball from 2002–2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, ...
tied it with a homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh inning, Berkman's RBI double over the head of Twins center fielder
Denard Span Keiunta Denard Span (born February 27, 1984) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mar ...
once again took the lead for the Yankees. Like
Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. Maddon began his coaching career in MLB ...
did earlier in the Rangers–Rays game, Twins manager
Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...
argued about the 1–2 borderline pitch right before Berkman's double and got ejected. Later, Derek Jeter's RBI single scored Berkman and made the score 4–2. Granderson's RBI single scored
Brett Gardner Brett Michael Gardner (born August 24, 1983) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Gardner was a walk-on for the College of Charleston's base ...
in the top of the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning,
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
gave up a leadoff single to
Joe Mauer Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. A six-time All-Star, Mauer is the only c ...
, but got
Delmon Young Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Ray ...
to ground into a double play and then induced a fly ball to left field from Jim Thome for the second consecutive save in the series. This was Andy Pettitte's 19th career and final postseason win and Mariano Rivera's 41st postseason save; both are all-time postseason pitching records. Also, this was the 11th straight postseason loss for the Twins and eighth straight postseason loss against the Yankees.


Game 3

8:30 p.m. ( EDT) at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...
in
the Bronx, New York The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New York ...
The Yankees took an early lead this time in the bottom of the second inning when
Robinson Canó Robinson José Canó Mercedes (; born October 22, 1982) is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Die ...
hit a lead-off triple, later scored on
Jorge Posada Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and ...
's RBI single.
Nick Swisher Nicholas Thompson Swisher (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a switch hitter who threw left-handed, and played for the Oakland Athletics, Chica ...
hit a two-out double in the bottom of the third inning, then scored on
Mark Teixeira Mark Charles Teixeira ( ; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anahei ...
's RBI single to increase their lead to two. Canó singled again in the bottom of the fourth inning. The next batter,
Marcus Thames Marcus Markley Thames ( ; born March 6, 1977) is an American former baseball left fielder, designated hitter, and current coach. He played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball ...
, who had a successful record against left-hander
Brian Duensing Brian Matthew Duensing (born February 22, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs. Amateur career High school Duensing went ...
this year, hit the first pitch he saw into right field. Later,
Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), nicknamed the "Grandyman", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Ange ...
walked, stole second, and advanced to third on
Joe Mauer Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. A six-time All-Star, Mauer is the only c ...
's throwing error.
Brett Gardner Brett Michael Gardner (born August 24, 1983) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Gardner was a walk-on for the College of Charleston's base ...
's RBI sacrifice fly scored Granderson to make the score 5–0. Nick Swisher's homer in the bottom of the seventh inning increased the lead to six. After being shut down by Hughes for seven innings, the Twins finally got on board in the top of the eighth inning.
Danny Valencia Daniel Paul Valencia (דני ולנסיה; born September 19, 1984) is an American-Israeli professional baseball player who currently plays for the Israeli national baseball team. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota ...
hit a lead-off double off Yankees reliever
Kerry Wood Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
. After J. J. Hardy flew out, both
Denard Span Keiunta Denard Span (born February 27, 1984) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mar ...
and
Orlando Hudson Orlando Thill Hudson (born December 12, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball from 2002–2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, ...
singled to score Valencia. Wood was removed from the game after walking Mauer. However, Yankees relievers
Boone Logan Boone Logan (born August 13, 1984) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, and Milwauke ...
and David Robertson induced a popout and a flyout respectively to get out of the one-out bases-loaded jam. Yankees closer
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
pitched a scoreless ninth for the series sweep. This was the first time that the Yankees advanced to the second round of the postseason as the Wild Card (they lost all three in
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, and
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
), and this win marked the ninth time the Yankees advanced to the LCS since 1995, the most in MLB. The Minnesota Twins, with this loss, extended their postseason losing streak to 12 games, with nine of those coming against the Yankees.


Composite line score

2010 ALDS (3–0):
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
over Minnesota Twins


References


External links


TB vs. TEX at Baseball-ReferenceMIN vs. NYY at Baseball-ReferenceTB vs. TEX at ESPNMIN vs. NYY at ESPN
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