10. How dominant was Cliff Lee tonight? I sat in the right-field seats of Yankee Stadium in the middle innings and I swear fans were wildly cheering foul balls managed by Nick Swisher. Any contact was cause for applause.
9. And why did I venture out of the comfy, cozy press box? Because Major League Baseball decided to issue about 2,000 credentials with only about 500 seats. Just when I wanted to complain about having a seat only amongst the Yankee fans, I look up and there's Dale Hansen, Mike Doocy and Babe Laufenberg sharing my dismay. But who am I kidding? I woulda paid just be in Yankee Stadium for an 8-0 drubbing of New York in a precious playoff game.
8. As good as we knew Lee was going to be - as good as he was - didn't you have a confident feeling about Game 3 after Josh Hamilton's first-inning, two-run homer? Me too. Lee, who finished with career-high-tying 13 strikeouts while allowing only two singles, is like the ol' wrestler Fritz Von Erich and his Iron Claw. Once he gets his hands on you, it's just a matter of time before you're put to sleep. The Yankees managed three base-runners. T-h-r-e-e.
7. And don't tell me about those rabid, loyal, great Yankees' fans. After the bottom of the 8th these jokers were headed for the exits in a muttering, cussin' rage. "Gotta swing the fuckin' bats!" I heard more than on fan bellow. Dee. Licious.
6. Your Texas Rangers: 5-0 all-time in playoff games wearing blue hats; 1-12 wearing red. In tomorrow's Game 4, I'd say blue is the correct call. But that's just me.
5. God how I wished there was a pitch-clock in baseball. If so, Derek Jeter would be called for delay of game every friggin' time at bat. I know he was trying to slow down the fast-paced rhythm of Lee, but once I timed him. From the time Jeter stepped out of the box, un-did and re-did his batting gloves, dug some dirt with his foot, held up his hand to call time and finally was ready for the next pitch: 16 seconds. Ridiculous.
4. Yankee Stadium was jumpin' for a while with the likes of Jay-Z and Dennis Rodman and Conan O'Brien, but don't knock Rangers Ballpark's small-town Dot Race ever again. During the 6th-inning drag of the infield, the Yankee Stadium grounds stops and dances to "Y-M-C-A." I could not make up something that silly.
3. Serious question: Should Rangers' manager Ron Washington be allowed to wear a red hoodie in the ALCS?
2. The Rangers have had 5-0 leads in all three games. Hate to dampen this party, but just think if their bullpen wouldn't have imploded in the 8th inning of Game 1. That hint of a scent would be a giant strong whiff of the World Series. Other than that 8th inning in Arlington the Rangers have outscored the Yankees, 20-3. Wow.
1. Yankees lose! Thhhhhhhhuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yankees lose!