Oct 7, 2011
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ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rangers' ultimate goal is to return to the World Series and this time win it. The American League West champions have just removed another obstacle by taking down the Rays in the AL Division Series on their home turf.
Adrián Beltré, 1-for-11 in the first three games, hit a playoff-record-tying three home runs as the Rangers advanced to the AL Championship Series with a 4-3 victory over the Rays in Game 4 on Tuesday at Tropicana Field. Neftalí Feliz earned his third save in three games to preserve the victory for Matt Harrison and touched off another raucous ginger ale and champagne celebration in the visiting clubhouse.
"This never gets old," designated hitter Michael Young said with champagne flowing down his face. "It gets better every time and every time we do it, it seems like somebody else steps up, and today it was Adrián. He had a monster game. Three home runs in Spring Training is a great day, much less Game 4 of a playoff series."
Ian Kinsler also hit a home run on the second pitch of the game from Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. They led the rest of the way and are returning to the ALCS for the second straight year.
"It's unbelievable," Kinsler said. "We've fought all year. To get back to the ALCS, get a chance to defend our title and go back to the World Series, that's what we wanted all year."
"This is great," Beltré said. "This is the reason I wanted to sign with this team, to put a ring on my finger. We're looking pretty good, but we still have a long way to go."
Derek Holland, who started Game 2, took over in the sixth and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Mike Adams, coming back from a terrible outing in Game 3, then retired the final two hitters in the seventh. Alexi Ogando retired the side in order in the eighth before Neftalí Feliz worked the ninth.
He had a 4-2 lead going into the inning and gave up a run on a walk to Sean Rodriguez, defensive indifference and a single by Casey Kotchman. But he got Matt Joyce to foul out to Beltré and Desmond Jennings on a grounder to Kinsler, who flipped to shortstop Elvis Andrus for the force to end the game.
"Today, everybody [in the bullpen], all hands were on deck," Washington said. "We had the lead so we have to put the game away. We put the best we had out there today and we survived it."
Beltré is the sixth player to hit three home runs in a postseason game and the first since Adam Kennedy did so for the Angels in Game 5 of the 2002 ALCS. Babe Ruth did it twice in the World Series in 1926 and 1928 while Reggie Jackson, George Brett and Bob Robertson each did it once. Beltré is the first to do it in a Division Series game.
"He carried us on his back today," Andrus said. "He won the game today for us."
Beltré, who hit a Major League-high 12 home runs in September, hit two off Hellickson and one off reliever Matt Moore, the Rays' Game 1 starter who was also used out of the bullpen.
DETROIT -- The American League Division Series is going to be decided in New York. A.J. Burnett and the Yankees staved off elimination with a 10-1 victory over the Tigers in Game 4 on Tuesday at Comerica Park.
Originally slated to be in New York's bullpen during this series, Burnett rose to the occasion, delivering 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to prolong the Yankees' season for at least another two days.
Two terrific catches by center fielder Curtis Granderson aided the effort, as the former Tigers star patrolled his old stomping grounds with aplomb.
"It's big," Burnett said. "But like I said, we don't win tonight without defense. The double plays, the plays [Álex Rodríguez] made, both of Curtis' plays. [And] we swung the bat and as well as we made pitches tonight. I think our defense was huge."
Granderson backtracked and made a leaping grab of a Don Kelly line drive to leave the bases loaded in the first inning, then made a sensational diving grab of Jhonny Peralta's drive toward left-center with a runner on to end the sixth.
"Don Kelly put a great swing on the ball and hit it really hard," Granderson said. "Talking to Andruw Jones, probably one of the greatest center fielders, he said that's one of the toughest balls, too, because you don't know if it'll fall in front of you or take off, like it did. Somehow, I was able to stay in the right spot and make a play on it."
The more spectacular of Granderson's two catches was his second.
"That was an interesting one because I was a little bit out of position," Granderson said. "I was playing the odds on where I thought he was going to hit it. [Left fielder Brett] Gardner was out of position as well. The ball hung up a little bit longer than we thought it was going to, and I was able to go ahead and extend long enough to catch it. It knocked the wind out of me, which is why I stayed down so long."
Before a six-run eighth inning blew the game open, New York pounced on right-hander Rick Porcello for four runs in six frames, sticking a two-run lead into Burnett's back pocket in the third inning.
Jeter connected for a two-run double over Austin Jackson's head in center field, driving in Jorge Posada and Russell Martin, with Martin scoring around a tag from catcher Alex Avila on a nifty slide.
The Yankees will welcome the Tigers to Yankee Stadium for the decisive Game 5 on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. Detroit plans to start right-hander Doug Fister, with the Yankees handing the ball to right-hander Ivan Nova.
Girardi said after Tuesday's win that ace CC Sabathia, who started Monday's Game 3 loss, could have a hand in Game 5.
2011 ALDS Game 4 vs Rangers