The Yankees Are Still the Yankees

Everything was going the Texas Rangers' way in tonight's ALCS Game One. Nolan Ryan threw out the first pitch. The Great Sabathia was, after pitching once in 18 days, merely a mediocre pitcher, as only 51 of his 93 pitches were strikes. And he had managed to wake up Josh Hamilton's bat in the first, throwing a meatball that quickly turned into a three run homer. CJ Wilson was in the middle of his coming out party. Brilliant through 7, allowing only a perfectly acceptable solo shot to Robinson Cano in the top of that frame. Texas had their hands on the first home playoff win of the year.
But the Yankees are the Yankees.
And so Ron Washington behaved reasonably. He pulled Wilson, after 104 pitches, two batters into the top of the 8th. Gardner had outrun Wilson on a scratch grounder. That happens. Jeter promptly whacked a double down the left-field line, 5-2. Hey, the kid was great, but he was finally out of gas. Out came the manager, and Wilson, in favor of the dependable Darren Oliver. Who walked the next two batters, regardless of his spectacular record of control throughout the regular season. So Wash tried O'Day for Arod, and the first pitch almost killed Michael Young as it passed by third, 5-4. That brought Cano up again, and Wash called for the lefty Rapada, going straight by the book. Cano hadn't read the book, but singled to center, 5-5. Righty Holland for Marcus Thames, but he isn't much of a reader, either. Another single, and 6-5, Yankees.
Kerry Wood hadn't been in pinstripes long enough to understand everything about being a Yankee, so he walked Ian Kinsler leading off the 8th. After a couple more balls to Murphy, Dave Eiland came out to remind Wood to look at his uniform. So the former Cub phenom promptly picked off a brain-frozen Kinsler and moved through the rest of his inning, leaving the ninth as easy pickings for The Great Rivera.
So, the Yankees are the Yankees.
And the Rangers will be very fortunate to avoid a sweep after tonight's game.