Al Alburquerque: You Can't Spell Him, Jim Leyland Won't Use Him

In Game 2 of the ALCS, a relief pitcher with a 5.35 ERA during the regular season gave up a grand slam in the 11th inning, while rookie phenom Al Alburquerque never left the bullpen. Why?

Rangers vs. Tigers, ALCS Game 2: Highlights From The Live Blog

In a game that started one day later than scheduled and lasted two innings longer than expected, Nelson Cruz saved the best for last, belting a grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning, winning Game 2 of the ALCS by the score of 7-3, giving the Rangers a 2-0 series lead over the Tigers.

It was Cruz's second home run of the game and third in the series -- and as a reward, his teammates showered him with anything they could get their hands on in the clubhouse:

"It was crazy," Cruz said. "Baby powder, beer, shaving cream, water. They threw me into everything."

While the Tigers and Rangers were playing, Baseball Nation's writers were live blogging the game. Here's the highlights of their in-game analysis:

• Fans in Texas weren't happy with the decision to bump Game 2 from Sunday to Monday afternoon -- especially after the rain never came on Sunday.

• With Magglio Ordonez lost for the duration of the postseason with an ankle injury, Jim Leyland turned to Delmon Young -- even though Young was originally left off the postseason roster with a mild oblique strain. Jeff Sullivan isn't convinced that was the right move:

Let's not make too much of what this guy brings to the table. This season, he posted a .302 OBP. Over the past three seasons, he's posted a .316 OBP, and a 104 OPS+. He is some approximation of an average hitter, and when you include the fact that he's pretty poor in the field, the overall package - at 100 percent - is mediocre.

For two, he's hurt. Which means he isn't going to be Delmon Young at 100 percent. After Young got injured, Jim Leyland told the media that Young might be good for Game 4 or Game 5, maybe. Now he's been rushed back. Which means the Tigers should expect even less than what a healthy Young might provide.

For what it's worth, Young finished the game 0-for-4 while providing mediocre defense. Will he remain in the lineup the rest of the series? Stay tuned!

• Grant Brisbee compared starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Derek Holland ... and featured a disturbing close-up of Holland's pseudo-stache. Click at your own risk. 

• The Rangers got on the board first:

With one out, Elvis Andrus sent a flare into center for a base hit. That wasn't much on its own, but Josh Hamilton followed by sending a high Max Scherzer fastball deep into left-center field. Delmon Young tried to run it down, but Delmon Young is absolutely terrible in the field, so he didn't run it down, and the ball dropped. Andrus came around to score, and Young threw the ball back to the infield very gingerly, clearly protecting his injured oblique.

• The Tigers took a 3-2 lead on a Ryan Raburn home run -- but not before some weirdness one batter earlier:

Holland got to a 1-2 count on Victor Martinez, and then threw a breaking ball down and inside. Martinez acted like the ball hit his pant leg, and trotted to first base. Meanwhile, the ball rolled to the backstop, and Miguel Cabrera took off from second, thinking that it was live. Cabrera got to third and, with Mike Napoli not really pursuing the ball, rounded third and slid into home without a throw.

Problem! The umpires all huddled to try and figure out what had happened, and they concluded that the ball hit Martinez. So they sent Martinez to first, and returned Cabrera to second. Jim Leyland wasn't a fan of this - Jim Leyland is a fan of runs - so he came out to argue, and his argument went on for a while. But in the end, it was fruitless, and the Tigers had no runs and two on.

And then Ryan Raburn made it all irrelevant when he followed with a homer.

• Holland got the quick hook after allowing Raburn's home run, at which point Scott Feldman came into the game and mopped up like a boss. Detroit mustered just one hit with four strikeouts in the 4 1/3 innings Feldman was in the game. 

• Nelson Cruz tied the game -- but not before teasing fans with a long foul ball:

Nelson Cruz led off the bottom of the seventh and lofted a fly ball that was about 13,048 feet high, and 300 feet long. For a brief moment the crowd came to life before realizing it was well foul. It had the right sound, at least.

On the very next pitch, Cruz launched a ball that was about 13,047 feet high, about 400 feet long, and plenty fair. It banged off the fair pole for a homer that tied the game at 3-3.

• In the top of the ninth, Detroit loaded the bases but couldn't score. And in the bottom of the ninth, Texas loaded the bases but couldn't score. Postseason baseball! Drama!

Two innings later, Cruz struck again, ending the game with his grand slam. The two teams pick up the action tomorrow evening in Detroit, having lost their scheduled day off for travel thanks to MLB's faulty weathermen.

InfoGraphic: Rangers Slam Tigers

In the latest InfoGraphic of the Day, Kevin Dame uses Visual Box Scores to recap Monday's dramatic ALCS Game 2 win for the Texas Rangers.

Nelson Cruz's Walkoff Grand Slam Wins ALCS Game 2 For Rangers

Tigers' Mission: Survive Bottom Of 11th Inning

The Tigers just need to survive the 11th inning. Keep the score 3-3 after 11 innings if they possibly can.

Well, they need to do more than that. They need to survive the 11th and eventually score, because if they don't score they probably won't win.

But looking ahead, the bottom of the 11th feels like the most dangerous inning for them.

The Rangers have already used their best relievers: Alexi Ogando, Neftali Feliz and Mike Adams, who have combined for four scoreless innings. (Maybe Adams can pitch in the 12th, or maybe not, but he's thrown 22 pitches and the last few of them were expended against Miguel Cabrera -- hardly a low-stress mark -- who finally drove a fly ball almost to the wall in right-center field.)

The Tigers have used their best relievers, too. But Adams pitched the top of the 11th, while it looks like the bottom of the 11th will be pitched by Ryan Perry, who acquitted himself well in the Division Series but certainly isn't Adams' equal.

If the Tigers can survive the 11th they'll be disadvantaged, because their bullpen's not as deep and their lineup's not as strong and they're playing in enemy territory. But if the 12th inning should dawn, it will at least seem something of a fair fight.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Now The Longest Game Of The Playoffs

Not in terms of time elapsed from start to finish. Remember that the Yankees and Tigers took two days to begin their ALDS. But in terms of innings. See, there had been one extra-innings game already, but that game ended in the bottom of the tenth. In Texas today, we're off to the 11th.

And we're off to the 11th because there was nothing doing in the tenth for either team. The Rangers squandered a God damned golden scoring opportunity in the ninth, and then the next inning, Neftali Feliz and Jose Valverde stayed in and kept their respective opponents quiet.

It wasn't clean. Not totally. Feliz walked the first guy he faced. The next guy bunted him to second. But Feliz retired both Alex Avila and Andy Dirks to escape the jam and preserve the tie.

Then Valverde came out and had a much easier half-inning than his first. Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton went down 1-2-3, and the score stayed where it was.

Mike Adams is now on for the Rangers in relief of Feliz. And Valverde will presumably come out, having thrown 23 pitches, although I guess it's not out of the question that Jim Leyland could try to stretch him even further. His season high for pitches is 35.

Rangers Load Bases In 9th, Fail To Score

Jose Valverde has not a blown a save in 2011.

He also has not, not yet anyway, lost Game 2 of the 2011 American League Championship Series.

Valverde seemed to give it a shot, though.

Taking over in the bottom of the ninth in a 3-3 contest, Valverde's first pitch was whacked for a double by Adrian Beltre, who's been so strong lately.

Perhaps hoping for a double play, Jim Leyland ordered an intentional walk to Mike Napoli. But Leyland's hopes were dashed when Valverde's first pitch to Nelson Cruz veered inside and struck Cruz on the wrist. He went down for a few moments before finally trotting to first base.

Bases loaded. Nobody out.

And somehow Valverde, as he's done so many times this season, wriggled out of it. Granted, this was his all-time biggest wriggle yet.

David Murphy lifted Valverde's first pitch to left field. Ryan Raburn waited, but failed to set himself up for a throw home. If there was already one out, third-base coach Dave Anderson probably would have sent Beltre homeward. But there wasn't, he didn't, so Beltre stayed put.

That brought up Mitch Moreland, who grounded Valverde's 2-2 pitch to first baseman Miguel Cabrera who forced out Beltre with a throw to catcher Alex Avila who threw back to Cabrera who wasn't able to retreat to the base but who was able to swipe the onrushing Moreland with an inning-ending -- and perhaps season-saving -- tag.

Meanwhile, the second-guessers will ask Ron Washington why he didn't send in a pinch-runner -- Craig Gentry would have been the obvious candidate -- to replace Beltre. In retrospect, it seems possible that Beltre would have scored, and likely that Gentry (or Endy Chavez) would have scored.

We'll never know for sure. And now we're on to the 10th inning, still Rangers 3, Tigers 3.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Detroit Can't Score With Bases Loaded In Ninth

Nelson Cruz tied this game up at 3-3 with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the seventh. Alexi Ogando handled the top of the eighth with ease, but then Joaquin Benoit turned in a scoreless inning of his own in the bottom half, albeit a much luckier scoreless inning. Elvis Andrus drew a leadoff walk, and then, with Andrus running, Josh Hamilton lined out into a double play. Baseball and inches and everything.

Off we went to the top of the ninth, and that's where it all got really interesting. Ogando stayed in for three batters, retiring the first two before Ramon Santiago dropped a single in front of David Murphy. Up came Don Kelly, and that caused Ron Washington to go to the bullpen, bringing in Mike Gonzalez and taking Ogando out.

It was an unpopular move, as the crowd booed Washington when he trudged to the mound, and it didn't even work out, as the lefty Gonzalez allowed the lefty Kelly to pull a double into right field on the second pitch.

Yet even with Santiago's speed, and even though the double came with two outs, Santiago held up at third base instead of going for home. That brought Miguel Cabrera, and that brought Neftali Feliz.

Feliz intentionally walked Cabrera - puzzling that he issued an intentional walk to start off - to face the switch-hitting Victor Martinez with the bases loaded. And on a 2-2 pitch, Martinez hit a soft flare to center that Elvis Andrus ran down for the final out. Andrus bobbled the ball and nearly let it come out of his glove, but he secured it safely, so the score stayed 3-3, and the Rangers prepared to bat.

Bottom half. Tie game. Jose Valverde on.

Alexi Ogando Gives Rangers Edge In 3-3 Game

Wouldn't it be nice, a game tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, to have a relief pitcher who's perfectly capable of throwing 100 miles an hour and going three or four innings in a pinch?

That's what Ron Washington has in Alexi Ogando, who started 29 games for the Rangers this season but has now become the Ranger's not-at-all-secret weapon out of the bullpen.

With the Rangers tying Game 2 in the bottom of the seventh on Nelson Cruz's laser beam off the left-field fair pole, suddenly Texas seemed to have the big advantage because of Ogando's ability to throw multiple innings. Where the Rangers have Neftali Feliz, the Tigers have Jose Valverde. Where the Rangers have Mike Adams, the Tigers have Joaquin Benoit. But where the Rangers have Alexi Ogando, the Tigers have ... Brad Penny?

There's just no comparison, as Ogando pitched brilliantly as a reliever in 2010 and effectively as a starter through most of 2011.

It's still tied heading into the bottom of the eighth, but the Rangers now have an advantage in both arms and ups.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Nelson Cruz Ties Game At 3-3 With Monster Homer

With the Rangers down 3-2 in the seventh inning, the Ballpark at Arlington was quiet. It wasn't a we-don't-care quiet, but rather a nervous c'mon-dammit-something-good-happen quiet. Nelson Cruz led off the bottom of the seventh and lofted a fly ball that was about 13,048 feet high, and 300 feet long. For a brief moment the crowd came to life before realizing it was well foul. It had the right sound, at least.

On the very next pitch, Cruz launched a ball that was about 13,047 feet high, about 400 feet long, and plenty fair. It banged off the fair pole for a homer that tied the game at 3-3.

The home run got Max Scherzer out of the game, and while he pitched well enough to win -- hey, taking what the umpire gives you is right there in the O.E.D. definition of pitching well -- he'll head back to the bench thinking about his last pitch more than all of the good that was done before. With two-plus innings left in the game, everything starts over.

If it's a battle of the late-inning relievers, both teams can put out some impressive arms. The Rangers have Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Darren Oliver, and Neftali Feliz, while the Tigers have Joaquin Benoit, Al Alburquerque, and Jose Valverde, who just gyrated and shimmied a little because a nerd 1,700 miles away typed his name. 

Rangers vs. Tigers: Texas Can't Score After Generating Opportunity

This was a 3-2 game in the third inning, and this was a 3-2 game going into the sixth inning, as Scott Feldman had provided solid long relief behind Derek Holland, and Max Scherzer had worked his way into a groove. And this was a 3-2 game going into the bottom of the sixth inning, as Feldman kept on cruising in the top. Feldman allowed a leadoff single - the only hit or walk he's allowed since taking over in the third - and after a sacrifice bunt, he retired the next two batters with little problem.

Off we went to the bottom, where Scherzer looked to stay in his groove, which is somewhat interestingly both a synonym and antonym of "rut". Scherzer was quickly knocked out of his groove. He walked Elvis Andrus to start off, and then Josh Hamilton laced a single into left field.

That put the tying run in scoring position for the Rangers with nobody out and the 4-5-6 spots coming up. Easy, right? Incorrect! Michael Young - who's been in something of a slump - lined out to right field, albeit on a flare that Magglio Ordonez probably wouldn't have caught. Ryan Raburn did catch it, with Andrus advancing to third on the play.

The tying run was then 90 feet away for Adrian Beltre, but Beltre struck out swinging on three pitches, the last being a dynamite low slider. All of a sudden, Scherzer was one out away from escaping unscathed.

And he escaped unscathed when Mike Napoli bounced a grounder to short.

Ta-da! Jam ---> no jam.

Still 3-2 Tigers as we head to the seventh. Scherzer's up to 87 pitches thrown, so he might have another inning in him, so long as he's good.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Scherzer Cruising, Detroit Still Up 3-2

Derek Holland got kayoed early, but Max Scherzer's cruising ... with just a little help from his friend behind the catcher, plate umpire Larry Vanover, who has noticeably given Scherzer a couple of called strikes three that were, according to the evidence we can muster, well outside the strike zone:

As Brandon McCarthy observed on Twitter, Vanover's "strike zone" brings back memories of Livan Hernandez and Eric Gregg.

Granted, if you take those plots as gospel, Vanover missed a couple of strikes that were well within the zone. But it's those (apparently) outside pitches that get all the attention, and Vanover simply has to do better than this. Or else he might ... actually he might nothing. MLB is powerless to do anything at all. Which is a shame, but what are you gonna do? Someday we'll have robots and then we'll have one less thing to write (complain) about.

Anyway, Scherzer's given up almost nothing since the first inning, and after five full frames it's still Tigers 3, Rangers 2.

Scott Feldman Mopping Up Like A Boss

Locking up good, young pitchers to contract extensions before they reach their arbitration years can be an effective way to manage costs. It can also turn out to be kind of a drag if things don't turn out. In 2009, Scott Feldman went 17-9 with a 4.08 ERA (114 ERA+), and the Rangers gave him a three-year contract extension with an option for a fourth year. The total of the deal was $14 million, which would have been a bargain if Feldman kept pitching like he did in 2009.

He didn't, pitching poorly in 2010 before going on the shelf with a knee injury. While he was gone, the Rangers won a pennant and figured out five pitchers they'd rather have in their rotation. He's due $7 million next year, which ties him with Ian Kinsler for the fourth-biggest salary commitment the team has next year. Yikes.

But if he can be a serviceable long man -- which is his role right now with Derek Holland's early exit -- and keep games close, he can still give the Rangers some value. That's something they probably weren't expecting after the way he finished 2010. After Holland left, Feldman retired five straight hitters before Victor Martinez reached on a Mitch Moreland error, and the right-hander retired the two hitters after that.

If the Rangers come back to win this game, why that $7 million will have just paid for itself! Either that or cost the Rangers in the money they could have made from merchandise in Game 6 and/or Game 7 because they won the series so quickly. One of those. Still, for this game at least, Feldman looks like a pitcher who can still help the Rangers. 

Rangers vs. Tigers: Ryan Raburn Slams Homer, Detroit In Front

We just had ourselves one heck of a top of the third. Allow me to explain! It's my job to explain.

The Rangers came into the inning holding a 2-0 lead. It's not that Max Scherzer had been pitching poorly, and that Derek Holland had been pitching well; Max Scherzer had been pitching okay, and Derek Holland had been pitching poorly, but Holland had weaseled himself out of some jams. This works on two levels because Derek Holland's mustache makes him look like a weasel.

There would be no weaseling for Holland in the third. Delmon Young led off and lined out - perhaps foreboding, perhaps not. Miguel Cabrera followed with a double to center field that Josh Hamilton couldn't track down. That brought us to the weird part.

Holland got to a 1-2 count on Victor Martinez, and then threw a breaking ball down and inside. Martinez acted like the ball hit his pant leg, and trotted to first base. Meanwhile, the ball rolled to the backstop, and Miguel Cabrera took off from second, thinking that it was live. Cabrera got to third and, with Mike Napoli not really pursuing the ball, rounded third and slid into home without a throw.

Problem! The umpires all huddled to try and figure out what had happened, and they concluded that the ball hit Martinez. So they sent Martinez to first, and returned Cabrera to second. Jim Leyland wasn't a fan of this - Jim Leyland is a fan of runs - so he came out to argue, and his argument went on for a while. But in the end, it was fruitless, and the Tigers had no runs and two on.

And then Ryan Raburn made it all irrelevant when he followed with a homer. One can wonder whether Holland cooled down during the extended on-field delay, but more likely is that Holland was just not very sharp, and he threw a 1-2 high, inside fastball to Raburn that Raburn turned on and hit out down the left field line. It wasn't impressive, but they don't have to be impressive in Texas.

The Tigers wouldn't score in the inning again, but Holland was yanked with two outs in favor of Scott Feldman. His day ended with 76 pitches - 45 strikes - three runs, four walks, and zero strikeouts. Superb.

3-2 Detroit, bottom three. Max Scherzer has been sitting for a while.

Second Inning's Exciting! (But Nobody Scores.)

Walks will kill you.

Doubles will kill you more.

Derek Holland has issued four walks in the first innings, yet the Tigers haven't scored.

Max Scherzer hasn't walked anyone, but he's given up three ringing doubles and the Rangers are ahead 2-0.

At least the third double didn't hurt Scherzer. Nelson Cruz led off with a drive deep into right-center field, and stopped on second. But he never moved from there, as Scherzer got David Murphy on a pop to short center and struck out Mitch Moreland looking on a pitch that -- I mean, let's be fair about this -- was probably three inches outside.

And Scherzer ended the minor threat by retiring Ian Kinsler on a fly to deep right. He's losing, but at least he's not throwing a ton of pitches, and it still looks look he'll outlast his mound counterpart.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Derek Holland Escapes After Walking Brandon Inge, Austin Jackson

The headline gives you a pretty good headline of how the afternoon has gone for Derek Holland. He's been wild. How wild? Wild enough to walk Brandon Inge and Austin Jackson, who have both hovered around a below-average 8% walk rate for their careers. They both walked, and it wasn't as if they had to think a lot about the pitches they took.

But the headline also mentions an escape, and indeed, for the second straight inning, the Tigers left runners on base. In the second, Holland walked the bases loaded before getting Ramon Santiago to ground out to second to end the inning. While "ground out to second" seem harmless, the final out came on a force play at second that was ridiculously close. Jackson's foot was about a sheet of paper away from second when shortstop Elvis Andrus stepped on second.

So Holland hasn't allowed a run yet, but he has allowed five runners while throwing 49 pitches in two innings. This probably won't be a complete-game shutout for him. He might not make it out of the fifth inning, regardless of how he pitches for the next three innings.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Texas Scores First, In Bottom Of First

The Detroit Tigers put together a run-scoring situation in the top of the first against Derek Holland, but the middle of their order couldn't cash in, as the Tigers came away empty-handed. In the bottom of the first, it didn't take long before the Texas Rangers made them regret it even more than they already did.

With one out, Elvis Andrus sent a flare into center for a base hit. That wasn't much on its own, but Josh Hamilton followed by sending a high Max Scherzer fastball deep into left-center field. Delmon Young tried to run it down, but Delmon Young is absolutely terrible in the field, so he didn't run it down, and the ball dropped. Andrus came around to score, and Young threw the ball back to the infield very gingerly, clearly protecting his injured oblique.

This is a red flag. Young looked bad swinging in the top of the first, and he looked even worse than usual in the field in the bottom. I do not understand why he's playing. Maybe he'll make me look stupid later. Anyway.

Hamilton's double put the Rangers on top 1-0, and two batters later, Adrian Beltre made it 2-0. Scherzer threw Beltre an outside fastball in a 1-1 count, and Beltre went with it, slicing it down the right field line for the second double of the inning.

Mike Napoli subsequently struck out and that was it, but one inning in, the Rangers are in front by a pair, and Delmon Young does not look close to 100 percent. Good news, Michigan!

Rangers vs. Tigers: Derek Holland Escapes First-Inning Jam

Well, that could have gone a lot better for the Detroit Tigers.

After jumping ahead of leadoff man Austin Jackson with two quick strikes, Rangers starter Derek Holland threw four straight balls and walked Jackson.

With No. 2 hitter Ramon Santiago offering a free out because Jim Leyland really really really really really loves scoring the first run of the game, Holland threw two pitches so far outside that Santiago couldn't reach them. Ultimately, he slapped a single into right field, Jackson stopping at second base.

That brought up Delmon Young, who just a couple of days ago supposedly was so sore that he couldn't play at all in this series. Now he's playing, because the Tigers are just that desperate. So far, so not good: Young popped out.

More surprisingly, Holland got Miguel Cabrera on a weak grounder to first base and Victor Martinez on a weaker grounder toward the mound.

So after half an inning the game is still scoreless, but Holland threw 25 pitches and must be breathing hard right now.

ALCS Preview: Derek Holland vs. Max Scherzer

I Don't Know About This Whole Delmon Young Oblique Injury Thing

The Detroit Tigers are playing Delmon Young in the ALCS, even though he suffered an oblique injury in the final game of the ALDS and was initially left off the ALCS roster. This is a risk, and I'm not sure that it's worth it.

Rangers Post No Surprises In ALCS Game 2 Lineup

Rangers manager Ron Washington has posted his Game 2 lineup to face the Tigers’ Max Scherzer:

1. Ian Kinsler – R – 2B
2. Elvis Andrus – R – SS
3. Josh Hamilton – L – CF
4. Michael Young – R – DH
5. Adrian Beltre – R – 3B
6. Mike Napoli – R – C
7. Nelson Cruz – R – RF
8. David Murphy – L – LF
9. Mitch Moreland – L – 1B

There are no surprises here, and there shouldn’t be. This is the same lineup Washington used in Game 1, and the lineup he generally uses against righthanded pitching. The lineup overall didn’t hit that well against Justin Verlander and three Tigers relievers, having just six hits, but it was enough for a Game 1 victory. Nelson Cruz homered on Saturday night. Current Rangers are hitting .246/.310/.347 (29-for-118) against Scherzer in regular-season play, and the only home run has been hit by… Cruz.

So if you’re looking for a storyline today, watch out for Cruz. The Rangers will simply be looking for a win.

ALCS Game 2: Delmon Young Activated, Right Into Tigers' Lineup

Earlier Monday, the Tigers announced that Delmon Young would replace the injured Magglio Ordonez on their ALCS roster.

Young pulled an oblique muscle in the last game of the division series against the Yankees and wasn’t expected to be available for this series at all. Which is why this lineup is a bit of a surprise:

1. Austin Jackson – R – CF
2. Ramon Santiago – S – 2B
3. Delmon Young – R – LF
4. Miguel Cabrera – R – 1B
5. Victor Martinez – S – DH
6. Ryan Raburn – R – RF
7. Jhonny Peralta – R – SS
8. Alex Avila – L – C
9. Brandon Inge – R- 3B

Young’s injury occurred on Thursday night in New York, so he’s had three whole days to get better. Not only is he playing, but playing left field and batting third. Jim Leyland is a smart manager and I can’t imagine him doing this if he didn’t think Young could handle it.

We’ll find out when this lineup faces Derek Holland Monday afternoon.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Texas Fans Livid Over Decision To Postpone Game 2

The rain never came on Sunday night, but the mere threat of a precipitation left the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers on the shelf, with Game 2 delayed until Monday. In the middle of the afternoon, Major League Baseball checked the forecast and decided to put off Game 2 in an effort to avoid a repeat of Saturday's rain-infused debacle. But as the window where the game would've been played arrive, Arlington was dry, and continued to be throughout the evening.

Understandably, Rangers' fans are a bit unhappy about the decision to postpone Game 2 early in the afternoon, before a clear picture of the weather came through. Here's Lonestar Ball on the decision:

So those fans get screwed.  But what else is new?  This is Bud Selig's MLB.  Selig and MLB don't care about the fans.  If they did, we wouldn't have these asinine blackout rules or playoff games starting at noon on a Tuesday.  Selig cares about extorting publicly financed stadiums from municipalities, squeezing every last penny from the media deals (even if it means that fans can't watch their teams play), and doing whatever is necessary to ensure that owners are guaranteed a good investment on their team.  That's what matters...the fans can go Showalter off.

It's not so much that the game was called, but when the game was called. Fans are upset at the decision to pack it up and head home hours before the game started. Perhaps it would've been a logistical nightmare to call it as fans were streaming into the ballpark, but Sunday's game was never given a chance.

And because it was never given a chance, fans with tickets are likely out in the cold -- work on Monday will probably  cause attendance to drop significantly. All in all, everything was a mess. Everything, that is, except the weather.

Rangers vs. Tigers: Rain Never Comes After Game 2 Delayed

There's no denying Game 1 of the ALCS was an absolute mess. Two rain delays disrupted the flow of the game, threw off the pitching rotations and left everyone in limbo as both teams waited for the skies to clear. It wasn't the way to begin a League Championship Series.

Faced with the threat of rain on Sunday around game-time, Bud Selig, along with a host of others, decided it wasn't worth it to risk another messy game. Instead, the decision was made to postpone Game 2, putting it off until Monday, the scheduled travel day. Sensible enough.

Except the forecast was wrong.

But here's the problem this time: As the time of Game 2's scheduled first pitch rolled around, no rain had fallen at the Ballpark in Arlington in the previous three hours, and that once daunting forecast had been reduced to mostly cloudy with a 10% chance of rain.

Not only did rain not fall near the scheduled start: it never fell. It was a dry night at the ballpark, and the rain delay ended up being just a delay.

It's hard to complain about putting the game off after slogging through Saturday's watery mess, but this one looks bad. No rain, no game on Sunday and now more of a matinee set for a Monday on short notice: that sensible decision looks like a big mistake in hindsight.

ALCS: Magglio Ordonez Out For Championship Series, Postseason

That headline would have been a big deal in 2006. Now? Not so much, though it should be noted that with Delmon Young out, the Tigers are running low on outfielders. Magglio Ordonez suffered an ankle injury, and according to Danny Knobler:

Tigers lose Magglio for rest of postseason. Ankle.

Ordonez hasn't had a great year, but with Brennan Boesch and Young both out, there aren't a lot of outfield options now, especially against left-handed pitchers. The injury leaves Andy Dirks, Ryan Rayburn, and Don Kelly as the active outfielders on the roster other than Austin Jackson. Picking two corner outfielders from that group is painful.

The other outfielder on the 40-man roster is Clete Thomas, who stuck on the roster somehow, even though he hasn't been in the majors since 2009, and he's had sub-par performances in AAA over the last two seasons. It seems really, really unlikely that he'll be the player to replace Ordonez on the roster. There's also a possibility that Delmon Young could improve enough to come back, though those oblique tweaks are usually pretty insidious.

ALCS Game 2: Weather Pushes Game To Monday

Last night's Game 1 of the ALCS was delayed twice by rain, and the worst part is that once the game resumed, we had no idea who killed that poor woman on Law & Order. Was it the blue-blood ex-boyfriend? Was it the other ex-boyfriend? WHO WAS IT?

But the game went on despite the multiple delays. Today, the powers-that-be didn't even want to mess with nature.

ALCS Game 2 has postponed. It will be played at 3:19 p.m. Monday.

That's 3:19 CT, which translates to -- carry the one, divide by the remainder -- 1:19 PT and 4:19 ET. Mountain Timers will have to figure it out themselves because I still refuse to acknowledge that the rumored "fourth" time zone exists.

So while it's a drag that the game is postponed, at least it wasn't a messy, muddy nightmare with starting pitchers sitting down for an hour after throwing 40 pitches. Employers in and around the Dallas/Ft.Worth/Arlington metro area should probably expect quite a few cases of the rainout flu, though. The incubation period is usually about ten minutes ago.

Rangers vs. Tigers, ALCS Game 2 Preview: Time, TV Schedule, Pitchers And More

The Rangers will try to take care of their home field Sunday behind the arm of young lefty Derek Holland. The Tigers will try to even up the ALCS for the trip north to Detroit.