The Cream Rises to The Top

Well folks, the cream rises to the top during crunch time and all three of yesterday’s Major League Baseball games proved that, case in point.

Sure, we expect the stars to rise to the occasion. The greats to be great and the stars to shine. Of course sometimes it doesn’t always happen, but all of the series openers gave the baseball fans pretty much exactly what was to be expected, and then some.

Roy Halladay. Can we get any better than the no-hitter (1 walk) performance he gave the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday? I don’t think so. Only one other time in MLB play off history has a pitcher pitched a no-hitter and that was a perfect game pitched by the New York Yankees Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series.

Halladay was magnificent striking out 8 and giving the home town Phils a 1-0 series lead over a Cincinnati Reds club that most certainly overachieved this season. The Reds were a surprise this year and making the playoffs for the first time since 1995 was a huge accomplishment for this once storied franchise. However, they are no match for the defending National League Champions.

It gets no easier for the Reds as they still have to face Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in games 2 & 3. Not a lot of fun for Reds hitters coming up.

Going over to the Texas Rangers Vs. Tampa Rays series, you see why the Rangers went out and got ace Cliff Lee. He was just what the doctor ordered in stymieing the Rays potent offense. With terrific run support provided by Benjie Molina batting out of the 9th spot in the order, Lee turned in a 7 inning, 10 strikeout performance, giving up 5 hits and walking none.

Sure you can’t get much better than what Roy Halladay did yesterday, but credit to Lee who just shut down the Rays in Tampa to take a 1-0 lead in their series.

The New York Yankees. What can I say about the Yanks. Another workman like effort by the ball club. C.C. Sabathia was not lights out in his 6 innings, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits, however his bullpen, yes you heard correctly, the bullpen for the Yankees did the job.

With the likes of Boone Logan, David Robertson, Kerry Wood and finally Mariano Rivera combining or 3 innings of 3 hit ball, the Yankees were able to keep the Minnesota Twins at bay. Rivera sealed the victory by going 1 1/3 innings and inducing Jim Thome to pop out to Alex Rodriguez for the final out and escape game one with a 6-4 victory.

C.C. was definitely not at his best walking in a run and of course giving up a C.C. special to Michael Cuddyer in the 2nd inning. However, a 4 run 6th inning with Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano all playing a part in the action and a Mark Teixeira two-run home run in the 7th, gave the Yankees a 1-0 series lead as Mariano Rivera looked like the Rivera of old to close out the game.

There had been many question marks surrounding this Yankees team especially with the bullpen and Rivera’s effectiveness as he continue to get older, but they all seemed to be answered yesterday with a masterful Yankees victory.

The Sports Rabbi and many other Yankees fans around the world had been very nervous about the state of the Yankees and Rivera. I really believed that Rivera was beginning to falter and we had started to see the chinks in the armor and the end of the most successful reliever in baseball history.

Rivera proved me wrong.

Let’s hope the cream keeps rising o the top and this was just the start to a wonderful and magical post season in Major League Baseball.