The part that luck plays in these games was well illustrated in the 6th inning of the Rangers/Tigers game. With the bases loaded and one out Kinsler hits a shot to 3rd baseman Inge who is close enough to step on the bag and throw to first for an easy inning-ending and tie-maintaining double play. Then, in the bottom half of the inning, just as Adrian Beltre is about to do the same trick, the ball hits the bag and bounces over his head for a double. That was the ballgame for the Tigers as they went on to get a triple and a home run to go up 6-2.
By the way, with the way Justin Verlander has been getting roughed up a bit in the post-season, one might be forgiven for thinking that maybe he has been pitching against a bunch of softies during the regular season, or maybe it's just the rain disrupting his rhythm—no doubt due to climate change.
The above baseball would never be used in these play-off games. I'm always a little surprised at how many balls they go through in a game, throwing them out if they so much as touch the ground. Apparently the umpires have been so embarrassed that the networks have deleted the regular use of the strike zone indicator. More later. I'm having trouble figuring out who to cheer for in the NLCS. I like them both.
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