ShareThisThe Texas Rangers' second trip to the World Series hasn't lacked drama or excitement. Three one-run victories and a pair of extra-inning nail-biters provided plenty of that.
The postseason has also been a bit bizarre, considering what the franchise accomplished during the summer.
Texas became the first American League team since 1977 to have five starters win at least 13 games. C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando earned 73 of the team's franchise-record 96 wins.
So it made sense to believe the Rangers' starting pitching would be behind any deep postseason run. Wrong.
Ogando is now in the bullpen, but the other four starters have been far from stellar, going 3-3 with a 5.62 ERA in 49 playoff innings.
Only one of their 10 starts has been a quality outing -- Lewis' six-inning, one-run performance in Game 3 of the ALDS.
An amazing offensive outburst by Nelson Cruz and company coupled with a lockdown bullpen is how Texas survived Detroit without getting a win from a starter.
Only one other time in the history of the seven-game series has a team advanced without a starter earning a victory -- the 1997 Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. But the Indians starters pitched pretty well in that series against Baltimore.
Both Orel Hershiser and Charles Nagy earned no-decisions despite going at least seven shutout innings, while Chad Ogea lost two quality starts. The rotation recorded a 3.41 ERA in the six-game series.
So the Rangers' starting pitching isn't entering the World Series on a high note. And the Cardinals have plenty of dangerous sluggers.
That being said, Ron Washington has used his bullpen much more effectively and judiciously this postseason.
And just knowing that Tommy Hunter won't take the mound in a pivotal World Series game should make everyone feel a little better.
It was hard to forecast Texas' starters struggling like they have. It was equally unforeseeable for Nelson Cruz to emerge as the ALCS hero.
Cruz hadn't exactly entered the series with the Tigers on a hot streak, going 1-for-15 against Tampa Bay in the AL Divisional Series.
But even before the playoffs started, Cruz had homered once in his last 49 at-bats and had missed a couple weeks in early September with a strained left hamstring.
In fact, it took Cruz only 22 at-bats for his record-setting six homers against the Tigers. The Texas outfielder homered six times in his last 136 at-bats during the regular season.
Who knows what's in store for Wednesday night's opening game of the 2011 World Series?
Based on what we've witnessed these last two weeks, the next few days are bound to be both unpredictable and thrilling.
(Contact Zach Duncan of the Wichita Falls Times Record News at www.times recodnews.com.)
