Nelson Cruz Busts out Trusty Boomstick, Mike Napoli Aids in Rangers Game 4 Win

The Texas Rangers are one win away from their second consecutive World Series appearance.

Nelson Cruz, whose grand slam in the 11th inning won Game 2 for his Texas Rangers, was the star of Game 4 once again Wednesday night in his team's 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers to give them a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

With the ballgame all tied up in the eighth inning, Cruz threw Miguel Cabrera out at the plate with a pretty throw to his partner in crime Mike Napoli, who was luckily not absolutely clobbered by the husky Cabrera. As if that wasn't badass enough, the outfielder followed up the leather-flashing, arm cannon action with a three-run shot (his fourth homer of the ALCS) in the 11th off Jose Valverde, who just so happened to be right in the middle of imploding, immediately after Napoli blooped a go-ahead single.

Yankees Force ALDS Game 5 with 10-1 Punishment of Tigers

The Detroit Tigers put Rick Porcello on the hill for Game 4 in the hopes that he would get the job done and send the New York Yankees packing for the offseason.

Instead, the Yanks took advantage of a couple of the 22-year-old pitcher's mistakes before busting the game wide open off the relief corps for a 10-1 victory to force Game 5 of their American League Division Series.

Derek Jeter drilled a 1-0 slider for a two-run double in the third inning before Curtis Granderson, who made a spectacular catch with the bags juiced in the first, crushed one for an RBI double in the fifth to give New York an early lead. Then they kicked the door in with a six-run eighth inning off relievers Al Albuquerque and Daniel Schlereth.

While Yankees starter A.J. Burnett sucked pretty much all season, he did what he had to do against the Tigers, who wasted opportunities with runners in scoring position the entire game. They failed to get a hit with men on four separate times, in fact.

The two teams will meet again Thursday in the Bronx for the deciding contest at 8:07pm ET on TBS. This marks the first postseason series for Detroit that will go the maximum number of games since 1972 when the Tigers lost at home to the Oakland Athletics in Game 5 of the ALCS.

[The Detroit News]

CC Sabathia Struggles in Game 3 Loss to Tigers, Yankees on Brink of Elimination

CC Sabathia was all over the place Monday night in his New York Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers, who now hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series.

The chubby left-hander, who could barely lob the ball to Russell Martin on an intentional walk, matched a postseason-worst with six walks. He literally could not find the strike zone... and he feels pretty bad about it:

"I put us in a bad spot... the next time I get the ball, I'll try to go out and try to help us win."

Too bad he might not get the chance until next season.

But it wasn't all CC's fault. Rafael Soriano, the $161 million man who was tagged with the loss, surrendered the go-ahead home run to Delmon Young in the seventh inning. Two innings later, Jose Valverde had Tigers fans sweating for the second straight game with the Yankees rallying in the ninth, but Derek Jeter failed miserably, striking out with two runners on for the final out.

Justin Verlander was pretty solid for Detroit, giving up four runs on six hits with three walks, but fanning a career postseason-best 11 batters. Hitting an incredible 101-mph on the gun into the eighth inning, the right-hander gained run support through second baseman Ramon Santiago, who went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Meanwhile, Jhonny Peralta nailed an RBI double to tie it up in the sixth just before Sabathia's exit.

Now on the brink of elimination Tuesday night, the Yankees will look to A.J. Burnett, who sucked quite a bit this season, to shift the series back to New York and force a Game 5. Rick Porcello, a career 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA against the Bronx Bombers, will pitch Game 4 for Detroit at 8:30pm ET on TBS.

[Detroit Free Press]

Rick Porcello Is a Badass

Take that, beardface. Nobody charges the hill when Rick Porcello is on it, apparently.

Curtsy to The World of Isaac for the goodness, while it lasts!

Update: Porcello and Youkilis were each suspended for five games after the fracas.