Rangers Beat Rays 4-3, Advance To ALCS

Tuesday afternoon, before a non-sellout crowd in Tropicana Field, the Rangers had an opportunity to eliminate the Rays in four games. They seized that opportunity, winning 4-3 and becoming the first team to advance to the second round.

An inning later, Hellickson made another mistake. This time - again on his second pitch of the frame - he threw a thigh-high fastball over the inner half to Adrian Beltre, and Beltre crushed it out to left. That doubled the Rangers’ lead, and, of course, it wasn’t the last we’d hear from Beltre on the day.

It was also the first playoff home run of Beltre’s career. He hadn’t been in the playoffs since 2004. The more you know!

Hellickson survived the rest of the inning, erasing a baserunner with a double play, but now it’s 2-0 Texas, and the Rays are up against it.

Kinsler came in with 20 regular season leadoff home runs for his career, with seven of those coming in 2011. Sometimes managers like to have on-base ability or speed in the leadoff spot. Kinsler provides those, and provides power, too. Neat!

Hellickson got out of the inning without sustaining any more damage, but he’s put his Rays behind in what could be their last game of the season.

The first three spots in the order are the same as they were for Game 3 on Monday, but Matt Joyce, who hit cleanup Monday, is being dropped to ninth in the order, perhaps because he’s just 2-for-11 in the series.

Kelly Shoppach, who was inexplicably held out of starting Game 3 despite hitting a pair of home runs in the first two games, is back in the lineup today, hitting sixth, and Sean Rodriguez is back as the starting shortstop, replacing Reid Brignac. Neither Rodriguez nor Brignac has hit much in this series; the Rays probably need to get off to a good start today to tie up the series and extend their season.

Mitch Moreland, who has just one hit in this series (although it is a home run), is dropped to the No. 9 spot in the order. Moreland hit 16 home runs during the regular season, all but one of them off righthanders.

The visiting Rangers haven’t been very kind to their Tampa Bay hosts the last couple of years: Monday’s game was their fifth consecutive ALDS road win, dating back to last year’s series with the Rays. If they make it six on Tuesday, they’ll advance to the ALCS.

“The last four or five starts have been pretty much playoff starts,” Hellickson said. “The games we played at the end of the year were pretty much the exact same (as postseason games).”