This Day in Baseball History
2010 - Texas Rangers win first playoff series in franchise history
Advancing to the postseason for the fourth time in franchise history and first since 1999, Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee takes the mound in Game 5 of the American League Division Series on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rangers captured the American League West crown in the regular season and send Lee to the hill in an elimination game – hoping to avoid blowing a 2-0 series lead.
Facing Rays ace David Price in Game 1, Lee, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in July, earned the win after allowing one run off five hits in seven innings while striking out 10 batters.
The left-hander is matched up against fellow southpaw Price once again in Game 5 with Lee achieving a similar result. The two-time All-Star tosses a complete game, allowing one run while fanning 11 Tampa Bay hitters, as the Rangers win 5-1 and claim their first playoff series since the team's inception in 1961.
Texas goes on to lose in the World Series in five games to the San Francisco Giants.
Birthdays
1970 - Tanyon Sturtze
1982 - Casey McGehee
1982 - Paul Janish
1983 - Nolan Reimold