BASEBALL

It was Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. The Rangers were hoping to finish this up and head to the World Series, but that’s not exactly the easiest thing against the Yanks.  The Rangers have been crushing it in this series, but in Game 5, the Yankees bats finally came alive.  The Yankees got up 3-0 pretty quick, and then in the 3rd inning Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano both homered to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead.  And there was no looking back from there.   Even in the 8th inning, Curtis Granderson hit another homerun to make it 7-2 (you can never have enough runs against a dangerous Texas team).  With the win, the series heads back to Arilington, TX.  NY Yankees 7, Texas 2.

And in the National League Championship Series, the San Francisco Giants were hoping to stay hot against the mighty Philadelphia Phillies.  This was an up and down game, but the Giants strategy is to keep it close, giving them the best chance in the end to pull an upset.  Well that’s exactly what they did this time around.  First they were up, then they were down, and then, with the game tied at 5 in the ninth, Juan Uribe stepped to the plate and hit a beautiful sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Aubrey Huff to score and give the Giants a win.  Now the Giants are have a commanding lead in the series.  They were definitely the underdog in this match-up, and now they fully believe they can win the World Series.  They’re just one win away from getting there.  But, they’ll have to get past one of the best pitchers in baseball in Game 5 — Roy Halladay.  San Francisco 6, Philadelphia 5.

FOOTBALL

Finally, some interesting news out of the NFL, Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison was fined $75,000 for making a vicious hit on Cleveland Browns receiver Mohammad Massaquoi.  Now, Harrison said he is contemplating retirement.  Why?  Well, James Harrison said that he has learned a certain way to play football ever since he was a little kid.  For the past 20 years, he has played football one way, and if the league is going to fine him for playing that way, then he doesn’t know if he can be an effective player.  Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin excused Harrison from practice yesterday so he could take some time to rest and think it over.  There is uncertainty as to the genuine nature of Harrison’s retirement claim, but right now, the Steelers organization is taking him seriously.