By John Harper
The Daily News
Saturday, October 16th 2010, 4:00 AM
http://www.nydailynews.com
ARLINGTON - This is what separates the Yankees from almost everybody else. They own the late innings, when it counts most, because they get into a bullpen like that of the Rangers and impose their will on nervous relievers who mostly don't have a prayer against the best lineup in baseball.Not only did they lead the majors with 48 comeback victories this season, but remarkably they have now rallied in 10 of their 15 postseason victories these last two seasons.
But even with all that, this was about as extraordinary as it gets.
In a matter of seven consecutive at-bats in the eighth inning, the Yankees turned a sure loss into a 6-5 victory - simply one of the great comebacks of even their storied postseason history.
Furthermore, this was a rally for the ages that might have just turned the entire series around, even if it was only Game 1. After all, the Yankees were dangerously close to the nightmare scenario of needing to win Saturday just to avoid being down 0-2 with Cliff Lee waiting for them on the mound back in New York for Game 3.
Instead the Rangers have to be devastated now, losing a game they were sure was theirs with six outs to go. This is a franchise that still hasn't won a home playoff game - ever - and this group has to be wondering if maybe they don't have the postseason experience to beat a team like the Yankees.
Mostly they have to be wondering what they will do to put a victory away in any game that Lee doesn't win by going the distance. The one bright spot for Texas, and lone question for the Yankees, was CC Sabathia's four-inning effort.
Rangers manager Ron Washington used four relievers in that decisive eighth inning, mixing and matching in part because Darren Oliver walked the only two batters he faced, in part because closer Neftali Feliz is the only reliever who is more than a situational type.
Still, none of that takes away from the grit the Yankees showed in getting off the deck in a game that felt as if it was over the way C.J. Wilson was pitching.
As such this was a night when you could feel the exhilaration in the Yankee clubhouse afterward, as players and coaches bounded around, trying to find the right words to match what they were feeling.
"There's just so much excitement," said Brett Gardner, who started the big rally with an infield single. "In the dugout there was a lot of screaming and yelling. We've worked hard all year to come back in games, but we knew this one was huge. Just huge."
It was also typical of this Yankee lineup, which can beat teams in so many ways from top to bottom. Indeed, it was Gardner's speed, not the more celebrated Yankee power, that started everything, as he beat Wilson to the bag with a headfirst slide on a ground ball to Jorge Cantu at first base.
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 15: Brett Gardner slides into first safely ahead of the tag of pitcher C.J. Wilson in the eighth inning of Game One of the ALCS at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Eventually Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Marcus Thames all delivered clutch hits to cap off the run of seven straight hitters reaching base without an out, and a Rangers ballpark that had been so full of noise went completely silent.
As a result, 1-0 in this series suddenly feels bigger than that.
Of course, it's possible that could still change in a hurry. The Rangers know they only need a split of these first two games to give themselves a real chance, with Lee pitching Game 3 and the Yankees having to rely on A.J. Burnett in Game 4.
But it's hard to see Colby Lewis shutting down the Yankees the way Wilson did Friday night, particularly after their late-inning lightning knocked off whatever rust a five-day layoff had caused offensively.
Not that the Yankees come out of this completely worry-free. They have to be wondering what is going on with Sabathia. He was knocked around and only his run-saving and inning-ending tag on Nelson Cruz was encouraging.
He was so dazzling on the big stage a year ago, not only delivering as the high-priced ace but making a lie of the notion he couldn't handle postseason pressure, that you just sort of assumed Sabathia would take care of business this October as well.
Instead, after being knocked out early trailing 5-0, he stood at his locker, talking about how the eight days between starts had affected his mechanics, and how awful he felt about letting the team down. Finally he sighed heavily and said, "The guys really bailed me out tonight. That was huge for us."
They may not even know just how huge. You have to think they will, however, and probably sooner than later.
jharper@nydailynews.com
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