Here’s the latest edition of Rant and Rise for October 8, 2012:
New York Yankees Take Game 1 From Baltimore Orioles
After splitting the 18 games they played during the regular season, the Yankees came out on top of the Orioles in Game 1 7-2 thanks to a strong performance by C.C. Sabathia and a five-run ninth inning–with Russell Martin kicking things off with a solo home run. From an experience standpoint, New York has the edge in this matchup and this was a big road win for one of the top teams in the American League.
Cincinnati Reds Take Commanding 2-0 Lead Against San Francisco Giants
There’s no better feeling in a playoff series than being up 2-0 after winning the first two games on the road–which is exactly what has happened for the Reds against the Giants.
Thanks to seven scoreless innings by Bronson Arroyo on top of a solid offensive performance, Cincinnati has San Francisco on the verge of elimination after their 9-0 win on Sunday. As long as the Reds can win one of the next three games, they should have no trouble moving on to the next round.
New England Patriots Beat Denver Broncos
All of the talk surrounding Week 5 was the classic matchup between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Once again, Brady got the best of his friend as the Patriots went on to win 31-21 thanks to a solid performance by Stevan Ridley (151 rushing yards). The Broncos may have won the game, but give Manning (31 of 44 for 345 yards and three touchdowns) credit for displaying an impressive performance.
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