Rangers, Hamilton Smack Astros

Former MVP says he had a 'weak night'

(NEWSER) - Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton had to step before the cameras today and admit he had a "weak night" this week when we went to a bar and had "three or four" drinks, reports the Dallas Morning News . A pro athlete tipping back a few wouldn't normally be news, but Hamilton has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse—he missed the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons before making a comeback that earned him MVP honors in 2010. More»

Deal is for 10 years, $250 million

(NEWSER) - The Los Angeles Angels made two huge splashes today, snatching up two of the biggest free agents on the market: Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. Pujols has agreed to a 10-year deal worth between $250 and $260 million, a source tells Yahoo! Sports . Depending on the exact number, it may be the second-biggest baseball contract ever—behind Alex Rodriguez's $275 million deal with the Yankees—and according to ESPN, it includes a full no-trade clause. More»

St. Louis beats Texas in Game 7, 6-2

(NEWSER) - It lacked the drama of Game 6 , but Cardinals fans don't care: St. Louis beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7 tonight to win the World Series. The Cardinals went up for good in the third on a solo home run from Allen Craig that made it 3-2. As for Game 6 hero David Freese, he doubled in the bottom of the first to knock in two runs, tie the game, and set an MLB record with 21 postseason RBI. Freese, who grew up in St. Louis, was named Series MVP. Game blog from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is here . More»

Sportswriters breathless after last night's epic World Series game

(NEWSER) - The words “best ever” are being thrown around a lot this morning, after the Cardinals’ epic 10-9 win over the Texans in Game 6 of the World Series. Here’s what the breathless sportswriters out there are saying:

• “The term ‘baseball game’ doesn’t begin to do justice to this remarkable life experience,” writes Jayson Stark of ESPN . No matter how many postseason games you’ve seen, “you would have a very, very, very difficult time making a case that any of them were better than this one.”
• From the ninth inning on, “you couldn’t breathe,” writes Jonah Keri of Grantland . “We'd crossed the plane of reality to some screenwriter's fantasy.” This could only happen in baseball, the game with no clock, the “game where time stands still, and the impossible becomes possible.”

Rangers rout Detroit 15-5 in Game 6 of ALCS

(AP) - After waiting until their 50th season to reach their first World Series, the Texas Rangers are going right back. Nelson Cruz had one more big blast, Michael Young caught the final out long after hitting a pair of doubles in one of the highest-scoring postseason innings ever and the Rangers became the American League's first repeat champion in a decade. The team that lost Cliff Lee in free agency and held onto Young after his offseason trade request finished off the Detroit Tigers with a 15-5 romp last night to win the AL championship series in six games. More»