The Rangers take a 2 – 0 lead in the ALCS on a walk-off grand slam by Nelson Cruz off the Tigers’ Ryan Perry in the 11th inning, for a 7 – 3 win. Cruz had tied the game earlier with a solo home run in the 7th. All of Detroit’s runs come on a three-run shot by Ryan Raburn in the 3rd.

Ranger left fielder Nelson Cruz hits the first walk-off grand slam in major league playoff history when his 11th inning round-tripper beats Detroit, 7-3, in Game Two of the ALCS. The victory in Arlington gives Texas a 2-0 advantage in the seven-game series.

Milwaukee takes the opening game of the NLCS with a 9 – 6 win over St. Louis. The Brewers trail, 5 – 2, in the 5th when they explode for 6 runs. Ryan Braun, who had homered earlier, drives in two runs, then Prince Fielder and Yuniesky Betancourt homer and the Brew Crew is on its way. Zack Greinke is the winner over Jaime Garcia, although neither pitches particularly well.

2011 – The Texas Rangers take the first game of the 2011 ALCS over the Detroit Tigers with a rain-soaked 3 – 2 win over ace Justin Verlander in Arlington. They score two early runs against the 24-game winner, one on a solo homer by Nelson Cruz in the 4th, before Verlander leaves after a 5th-inning rain delay. Rangers starter C.J. Wilson also has to depart early, but five relievers allow only a hit and a walk in the last 4 1/3 innings; Alexi Ogando is the winner.

Redbird right-hander Chris Carpenter out pitches Roy Halladay, throwing a three-hitter to beat the Phillies 1-0 in the deciding Game 5 of NLDS. The wild-card Cardinals plate the game’s only run in the first frame when Skip Schumaker doubles home Rafael Furcal, who led off the Citizens Bank Park contest with a triple.

The Brewers fight off the resilient Diamondbacks to win the other NLDS, 3 games to 2, with a 10-inning 3 – 2 win. The Brewers take a 2 – 1 lead into the 9th, but for a rare time closer John Axford falters, allowing hits to Gerardo Parra and Sean Burroughs to start the inning, after which Willie Bloomquist sends the game into extra innings with a squeeze bunt. But the Brewers score the winning run in the 10th on a single and a steal by Carlos Gomez, followed by a game-ending hit by Nyjer Morgan off J.J. Putz. The Brewers’ win means that all four of this year’s Division Series winners were outscored by their opponents.

The Cardinals cause a huge upset by shutting out the Phillies, 1 – 0, in Game 5 of the NLDS. Chris Carpenter is the hero, tossing a three-hit complete game on the road and besting Phillies ace Roy Halladay. The Cards score the game’s only run in the 1st inning when Rafael Furcal leads off the game with a triple and Skip Schumaker follows with a double.

Robin Ventura, seen by many as a surprise choice, is hired by general manager Ken Williams as the White Sox’s new manager. The former All-Star infielder, who played ten seasons in Chicago after being selected as the team’s first-round pick in 1988, replaces a vocal and often-controversial Ozzie Guillen, who left the Windy City to be the Marlins’ new skipper.

The White Sox name their former third baseman, Robin Ventura, as their new manager, replacing Ozzie Guillen. Ventura, who has no coaching or managerial experience, retired as a player in 2004. He was most recently a special adviser to the club’s director of player development, Buddy Bell.