The day has finally arrived: Rangers set to play in postseason

Considering that it's past 2:30 a.m. and I'm awake typing this blog, it's a fair bet that I won't get a whole ton of sleep tonight.

No matter.

The day is finally here.

The Texas Rangers will play in their first postseason game in 11 years when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays at 12:37 p.m. Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Luckily, it's an early first pitch and I don't have to work during the game. The early game times (12:37 p.m. Wednesday, 1:07 p.m. for Game 2 on Thursday, 4:07 p.m. for Game 3 on Saturday) are favorable for me watching every pitch.

I've been waiting for this day for nine years. I don't really want it any other way.

Good news on the apparel front: My AL West champions shirt arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday. Plenty of time to wash the red T-shirt and have it ready for Wednesday. Combine that with the grey T-shirt my mom surprised me with when I visited my parents last week, and I'm in position to sport two AL West Champions shirts for the series.

Cliff Lee will start Game 1, C.J. Wilson gets the nod in Game 2, Colby Lewis takes the hill in Game 3, and Tommy Hunter, if necessary, will get the call in Game 4 in the best of 6 series.

The batting lineup should be back to full strength with a healthy Josh Hamilton hitting in his No. 3 spot.

My bet for what the lineup will look like: Andrus, Young, Hamilton, Guerrero, Cruz, Kinsler, Francoeur, Jorge Cantu, Bengie Molina.

There's no question our lineup is considerably better than Tampa Bay's.

The key for the Rangers will be whether the pitching staff can limit free passes. The Rays don't hit for average. They strike out a ton. But they also walk a ton. And when they're on base, they do a great job of driving in runs.

My message to Rangers pitchers: Limit the walks. Make them take hacks and beat us with the bats.

That's why I like Cliff Lee and his 185/18 strikeout/walk ratio taking the hill in Game 1.

Winning the first game would be huge. Any sort of split in Tampa Bay must be considered a victory. Our 39-42 road record is a bit concerning, but really, what does it matter now? For the first time in team history, we have a legitimate ace taking the hill in Game 1 of a playoff series. The fact that we're three games under .500 on the road doesn't really matter.

All four American League teams in the playoffs (Rangers, Rays, Yankees, Twins) are 0-0. It's a new season. And it's an incredible one to finally be a part of.