major league baseball notebook

Record: Only two teams have won more than four consecutive LDS road games. The Atlanta Braves won eight straight from 1995-99. The Yankees won five in a row from 2003-05.

Homers: Texas’ Colby Lewis allowed an AL-leading 38 home runs during the regular season. The Rays have outhomered the Rangers 7-2 in the first three games of the series.

Struggle: Josh Hamilton and Michael Young combined to go 0 for 6 against Price and are 5 for 45 against the Rays pitcher in their careers.

First-pitch: The family of pro football Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Rays-Rangers game. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end died on Sept. 4.

Injured: All-Star LF Matt Holliday again wasn’t in the starting lineup for St. Louis because of a hand injury. The Cardinals were 20-18 without him in the regular season.

So far: Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia is 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA in six games, four starts, vs. the Phillies. The lefty has held Philadelphia to a .178 batting average. Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels is 2-3 with a 3.27 ERA in nine career starts vs. St. Louis. .

Streak: Sunday’s game was the 219th straight sellout in Philadelphia, including postseason play.

Tight zone: The Cardinals and Phillies had their opinions on Jerry Meals’ strike zone in Game 2, and the consensus was anger. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa waited for Meals on the mound in the second inning. Then he made his opinion clear during a mid-game TV interview. Manuel said his players were talking about it in the dugout. Ryan Madson, upset about a call in the ninth inning, yelled at Meals. “I don’t know what goes through people’s minds,” crew chief Jerry Layne said. “It’s basically a game, and it’s at high levels, and there’s a lot of professionals on the field. Everybody tries to do their best.” Cliff Lee walked two batters, and catcher Carlos Ruiz admitted that the inconsistent zone affected how he set up pitches, but Lee brushed it off. “It is what it is. Whatever,” he said. “It seemed like both sides were not really happy with the strike zone. Whatever. That’s an excuse to me. I’m not going to blame anything on that.”

Associated Press