ARLINGTON, Texas — This American League Championship Series between the Yankees and Rangers has become one of superstars, which isn't always the case in the postseason.
MVP candidates sometimes find themselves out of the spotlight, whether it's because the playoff glare is too bright, because some virtual unknown steps into it or because the other team never lets you hit.
But the Rangers' Josh Hamilton and the Yankees' Robinson Cano have conducted their own version of extra-innings MVP while participating in a two-man home run derby.
As the teams await Game 6 Friday night in Texas — and possible elimination for the Yankees — Hamilton and Cano have combined for eight of their teams' 14 home runs and 12 of their teams' 47 RBIs.
Hamilton is hitting .316 with five walks, Cano .421 with one walk. That could change with Friday's pitchers, the Rangers' Colby Lewis and the Yankees' Phil Hughes, knowing the importance of each pitch.
"He's a tough hitter," Hughes said of Hamilton. "My first start, I walked him three times."
Said Lewis of pitching to Cano, whose four homers all have been solo shots: "Try not to make mistakes. Try to make him hit your pitch and hopefully he 'mis-hit' it somehow."
The trouble with pitching around either player — Hamilton is the favorite for AL MVP — is the rest of their lineups. Right behind them, now that Cano has moved to third in Mark Teixeira's absence, are Vladimir Guerrero and Alex Rodriguez, although neither of them has been burning up the statistics sheet.
Neither of the series stars is terribly outgoing about himself, despite hearing chants from the home crowds of "MVP."
"They are really loud (but) just focus on the game, we can't afford to lose the game," Cano said.
Hamilton missed basically the last month of the season with rib cage pain, then hit only .111 with no homers in the five games against the Rays in the division series.
"Really, the only thing that bothers me is a swing and miss," he said, "and I try not to do that."
So the center-stage showdown has been set for the final one or two games to decide whether the Rangers will play in their first World Series or the Yankees will go for their 28th championship.
Lewis and Hughes also started Game 2, with the Rangers humbling Hughes with 10 hits and seven runs in four innings. Lewis allowed two runs (both scored by Cano) in 52/3 innings.
Now one team will have to get it done on the field and one of the MVP candidates very well could be the star again. It doesn't always happen that way. Just ask Rodriguez, who had only seven hits in 44 at-bats during playoff appearances from 2005-07.
"I've talked to him a number of times that he has not had to answer those questions this year, and that makes it easier," Girardi said.
"We all know how explosive Alex can be. (But) the good thing is we don't have to rely on one guy."
Yet they pretty much have so far, as have the Rangers.