'Unbelievable' Texas Rangers rejoice

Wild celebrations as the Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees to reach the World Series.

Texas Rangers players celebrate after the final strikeout against the Yankees.

The Texas Rangers did a victory lap, sharing the moment with their frenzied fans. They sprayed one another with ginger ale and doused their manager with the contents of a water cooler.

Fireworks and confetti filled the Texas sky. A flag proclaiming the Rangers as the American League champions was raised high above the ballpark, whipping in the wind.

They were celebrating their first trip to the World Series in their 50-year history, earned on Friday night with a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees, the defending champions.

"Coming out of spring training, this team showed such a heart," said Nolan Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher who is the team president and a part-owner. "There were so many things going on, and they were just unbelievable."

Texas, who had never won a post-season series or a home play-off game before this year, dispatched the Yankees with little drama. The Rangers jumped on top early, and the wild celebration began when New York's Alex Rodriguez took a called third strike from Neftali Feliz, the hard-throwing rookie closer, for the final out.

"The World Series is coming to Texas," said Michael Young, the longest-tenured Ranger, in his 10th season.

These fans have waited longer than we have. I know how bad we wanted it and they must have wanted it more."

In winning the series 4-2, the Rangers eliminated the 27-time World Series champions and their $200 million-plus (Dh734m) payroll.

"They beat us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They outhit us, they outpitched us, outplayed us and they beat us."

Colby Lewis, the Texas starter, dominated over eight innings, giving up three hits for his second win of the series, and Vladimir Guerrero, the designated hitter, drove in the first three runs to lead the Rangers to victory.

Josh Hamilton earned the series MVP award. Hamilton, who homered four times in the series, said he shed a tear in centre field right before the final out. "We are here as a group. This group is here because they don't know how to fail," said Hamilton.

After getting only two hits in the first round of the play-offs, Hamilton caught fire against the Yankees. He was also intentionally walked five times, a record for the American League Championship Series.

The World Series will begin on Wednesday at the home of the National League champion, either San Francisco or Philadelphia. The Rangers will start their most feared pitcher, the left-hander Cliff Lee.

"Our fans have waited a long time, this organisation has waited a long time," Ryan said. "This team coming out of spring training was on a mission."