In the first round of the playoffs, against the Tampa Bay Rays, Kinsler batted .444/.500/.944 in five games, leading the majors with 3 home runs (tied) and 6 RBIs in the division series. He hit safely and scored a run in all five games, joining Boston's Nomar Garciaparra as the only two players to start their post-season careers with at least one hit—and with at least one hit and one run—in each of five consecutive games. As teammate Nelson Cruz also hit three home runs, it marked the second time in Major League history that two teammates each hit three homers in a postseason series of five games or fewer (the other two to do it were Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, in the 1928 World Series). For the first two rounds of the playoffs, Kinsler hit safely in 9 of 11 games, and batted .342 with 3 HRs, a playoff-high 9 RBIs, 6 runs, 2 stolen bases, an OBP of .409, and an OPS of 1.067.