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Yankee Go Home: Season Ends in Texas as Rangers Head to First Rodeo

October 23, 2010 by William Juliano

All of Texas jumps for joy as Rangers head to first ever World Series (Photo: Getty Images).

The Rangers couldn’t have drawn it up any better. In the team’s previous 49 seasons, it had made the postseason only three times, and lost each series to the New York Yankees. After dispatching the Rays to win their first ALDS, the Rangers then exacted revenge on the hated Yankees, who had turned them away so often in the past. What’s more, the last out of the ALCS was a called third strike against Alex Rodriguez, the player who had come to symbolize the Rangers’ fall from contender to pretender in the previous decade. Even better, on the mound was Neftali Feliz, who along with Elvis Andrus was acquired in the trade of Mark Teixeira. While Andrus and Feliz jumped on top of the celebratory pile, Teixeira sat injured on the Yankees’ bench. Like good cowboys, the Rangers had tied up all the loose ends.

To say that the Rangers thoroughly outplayed the Yankees is a Texas-sized understatement. In fact, if not for a few curious pitching changes by Ron Washington in game one, the Rangers could have easily swept the series. And yet, the Yankees were still locked up in a 1-1 tie, only four innings from forcing a game seven.

Mismatch: ALCS Comparison

  Runs BA OBP SLG SB
Yankees 38 0.304 0.378 0.512 9
Rangers 19 0.201 0.300 0.370 2
           
  Starters ERA Relievers ERA IP H K
Yankees 7.11 5.75 52 63 43
Rangers 3.65 2.25 53 38 52

Source: MLB.com

Before the series started, I questioned Joe Girardi’s decision to have Phil Hughes start games two and six instead of the veteran Andy Pettitte, and tonight was exactly the reason why. Instead of heading into an elimination game with the battle tested Pettitte, the Yankees had to rely on the inexperienced Hughes, whose confidence had to be shaken after turning in one of the worst starts in ALCS history. From the first batter, Hughes exhibited the same lack of command that felled him in the second game. However, after giving up a first inning run, he settled down enough to keep the Rangers off the scoreboard over the next three innings, giving the Yankees a chance to see if they could finally figure out Colby Lewis, who kept the team hitless over the first four innings.

One of the biggest reasons why the Yankees offense struggled so much in the series was because Alex Rodriguez could never get started. So, when Arod led off the fifth inning with a booming double in the gap, there was reason for optimism. However, it was only fleeting. In fact, the way the Yankees tied the score in that inning turned out to mean more than the run itself. 

After moving to third on a long fly ball from Lance Berkman, the Yankees finally got on the board when a HBP to Nick Swisher was incorrectly ruled a wild pitch. Normally, a more confident Yankees offense would have considered itself deprived of a base runner, but neither Swisher nor Girardi made a case for taking first base. In fact, it was the Rangers who vehemently protested the call. As things turned out, both sides were correct in their arguments because the Yankees really never threatened again.

After allowing an infield single to start the bottom of the fifth, Hughes retired the next two batters, but then faced the imposing figure of Josh Hamilton with a runner on third. Just like in game four, Girardi was faced with a starter at the end of his rope in a game-defining situation. Unfortunately, he also made the exact same mistakes. After once again resorting to an intentional walk, Girardi then left Hughes in for one batter too many (just as he did with AJ Burnett). Instead of immediately going to his best relievers, Girardi allowed Hughes to give up a two run double to Vladimir Guerrero before summoning the struggling David Robertson. Sure enough, Robertson surrendered a two run blast to Nelson Cruz and the horses were out of the barn. Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera did eventually finish off the final three innings by only allowing one run (on one hit), but by that point, it was too late.

The Yankees at bats over the final three innings were so poor, that it almost seemed as if they had already accepted their fate. Colby Lewis breezed through his final three innings, punctuating his performance by striking out the side in the eighth. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the series, Lewis ended the ALCS at 2-0 with 1.98 ERA, and could just have easily earned the MVP award that went to Josh Hamilton.

The last batter faced by Lewis was Derek Jeter, who waved feebly through an outside fastball to end the night at 0-4. Although the ninth inning remained, Jeter’s weak swing served perfectly as both the symbolic end to the season as well as the signaling of the end of an era dominated by the Yankee Captain. Jeter is likely to remain with the team, but how the two sides come together, as well as the role he will play going forward, is sure to be the story of the offseason.

There will be plenty of time to conduct a post mortem on the 2010 Yankees and determine the best ways to move forward in 2011, but the immediate impression is kind of an empty one. There really is no shame in losing a postseason series, or even in failing to make it to October, but to me, 2010 will always be defined by the half-hearted, Machiavellian approach that the organization took in September. After the regular season played out, it was hard to reconnect in October, which could very well be what happened to the players as well. As a result, 2010 will instead be remembered more for who was lost off the field than any game that was won or lost on it, and perhaps that is most fitting.

Posted in Baseball, Game Recap, MLB, Yankees | Tagged , | 4 Comments »

ALCS Game 6: Yankees vs. Rangers

October 22, 2010 by William Juliano

vs. Colby Lewis PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Derek Jeter SS 21 0.333 0.429 0.556 1 3
Curtis Granderson CF 27 0.261 0.370 0.522 1 6
Robinson Cano 2B 20 0.353 0.450 0.588 1 1
Alex Rodriguez 3B 22 0.063 0.318 0.125 0 2
Lance Berkman 1B 14 0.429 0.429 0.429 0 1
Nick Swisher RF 15 0.231 0.333 0.308 0 4
Jorge Posada C 8 0.000 0.250 0.000 0 0
Marcus Thames DH 10 0.125 0.222 0.125 0 1
Brett Gardner LF 8 0.143 0.250 0.143 0 0
Total 145 0.246 0.338 0.377 3 18
             
vs. Phil Hughes PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Elvis Andrus SS 7 0.286 0.286 0.286 0 0
Michael Young 3B 11 0.100 0.182 0.200 0 1
Josh Hamilton CF 6 0.333 0.667 0.667 0 0
Vladimir Guerrero DH 10 0.200 0.200 0.200 0 1
Nelson Cruz RF 8 0.375 0.375 0.750 0 0
Ian Kinsler 2B 9 0.143 0.250 0.429 0 1
David Murphy LF 3 0.667 0.667 2.000 1 2
Bengie Molina C 2 0.500 0.500 1.000 0 1
Mitch Moreland 1B 2 0.500 0.500 0.500 0 0
Total 58 0.269 0.328 0.500 1 6

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With Critics Quieted, Yanks Need Arod to Make Some Noise

October 22, 2010 by William Juliano

Alex Rodriguez is having one of the worst postseasons of his career, but no one seems to have noticed. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the Yankees’ superstar third baseman can surely see the irony in that statement. Not too long ago, a similar performance would have been blown ridiculously out of proportion, usually to the point of obscuring the facts, but now Arod’s struggles in October have mostly flown under the radar. What a difference a year makes.

The Yankees need more October magic from Alex Rodriguez.

Just how bad has Arod been? His .580 and .569 OPS in the ALDS and ALCS, respectively, are both the lowest rates he has posted in any October series with the exception of the 2006 ALDS. What’s more, in 34 total plate appearances over both series, he has had one extra base hit and only three RBIs. Of course, in the ALCS, Arod’s struggles have pretty much been in line with everyone else in the lineup aside from Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano, who has been doing his best 2009 Rodriguez impression.

The point in highlighting Arod’s struggles is not to make him a scapegoat again. He has already suffered enough unfair criticism to last the rest of his career. It also isn’t necessary to point out how perceptions can be easily changed. Arod’s epic 2009 postseason is legend by now, so the fact that it has provided him cover this October really isn’t a revelation. Instead, the most notable thing about Arod’s lack of production is the Yankees are still playing postseason baseball in spite of it.

There are many reasons why the Yankees still have a good chance to pull off an ALCS comeback, but none is more compelling than the ticking time bomb that is Arod’s potent bat. In game five, Rodriquez showed signs of awakening by ripping a double deep into the left-center gap and lining out to third base for his only out. Perhaps even more important, however, were his two walks. Over the past few years, Arod’s improved pitch recognition has made him a much more disciplined and dangerous hitter in clutch situations. As a result, when Arod walks, it’s usually a sign of good things to come. The Yankees’ can only hope that the numbers listed below stay true to form.

Arod’s Production Following Multiple Walk Games

G PA H R HR RBI BA OBP SLG
6 26 9 8 5 9 0.429 0.577 1.286

Source: Baseball-reference.com

If Arod can carry his patient approach into game six, it could be bad news for Colby Lewis, and, if the Yankees advance to game seven, serve as the countermeasure needed to finally beat Cliff Lee. Although the story of ALCS hasn’t revolved around Arod, any chance for a return trip to the World Series very well could. In the past, making October headlines was never a good thing for Rodriguez, but now the Yankees are counting on it.

Arod’s Postseason Performance, Ranked by Series OPS

Year Series Opp Rslt G PA R HR RBI BA OBP SLG OPS
2009 ALCS LAA W 6 30 6 3 6 0.429 0.567 0.952 1.519
2009 ALDS MIN W 3 12 4 2 6 0.455 0.500 1.000 1.500
2000 ALCS NYY L 6 25 4 2 5 0.409 0.480 0.773 1.253
2004 ALDS MIN W 4 21 3 1 3 0.421 0.476 0.737 1.213
2009 WS PHI W 6 26 5 1 6 0.250 0.423 0.550 0.973
2004 ALCS BOS L 7 37 8 2 5 0.258 0.378 0.516 0.895
1997 ALDS BAL L 4 16 1 1 1 0.313 0.313 0.563 0.875
2007 ALDS CLE L 4 17 2 1 1 0.267 0.353 0.467 0.820
2005 ALDS LAA L 5 23 2 0 0 0.133 0.435 0.200 0.635
2000 ALDS CHW W 3 14 0 0 2 0.308 0.308 0.308 0.615
2010 ALDS MIN W 3 13 1 0 1 0.273 0.308 0.273 0.580
2010 ALCS TEX L 5 21 3 0 2 0.176 0.333 0.235 0.569
2006 ALDS DET L 4 15 0 0 0 0.071 0.133 0.071 0.205
1995 ALDS NYY W 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
1995 ALCS CLE L 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Source: Baseball-reference.com

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Deja Vu All Over Again; Yanks Hope for Repeat of 1958, but Past Has Already Been Revisited

October 21, 2010 by William Juliano

The 1958 Yankees are enjoying a bit of a revival thanks to their status as the franchise’s only team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a seven game postseason series. At the Pinstriped Bible, Steve Goldman took a look at how Casey Stengel guided his team back from the brink of elimination, while TYU examined the players who made up the 1958 squad.  Perhaps the most interesting part about looking back at baseball’s past, however, is learning that the narrative hardly ever changes.

The press pin used by writers covering the 1958 World Series. Fifty years later, many of the same storylines from that Series apply to today.

Just like the 2010 NLCS opener (and again tonight’s game five) featured a much anticipated showdown between the Giants’ Tim Lincecum and the Phillies’ Roy Halladay, the 1958 World Series opened with White Ford squaring off against Warren Spahn, an encore of the previous seasons’ World Series opener that Ford won 3-1.  After Spahn’s victory in the rematch, noted sportswriter Jimmy Cannon crowed that the Braves’ perennial 20-game winner was still the best in the game, even if more scholarly observers preferred dynamic young arms like Don Drysdale, or veterans like Ford, who had much better peripheral statistics despited failing to win more than 19 games. Sound familiar? Needless to say, Cannon probably wouldn’t have been swayed much by the fact that Spahn only ranked tenth in ERA+ in 1958.

Baseball is not a complicated game, but those who know most about it appear to resent the simplicity of it. So they have a tendency to reject the standards by which all players must eventually be judged. Numbers count in baseball as much as they do in dice. You measure a man by the record he leaves behind him in the guides. There is no other way and, in time, the book wins all arguments. This makes Spahn the greatest pitcher now throwing for a big league club.” – Jimmy Cannon, North American Newspaper Alliance, October 2, 1958

Showing that he was fair to all parties, Cannon also wrote about the Yankees’ mystique after they came back to win the series. “It does no good to be influenced by the final conclusions of the accountants who compute the worth of ballplayers as if they were figuring a grocery bill. The Yanks are a special breed of ballplayer and they are loaded by some magic you can only comprehend vaguely,” Canon penned after game seven.

In addition to Cannon’s hyperbole, the storylines from each game would all sound familiar if written today. After going up 2-0, the main story was Braves’ manager Fred Haney’s cautious declaration that the “series is far from over,” but that quickly changed to the “worried Braves getting set to face the carefree Yankees” once the series reached a seventh game. Managerial second guessing was also rampant, particularly with regard to Haney’s decision to use Spahn on two days rest in game six. Of course, Spahn only gave up two runs in eight innings, and his mound opponent, Whitey Ford, who was also going on two days rest, didn’t make it out of the second inning, but just about every decision by the losing manager was fair game. When the Yankees polished off the comeback, they did so by beating Lew Burdette, the Yankee killer who bested the team three times in the 1957 World Series, and in the process stopped being the old, fading dynasty and resumed their rightful status as champions. Or, as Sarasota Herald-Tribune Sports Editor Nick Robertson wrote, “since this is the dairy state, it seems apropos to point out that cream always rises to the top”.

It remains to be read what the modern day scribes will write about the 2010 Yankees when all is said and done, but as Yogi Berra, the catcher on the 1958 team, once quipped, it could very well be “déjà vu all over again”.

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Media, MLB, Yankee History, Yankees | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Yanks Live to Fight Another Day; Return ALCS to Deep in the Heart of Texas

October 21, 2010 by William Juliano

The legendary folk hero Davy Crockett once said, “You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas”. To those who doubted their resiliency, the Yankees used game five of the ALCS to say exactly the same thing.

Which way to Texas? (Photo: AP)

Although the Yankees had to feel comfortable with their ace going on full rest for the first time in the postseason, the irony of yesterday’s victory is C.C. Sabathia didn’t pitch particularly well. In fact, Sabathia became the first Yankees’ starter in 50 years to win a postseason game while giving up at least 11 hits. And yet, the ace lefty still managed to keep the Rangers at bay by getting a big strikeout or inducing a key double play at just the right time. The mark of a great pitcher is the ability to win despite not having his best stuff, and game five was exhibit A on why Sabathia qualifies as one.

The Yankees entered game five in a terrible slump, batting .198 for the entire series and producing only three hits in their last 33 at bats with runners in scoring position. Without a turnaround in that performance, it probably wouldn’t have mattered how well Sabathia pitched. In the second inning against C.J. Wilson, the slumbering lumber was put to an immediate test.

After being gifted two walks by Wilson in the bottom of the second, the Yankees finally came through in the clutch as RBI singles by Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson plated three runs. One of the runs, however, was actually produced by the speedy legs of Posada. In a scene out of an old cops and robbers silent movie, Posada rounded second and headed for third on Granderson’s single, which probably made right fielder Jeff Francoeur jump out his shoes. In his haste to nab the slow footed catcher, Francoeur short-hopped Michael Young, whose haste to make a tag allowed the ball to roll toward the dugout screen. Without looking, which is usually the way he runs the bases, Posada sprang up from his slide and continued his mad dash around the bases by heading home. Unfortunately for Posada, Wilson had backed up the errant throw and merely had to flip the ball home to nab him at the plate. Flip it he did, but about 20 feet over the catcher’s head.

Although it wasn’t exactly Enos Slaughter’s Mad Dash to win the seventh game of the 1946 World Series, Posada’s trip around the bases not only produced an important run, but also seemed to lighten the mood in the Yankees’ dugout. That relaxed feeling only increased after back-to-back homers by Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano in the following inning gave the Yankees a 5-0 and made game six seem like a certainty. It wasn’t that easy, however, because Sabathia never really found the rhythm he needed to sail through the game. Before handing the ball off the bullpen in the seventh, Sabathia had to retire the red hot Josh Hamilton with two men on to end the fifth and then wiggle out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth. It wasn’t pretty, but at the same time it was exactly what the Yankees needed.

After six solid innings from their starter, the Yankees closed out the game with three shutout innings by Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera. That formula could come into play again on Friday, as Phil Hughes looks to rebound from his awful start in game two. Of course, the only way to earn the right to face Cliff Lee is by scoring runs off Colby Lewis, so the offense will also have to improve in its second go round against the Rangers’ righty.

With game five in the rearview mirror, a dramatic high noon showdown against the postseason’s best hired gun seems to be on the horizon. However, the Yankees can’t be too quick to the draw because before they can face off against Lee, they must shoot their way out of game six. The Rangers will be waiting in ambush, so the onus is on the Yankees to come out on Friday with guns blazing. The defending champions aren’t dead yet; they’re going to Texas.

Postseason Victories by a Yankees Starter With 11-Plus Hits Allowed

Player Date Series G# Opp Rslt IP H ER GSc
Waite Hoyt 10/6/1926 WS 4 STL W 10-5 9 14 2 52
Bob Turley 10/6/1960 WS 2 PIT W 16-3 8.1 13 2 44
Jim McDonald 10/4/1953 WS 5 BRO W 11-7 7.2 12 5 36
Bob Shawkey 10/13/1923 WS 4 NYG W 8-4 7.2 12 3 41
CC Sabathia 10/20/2010 ALCS 5 TEX W 7-2 6 11 2 49
Waite Hoyt 10/9/1928 WS 4 STL W 7-3 9 11 2 60

Source: Baseball-reference.com

Posted in Baseball, Game Recap, MLB, Yankees | Tagged | 1 Comment »

ALCS Game 5: Rangers vs. Yankees

October 20, 2010 by William Juliano

vs. C.J. Wilson PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Derek Jeter SS 21 0.333 0.429 0.556 1 3
Nick Swisher RF 27 0.261 0.370 0.522 1 6
Robinson Cano 2B 20 0.353 0.450 0.588 1 1
Alex Rodriguez 3B 22 0.063 0.318 0.125 0 2
Marcus Thames DH 14 0.429 0.429 0.429 0 1
Lance Berkman 1B 15 0.231 0.333 0.308 0 4
Jorge Posada C 8 0.000 0.250 0.000 0 0
Curtis Granderson CF 10 0.125 0.222 0.125 0 1
Brett Gardner LF 8 0.143 0.250 0.143 0 0
Total 145 0.246 0.338 0.377 3 18
             
vs. C.C. Sabathia PA BA OBP SLG HR RBI
Elvis Andrus SS 5 0.250 0.400 0.250 0 0
Michael Young 3B 43 0.341 0.349 0.463 0 7
Josh Hamilton CF 16 0.167 0.375 0.500 1 3
Vladimir Guerrero DH 27 0.200 0.222 0.400 1 3
Nelson Cruz LF 7 0.143 0.143 0.143 0 0
Ian Kinsler 2B 12 0.200 0.333 0.800 2 4
Jeff Francoeur RF 15 0.143 0.200 0.143 0 1
Matt Treanor C 2 1.000 1.000 1.000 0 0
Mitch Moreland 1B 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0
Total 127 0.246 0.307 0.421 4 18

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Yanks Lose Teixeira, Then Game: Drop Third Straight As AJ Falters and Girardi Blunders

October 20, 2010 by William Juliano

The Yankees backs are now officially against the wall as they face their first real “must win game” of the season. You can break out all the clichés because they finally apply. After losing their third straight game to the Rangers, the Yankees are now precariously teetering on the edge of elimination.

There's no place for AJ Burnett to hide after giving up a crucial three-run HR to Bengie Molina in the sixth inning (Photo: Getty Images).

When Joe Girardi announced his starting rotation, the situation the Yankees now find themselves in wasn’t hard to fathom. Nonetheless, the Yankees still had a chance to win game four, as evidenced by the 3-2 lead they carried into the sixth inning. Unfortunately, a combination of poor hitting with men on base and a series of curious managerial decisions combined to give the Rangers another commanding victory in an ALCS that Texas has absolutely dominated.

The first five innings of the game featured numerous twists and turns and plenty of surprises, but perhaps none more so than the initial effectiveness of AJ Burnett. Over the first two innings, Burnett used a mid-90s fastball and off the table curve to retire all six batters, including three on strikeouts. Being the enigma that he is, however, Burnett still managed to give up two runs in the third despite having his good stuff. The Rangers’ rally in that inning consisted of a walk to David Murphy after being ahead 0-2 and then a HBP against Molina, who was squaring to bunt, both of which were followed by a series of infield grounders that eventually lead to the both runners crossing the plate.

The Yankees’ offense seemed as if it might break out of its series long slump against Tommy Hunter when Robinson Cano gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead with a homerun that just got over the ball in right. On the play, several fans made contact with Nelson Cruz’ glove, but the umpire ruled that the right fielder did not actually have a play on the ball. Later in the inning, controversy reared its head again when Lance Berkman hit what looked like the Yankees second homerun of the inning. After a replay review, however, the ball was ruled foul and the second run was taken off the board.

After Burnett gave up the lead in the top of the third, the Yankees scored single runs in the third and fourth to regain the advantage. In the later frame, however, the Yankees had a chance to do much more damage, but an Elvis Andrus diving play with the bases loaded turned a two run single into an RBI fielder’s choice that nabbed the advancing runner at third. At that point, the decision to start Francisco Cervelli proved most costly as the anemic backup catcher was dispatched on three pitches. By forgoing an opportunity to use Jorge Posada, Girardi forfeited a valuable scoring opportunity. The Yankees failure to capitalize would also foreshadow the play that eventually led to the team’s demise only two innings later.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, a lead off double by Derek Jeter and walk to Curtis Granderson seemed to put the Yankees on the brink of breaking open the game. When Mark Teixeira worked the count to 2-0, the entire Stadium probably had visions of a long fly ball landing into the leftfield bleachers. Unfortunately, Teixeira’s series-long struggles continued, but this time the Yankees’ rally wasn’t the only victim. As he has repeatedly done in the postseason, Teixeira rolled over on an outside fastball and hit a potential groundball double play to third base. Sensing his fate, and perhaps venting his frustration, Teixeira busted out of the box and ran as fast as he could to first base. As things turned out, Teixeira’s hustle wasn’t really needed because Young rushed his return throw to first, but that was only evident after the Yankees’ first baseman had collapsed at the bag with what was later diagnosed as grade two strain of his hamstring, an injury that ended his season at least one game prematurely.

Once Teixeira went down, it seemed as if the air was taken out of the Stadium. And, what little was left, dissipated when Alex Rodriguez also continued his series-long slump with an inning ending double play. Although the Yankees exited the inning holding onto a 3-2 lead, you couldn’t help but feel that the game, and perhaps the series, had been lost in the fateful inning.

When Rangers’ starter Tommy Hunter got into trouble in the fourth, Ron Washington quickly called to the bullpen and was rewarded by the strong pitching of Derek Holland, who went 3 2/3 innings and only gave up one hit. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Girardi was not as prescient. Despite getting a strong five innings from AJ Burnett, the Yankees’ manager decided to tempt fate with his erratic righty who had not pitched in nearly three weeks. Sure enough, Vladimir Guerrero led off the sixth with a line drive single to right. In fairness to Burnett, the single probably would have been caught by someone like Greg Golson, but for some unexplainable reason, Girardi opted to use Marcus Thames in right field when Nick Swisher was pressed into duty at 1B. Burnett did rebound to get the next two batters, but on the second out, a fly ball to deep center, Cruz, who reached first on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second. Instead of going to Boone Logan, his lefty specialist, to face David Murphy, Girardi then committed a baseball cardinal sin by putting the go ahead runner on base with an intentional walk. Sure enough, the Yankees’ manager was made to repent on the very next pitch as Bengie Molina deposited a first pitch fastball into the short porch in left.

Although the score was only 5-3 in the sixth, the combination of Teixeira’s injury, the Yankees inability to come through with a big hit and Girardi’s managerial blunders seemed to raise a collective white flag. Even when the Rangers tried to give the Yankees new life by loading the bases on walks in the eighth, they couldn’t even take advantage by scoring a single run. Finally, in the ninth, Girardi waived a real white flag by bringing in Sergio Mitre, who promptly gave up long HRs to Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz to put an end to any hopes for another miraculous comeback.

The only positive about Girardi’s ill conceived pitching rotation is the Yankees now have C.C. Sabathia in game five. If the ace lefty can continue his dominance at Yankee Stadium, it’s actually not hard to imagine a path that leads back to a game 7. The only problem, however, is what waits at the end of that road. The Yankees are far from done in the series, but the team now not only needs to reel off three wins a row, but they must overcome Cliff Lee to do it. Normally, the vision of Lee on the mound in a deciding game would be enough to send chills down the collective spine of an opposing lineup, but for the Yankees, there’s now no one else they’d rather see.

Posted in Baseball, Game Recap, MLB, Yankees | Tagged | 2 Comments »

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