In beginning-mid-September, many of us, me included, figured the AL East race was over. The Yankees had a big lead over the Red Sox, and it would have taken Mets-esque collapse for them to lose it. But over the next few weeks the Yanks dropped a few games and got hot, and some people started to doubt that the Yankees had it in the bag. This was a bit odd for me. The reason we called the division for the Yanks in the first place is that they had built up such a large lead that even if they had a slip-up, they still had a big margin of error. That’s the whole point of thinking it’s in the bag.
The Yankees certainly do not have the ALCS in the bag, but they set themselves up with a 3-1 advantage after a Game 4 victory. That’s not insurmountable, but it’s a pretty big lead at this late stage. It would take three straight Angels wins to win it, and that’s just improbable, especially against a team as good as the Yankees. The Yankees saw their advantage at work in Game 5, as they dropped a heart breaker to the Angels. Now they’re back in the Bronx, still with the advantage. Unlike the Angels, their backs are not up against the wall.
Then again, that could be an advantage for the Angels. As Sun Tzu says:
Soliders when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard.
I expect this to be like the non-Game-4 games of this series: always close in score, can turn around in a matter of outs. The Angels aren’t going away, and it’s going to take everything the Yankees have to finish them off.
Without further ado, your Game 6 lineups:
Yankees
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Jorge Posada, C
6. Hideki Matsui, DH
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Nick Swisher, RF
9. Melky Cabrera, CF
Pitching: Number forty-six, Andy Pettitte.
Angels
1. Chone Figgins, 3B
2. Bobby Abreu, RF
3. Torii Hunter, CF
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
5. Kendry Morales, 2B
6. Howie Kendrick, 2B
7. Juan Rivera, LF
8. Jeff Mathis, C
9. Erick Aybar, SS
Pitching: Joe Saunders