Four days later, the Angels and Yankees are finally ready to start the Championship Series. There’s no way of knowing how sharp either team will be until they get out there on the field, but I suspect we won’t be reduced to watching players so rusty we’d confuse it for a little league game. Just think of it as an extra All Star break.
We know all about how the Angels have handled the Yankees in recent years, and Brian Cashman even went so far as to say “I think they’re happy they’re playing us.” However, our beloved bombers are on the warpath this year, steamrolling the Twins in the ALDS and winning three of their last four against the Angels, including two in Anaheim. Both clubs have their rotations lined up nicely, so we should be in for a great series.
If you’re an ESPN Insider, you can read KLaw’s advance scouting report for the Angels right here. He notes that the Halos have a tremendous offense, but each of their starters “has a pretty serious question about his effectiveness.” Oh, and their bullpen is shaky. The Yanks made only one small tweak to their ALCS roster, swapping Eric Hinske for Fast Freddy Guzman. I guess they felt Brain Bruney wasn’t necessary.
Here are tonight’s starting lineups:
Angels
Chone Figgins, 3B
Bobby Abreu, RF
Torii Hunter, CF
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Juan Rivera, LF
Kendry Morales, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Jeff Mathis, C
Erick Aybar, SS
John Lackey, SP (11-8, 3.83 regular season)
Yankees
Derek Jeter, SS
Johnny Damon, LF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Hideki Matsui, DH
Jorge Posada, C
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Melky Cabrera, CF
CC Sabathia, SP (19-8, 3.37 regular season)
As you’re probably aware, the weather in the Bronx isn’t pretty, but it looks like they’ll get the game in. FOX, not TBS, has the game, and I believe they’re even going to air some of the pregame ceremonies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:57pm ET, but the introductions and stuff start around 7:30. Enjoy the game.