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ALCS Game 1 - Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees

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MLB:  Sabathia Looks to Lock Down the Angels

Game-day:  10/16/2009
First-pitch:  7:57 pm EST

When New Yorkers opened their newspapers on December 18th, 2008, they no doubt saw the face of C.C. Sabathia.  Sabathia had just signed a 161 million dollar contract with the New York Yankees.  The contract, for 7 years, is the largest contract in MLB history ever given to a pitcher. 

Now, after a regular season in which he went 19 and 8 with a 3.37 ERA, C.C. Sabathia will attempt to lock down a team that he has almost always had trouble with, the Los Angeles Angels.  Could C.C. possibly get over the L.A. Angels hump and help the New York Yankees to a first game victory in the 2009 ALCS?  The MLB betting odds makers think so as they have made the Yankees a -170 favorite to beat L.A. in Game 1 of the ALCS.

If his game against the Minnesota Twins is any indication, then Sabathia does have a shot to get New York off on the right foot in this series.  Sabathia pitched 6.2 innings, allowing a single run, eight hits and truck out 8.  The 6’7” 290 lb Sabathia was about as good as he had been all season and the Minnesota victory was easily the best he had ever pitched in the post-season.

But, these are the Angels and the Angels, in the words of some of my more basesball stat loving friends “own the Yankees.”  The statement, actually, isn’t all that correct for 2009.  In their first 3 game series during the regular season against the Angels, the Yankees went 2 and 1.  In the second three game series, the Yankees went 0 and 3, and Sabathia was beaten by John Lackey, his opponent in Game 1 of the ALCS, but C.C.’s loss was mainly due to a 4 run, disastrous, 4th inning. 

The Yankees also beat the Angels 5 to 3 in a single game on September 14th and then won another three game series 2 to 1 in late September.

So, for the year, it’s New York 5 and the Angels 5.  That’s about as even as it gets.  All well and good, right?  But, what about Sabathia historically versus the Angels?  Well, the stats say that C.C. isn’t all that bad, really.  Yes, his lifetime ERA of 4.72 doesn’t mean he locks the Angels down, but he is 5 and 7 straight-up against them and even though it’s a losing record, C.C. has never had an offense backing him up like he does right now with these Yankees.

Sabathia figures to do just fine on Friday which is bad news for the Angels.

L.A. Pitching Should Worry Angels’ Fans

The Angels have a great offense, every baseball fan on the planet knows that, but their pitching is somewhat lacking.  They rank 20th in ERA at 4.43 and 19th in WHIP at 1.41. 

More alarming is the fact that Game 1 pitcher John Lackey has a 3.83 ERA. The last time he faced New York, way back on July 14th, Lackey pitched 7 innings allowing 6 hits and 2 runs.  Those aren’t bad stats, but he ended up with an ERA of 4.93.

Again, that’s not horrible, but Lackey faced the Yankees before they had gelled as a team and getting away with allowing only 2 runs might not be possible again.  Then again, the argument could be made that the Angels are a different team as well.

But, the Angels don’t have Alex Rodriguez.  The Yankees do.

A-Rod Real Key to Game 1

Alex Rodriguez has been on a tear.  He’s batting .455 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs in the post-season.

That’s gong to be Lackey’s biggest headache in this game.  A-Rod can’t be pitched around because Mark Texeira bats right before him in the clean-up spot and Hideki Matsui bats after him.  Lackey’s only chance is to go after A-Rod.  That could spell doom for him.

As good as Lackey was when beating the Boston Red Sox 5 to 0 in the first game of that series, Lackey was just as bad in his two previous games.  Against the Texas Rangers on October 1st, Lackey lasted only 2 innings, allowing 4 this and 2 runs.  The game before that against Oakland, Lackey gave up 10 hits and 6 runs.

Now, he faces a New Yankees batting line-up, led by Alex Rodriguez, that is en fuego.  The Yankees put up 7, 4 and 4 runs in their three game sweep of the Minnesota Twins.  They haven’t put up less than 3 runs in 14 straight games.

I just don’t see how Lackey keeps the Yankees at bay while I believe C.C. Sabathia pitches another gem.  I’m taking a swing on the run line.  Sabathia – 1 ½ at +120 in the MLB sportsbook.