The Yankees swept the Twins in the ALDS with relative ease thanks to solid starting pitching. That trend will have to continue against the Angels in the ALCS.
Manager Joe Girardi opted to throw CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte at Minnesota, and the three responded with 19 quality innings, allowing just four runs (three earned) on 14 hits while striking out 21. The second-year skipper was pleased with their performance.
“To win the division, you’ve got to have starting pitching, and to win playoff series, you’ve got to have starting pitching,” Girardi told the Daily News. “Our starting pitching was great, and now we have the opportunity to set up our starting pitching in the next round. That’s what every team wants to do.”
Girardi isn’t going to rearrange his rotation for the ALCS — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.. Thus, Sabathia will start Game 1, Burnett will get the ball in Game 2, and Pettitte will start Game 3 in Anaheim.
The Yankees are hoping for similar, if not identical, results to those they got in the ALDS. But their regular-season numbers against Mike Scioscia’s pesky lineup suggest that things won’t be as easy when the ALCS gets underway Friday.
Sabathia, for one, was 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in two starts against the Angels this year. Those are his worst numbers against any opponent, and after the Halos hit .321 against him, the left-hander will need to make an adjustment to change his fortunes in the series opener. His likely opponent, John Lackey, held New York’s bats in check in his lone start versus the Yankees, allowing just two runs on six hits in seven innings.
Burnett enjoyed more success in his attempt to shut down the Angels’ lineup, going 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two outings. His most recent start against the Halos came on Sept. 23 in the Bronx, and the 32-year-old righty whiffed 11 batters in just 5 2/3 innings to earn the win. However, in order to maintain that effectiveness, Burnett will need to harness his control much better than he did against the Twins. Burnett walked five batters in six innings in his ALDS start, and free passes, combined with the Angels’ propensity for stealing bases, would be a recipe for disaster in the ALCS.
Pettitte’s three starts against the Angels were nothing short of awful. He was torched for 14 runs on 21 hits in 16 innings, while walking eight and fanning just six. The good news is that his most recent outing — a six-inning, three-run effort on Sept. 21 — was his best. The bad news is that the Yankees still lost the game. Overall, New York was 1-2 in the three games Pettitte started against Los Angeles, and 0-2 at Angel Stadium.
Clearly, there is reason to be concerned.
The Yankees can score runs no matter who is on the mound. Lackey, Jered Weaver and Scott Kazmir are no exception. But the pinstripes’ pitchers will need to do a much better job preventing the Angels from scoring to win their first pennant since 2003 and have a chance at a 27th world championship.
Starting pitching will be the difference. Girardi’s team had it in the ALDS, but they also had it in their seven regular-season victories against the Twins. The Angels have been more of a problem, and the Yankees’ starting pitchers need to find a way to miss their bats.
