Sabathia has Yanks on Brink of 40th American League Pennant.

October 21, 2009
The Monday Morning Quarterback
 
Early on in the 2009 baseball season, there was talk inside Yankees Universe and beyond that C.C. Sabathia wasn't worth the $161 million that New York gave him to come and pitch in the Bronx.  Tonight, C.C. Sabathia quieted his critics.  Sabathia delivered 8 innings of brilliant five hit baseball on three days rest, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim never stood a chance in game 4 of the American League Championship Series.  The talk earlier this season was that Sabathia was no longer dominant, unable to strike batters out the way he once did.  While it's true that Sabathia wasn't over-powering hitters early on, he was still winning games and pitching well.  As the season went on and Sabathia became more comfortable and dominant.  A known second half performer, C.C. took off after the All Star Break and 8-10 strikeout performances weren't uncommon.  The last month, Sabathia has been absolutely un-hittable and the pitcher the Yankees hoped they were acquiring in the offseason.  As the playoffs approached, the skeptics returned, reminding us all of Sabathia's implosion in the 2008 Division Series while with Milwaukee.  All that is pure nonsense.  First of all, the '08 Brewers are not the '09 Yankees.  Beyond that, as I have eluded to in the past, Sabathia was in playoff mode for over a month in Milwaukee.  Being the Brewers' only legitimate starter, Sabathia pitched on three days rest from the moment he arrived in Milwaukee just to get them in the playoffs.  Once the Division Series rolled around, he simply ran out of gas.  Joe Girardi took steps all year to make sure his ace was fresh for October, limiting Sabathia's overall innings pitched.  Sabathia has been everything the Yankees hoped he would this year, winning 19 games in the regular season, and getting off to a 3-0 start with a 1.19 ERA and 20 strikeouts in three playoff starts for New York.  The guy is a bona fide ace and represents everything the Yankees have been lacking since 2003.  Back then, Joe Torre usually had two, maybe three pitchers he could rely on.  In the 2004 Boston massacre, the Yankees trotted the likes of Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez out to the mound, only to get slaughtered by the Red Sox.  Now, with Sabathia, Joe Girardi has been able to shorten his rotation to three guys (Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte), who are certainly getting the job done in big spots.  It looks like the Yankees front office finally gets it.  You aren't going to win in the playoffs without pitching, and no team in baseball can match up with that right now.  C.C. Sabathia also seems to have taken some pressure of his manager and bullpen with Tuesday's start.  Joe Girardi, who has blown through his bullpen throughout the playoffs, was able to rest easy in game 4 as Sabathia took the ball and gave his team eight strong innings.  Girardi brought in Chad Gaudin for the ninth, making his Yankees playoff debut.  Gaudin was New York's only fresh arm out of the pen, as the Yankees used everyone in both games 2 and 3.  Girardi couldn't have asked for anything more, as Sabathia's strong start preserved arms and allows the manager to duck questions about over-managing (specifically making too many pitching changes) for at least one day.

Not to be forgotten in Sabathia's dominance, was another outstanding performance from third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who went 3-4 with another home run and two RBI.  Rodriguez has now homered in three straight games and finds himself completely locked in this postseason.  A-Rod is another Yankee who faced much scrutiny and skepticism coming into the playoffs.  Since joining New York in 2004, A-Rod had been abysmal in the playoffs, losing much of his power, as well as continually failing to get the job done in big spots.  Rodriguez has made us all forget about that this postseason as he is on a torrid pace and continuing to deliver in big spots, late in the game, with his team behind.  A-Rod too, has FINALLY become the player the Yankees thought they were acquiring in 2004, and for the first time in his Yankee career, he is a "true Yankees" in the eyes of New York fans.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, the Yankees are easily the best team in the Majors and I don't see a team out there who is going to stand in their way from bringing home a championship.  The Angels are a fantastic team.  Of the eight teams in the playoffs, there isn't a team out there as good as them, other than the Yankees.  New York is manhandling them in this series and that's the best MLB has to offer.  The Phillies, who find themselves within a game of winning the National League pennant, are also a fine team.  They can hit and pitch with almost anybody.  Almost.  If we do end up with Philly/New York "turnpike series", I expect the Phillies to face the same hardships as the Angels.  They too, are a very good team, but the Yankees are a machine!  They look unstoppable even when A-Rod isn't on top of his game, and with him hitting like this, Philadelphia would be lucky to win a game.  The Yankees have one of the most feared lineups in baseball history, and now with their pitchers making a name for themselves too, I don't see anybody stopping them.

The Yankees find themselves in a very favorable position today.  They are one game from the pennant with an off day coming up on Wednesday.  They return to action Thursday for game 5 with A.J. Burnett getting the start with hopes of clinching a World Series spot.  Game 6 (if necessary) would be on Saturday at Yankee Stadium with Andy Pettitte slated to pitch for the bombers.  Game 7 (if necessary) would also be at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, with C.C. Sabathia ready to pitch on normal rest should his team need him.


GAME NOTES


1) The Yankees finally got some production out of the bottom of their order as Melky Cabrera collecting three hits and four RBI, while Robinson Cano added a hit, a walk, and an RBI.  Cabrera and Cano were responsible for five of New York's 10 runs.

2) Alex Rodriguez is hitting .469 with five home runs and 11 RBI in the 2009 postseason.  In his career up until these playoffs Rodriguez, who made playoff appearances in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, & 2007, had a combined total of three home runs and 13 RBI.

3) The Yankees record for most home runs in one postseason is six in 1996, held by former outfielder Bernie Williams.  Rodriguez is in prime position to break that record, especially if New York advances to the World Series.  The all time record for most home runs in one postseason is eight in 2002 by Barry Bonds.  Should New York clinch the pennant, Rodriguez will have the opportunity to break this record, as well.