Last night was a good night to be a Yankee fan:
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Yankees are one game from the World Series, one win from the stage they abandoned five years ago in an epic playoff collapse. Their best players are playing their best when it matters the most.
C. C. Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez powered the Yankees to a 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday at Angel Stadium. The Yankees lead the series, three games to one, and can clinch their 40th pennant in Game 5 on Thursday night.
They have not been to the World Series since 2003, when they lost to the Florida Marlins in six games and reacted by trading for Rodriguez, the reigning most valuable player who wilted the next four Octobers. When they missed the playoffs last year, the Yankees responded by signing Sabathia, the most coveted pitcher on the free-agent market.
Working on three days’ rest Tuesday, Sabathia repeated his Game 1 performance, allowing one run in eight innings. Rodriguez had a home run, a single, a double, a stolen base and three runs, the best game of a scintillating postseason that could rank with any in Yankees history.
“I don’t remember a player on our club, when we were playing in the playoffs, having back-to-back series so far like this,” said Manager Joe Girardi, who won three World Series as a Yankees catcher. “He’s been unbelievable. I know Bernie had some big series, and Paul O’Neill had some big series. But Alex is — wow.”
Rodriguez is hitting .407 (11 for 27) with five homers, 11 runs batted in and 9 runs in the playoffs, but he sounded in awe of Sabathia, who allowed a Kendry Morales home run on Tuesday and just four other hits. Sabathia struck out five and reached 95 miles per hour in the eighth inning, improving to 3-0 with a 1.19 earned run average in three postseason starts.
“He’s a horse,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a monster.”
It reminds me of the mid-70s and a certain guy named Reggie Jackson, along with pitchers like Sparky Lyle and Ron Guidry actually. The Yankees are bringing things together in October in away that I haven’t seen since then, or the more recently glory days of the late 90s.
Yea, it’s a good time in the Bronx right now.
