Only the Best in This Year's ALCS

NEW YORK -- Once the AL Championship Series moves from the Weather Channel to Fox, it should be worth watching.

"I think it's going to be a great matchup," a scout who has followed both teams in recent weeks told FanHouse. "I would be shocked if it didn't go at least six games."

The Yankees and Angels has the two best records in the AL this year. They were 1-2 in runs scored, and even removing park effects by looking just at road games, they were 1-2 in offense.

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The Angels hit .285 as a team. The Yankees hit .283. The Angels fielded .986. The Yankees fielded .985. The Angels allowed 180 home runs. The Yankees gave up 181 homers.

Los Angeles had the second-best record in the league in one-run games (27-18); New York was third (22-16). They were the top two teams in road record.

Over their final 100 games, the Yankees had a plus-131 run differential and the Angels plus-122.

"If both teams play well, it's going to be tough to say who's going to come out on top," Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon said.

These teams also have two of the top six payrolls in the game.

Asked what makes the Yankees so tough, Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said, "Their $10 billion payroll.

"I was on the Twins in 2003 and '04. We had no frickin' chance [against the Yankees in the postseason]. We made minimum wage."

And now?

"I really think we've got a good shot at getting it done. At the same time, it won't be easy. I can promise you that -- look at [A.J.] Burnett, look at CC [Sabathia], look at the bullpen, look at Mariano Rivera, look at [Derek] Jeter -- man that's a lot of 'looking at.'"


The scout gives the edge to the Yankees.

"I don't think [the Angels rotation is] as deep as the Yankees," he said. "I would tip the scales in starting pitching to the Yankees. Overall I'd give pitching to the Yankees."

But he acknowledged that the Angels offense will put the pressure on the Yankees pitching and defense.

"Maybe we're going to face CC [Sabathia] seven times this series. It depends on how much rain we get"
-- Mike Scioscia In fact, the Yankees' top three starters -- Sabathia, Burnett and Andy Pettitte -- combined to go 1-4 against the Angels this year, with a 6.21 ERA.

The Angels offense is easily overlooked, but from June 12 through Aug. 31, they scored 476 runs -- 6.6 per game. It isn't just speed, but power as well; six Angels had 15 or more homers, behind only the Yankees and Rangers in the AL.

"They're a good lineup," said Sabathia, the Yankees' Game 1 starter. "They've got the speed, they've got power. They've got great balance to their lineup."

The Angels and Yankees split 10 games in the regular season. In those 10 games, the Angels scored 65 runs on 110 hits, with 40 walks and 65 strikeouts. The Yankees scored 55 runs on 92 hits, with 41 walks and 61 strikeouts.

The Yankees won three one-run games and a two-run game out of their five, and the Angels won three games by four runs or more.

"We know what they have," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They know what we have. It's going to be a tough series."

We could use one of those after three sweeps and a four-gamer in the four Division Series.

Two of those sweeps were by the Yankees (over the Twins) and Angels (over the Red Sox).

"Prior to that series," Angels general manger Tony Reagins said, "the look in our guys' eyes -- and I try to stay in tune with what's going on down here [in the clubhouse] -- there was a focus, there was a calmness, and there was a relaxed atmosphere in here. They took that into that series, and I see the same type of look in this series."

One issue is the weather, with rain predicted for Friday and Saturday. A rainout either day could prevent the Yankees from using a three-man rotation, unless they are willing to bring back someone other than Sabathia on short rest.

"Maybe we're going to face CC seven times this series," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It depends on how much rain we get."

That might make it tough on the Angels. Otherwise, it should be a compelling matchup.

One that Mark Teixeira, who spent part of last season with the Angels before jumping at the Yankees' money as a free agent, may have expected all along.

"I told Torii in December I hope we play them in the ALCS," Teixeira said, "and we're getting our wish."