Yanks In (More Than) A Sentence: Yankees 5, Angels 2 (Yankees win series, 4-2)
1. The better team won.
2. This series won’t go down as the tactically bold managerial clinic that some expected it to be. Mike Scioscia might be a classy leader-of-men sort with one of the greatest moon-pie faces since Flounder, but he made any number of decisions that defied both the numbers and common sense. Newly double-happy Jeff Mathis may have enjoyed the series of his life, but Mike Napoli hit .272/.350/.492 this season - .330/.417/.606 in 100 or so at-bats against lefty pitchers, the likes of which started four of the series’ six games. I expected Napoli to be one of the potential game-changers; he didn’t have the chance to prove me right or wrong. Meanwhile, I realize that we all love to play the lefty/righty percentages, but the last thing you want at the plate against Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of a close game is a lefty hitter without much power. The move to pinch-hit Gary Matthews for Napoli made me wonder if Scioscia just wanted to get home already. That was an act of profound managerial misconduct.
3. Enough has been said about Girardi’s twitchy finger on the bullpen trigger, though I admire how he was able to wrestle his way out of the straitjacket in the seventh inning and rescue Dame Andy Pettitte from Jeff Mathis’ evil clutches. What’s making me losing my crap is his worship at the altar of the sacrifice bunt. No hitter in the everyday Yankee lineup should ever be asked to bunt, ever, regardless of the game situation. You only get three outs; giving one away to advance a runner 90 feet is a bad, bad trade. I can’t believe we have to keep stating this every night, much in the same way you have to keep telling a dumb kid not to eat the paste. The worst thing? The bunts “worked,” with the Yankees scoring a few runs after Melky bunted in the fourth and a few more when the Angels misplayed back-to-back sacrifices in the eighth. Unbelievable.
4. After the aforementioned dropped and shot-putted post-bunt throws, we can dispense with the thinking that the Angels “play the game the right way” and “win because of their fundamentally sound sound fundamentals” and “poop lilacs.” They were atrocious on the base paths (Vlad getting doubled off first on a pop to right, Abreu overrunning second base, etc.) and afield (eight errors in the series’ six games). Similarly, I don’t know who to credit or blame for this - the Yankee pitching staff, the Angel coaches, etc. - but that vaunted LA running game never kicked into first gear, much less third or fourth.
5. I’m glad the writers didn’t give A-Rod the ALCS MVP. That’s right, guys, keep dangling the carrots just out of his reach. It seems to be working so far. I’ll have to check on this, but I’m pretty sure the Angels only retired him three times in the series’ last three games. Hello, respect.
6. Loved Mariano’s been-there-before reaction after he struck out Matthews to end the game: a simple fist-pump, then a warm embrace of his catcher. Of all the people in the world I’ve never met in person, he’s done more to make me happy than anyone not named Springsteen. I should send him a fruit basket or something.
7. One quick thought on the World Series before I retreat into my writing/running fugue state: Whichever team gets more out of its erstwhile number two (A.J. Burnett/Cole Hamels) will win. This’ll be fun.
