It Has Gotten Late Early for the Usually Pesky Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The grease board hanging from a wall in the Angels’ clubhouse provided instructions for their hitters on Wednesday — “Pack Bats Before Thursday’s Game” — but the words really sent this message to the team: It is not over.
The Angels, after being battered by the Yankees the previous night, 10-1, slept on the uncomfortable reality that they are down, three games to one, in the American League Championship Series, and down to their last chance of solving Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees’ pitching staff.
They will carry their ace, John Lackey, and their usually healthy sense of determination into Game 5 on Thursday night at home. But even in the clubhouse, belief had a fight on its hands with circumstance.
Although the Angels were reminded to pack their equipment for a trip back to New York, first baseman Kendry Morales made his way around the room, asking teammates to autograph one of his jerseys for a friend’s child. It might have been his last chance.
“We just have to keep battling and keep doing what we have to do,” said Torii Hunter, the Angels’ center fielder. “You just can’t give up. That ain’t in a baseball player or a competitor, period.”
Hunter conceded that the Yankees have not allowed the Angels to play their brand of baseball, which has consisted of strong pitching, sound defense and an aggressive approach at the plate and on the basepaths. It is a style that has often given the Yankees fits.
“We’ve been wanting that since the first game,” Hunter said. “Go out there and play our game. We haven’t quite gotten there yet. It’s getting late — the bell’s about to ring. We need to get it done.”
The Angels led the major leagues in hitting with runners in scoring position, but in this series they are 4 for 29 in those situations and have left 33 runners on base. As it has turned out, maybe the Red Sox did not have the Angels’ number all those years in the playoffs; they just had superior pitching. Now, with C. C. Sabathia as dominant as Josh Beckett once was, so do the Yankees.
“Totally different pitchers,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said, comparing this Yankees staff with the ones who were beaten by the Angels in the 2002 and 2005 division series. “We have some pretty good pitchers, man.”
The Yankees’ pitchers have also stymied the Angels on the basepaths. Nothing better demonstrates the muting of their running game than this: Jorge Posada has more stolen bases than Chone Figgins, the Angels’ leadoff batter.
“One little freak thing can turn a series, but they haven’t really made any mistakes,” Figgins said. “In ’05, we made mistakes, but we were able to battle through. But their pitchers are keeping big innings from happening. When they need to make a pitch, they’re making a pitch.”
Then there is the matter of solving Rodriguez, who is batting .375 in the series and has homered in three consecutive games.
“The pitchers on this staff, we’re not going to back down,” said reliever Jason Bulger, who yielded a two-run homer to Rodriguez in Game 4, extending the Yankees’ lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning. “There are no holes in that lineup, so to say you’re going to pitch around one batter might not be the best thing.”
Angels Manager Mike Scioscia seemed less concerned with Rodriguez than he did with Sabathia. The Angels could at least draw comfort from the fact that Sabathia is not pitching Thursday.
“It’s not going to be easy for them to close this out,” Scioscia said, striking a defiant tone. “This isn’t done until the fourth game is won. We obviously have no margin of error, but we have to have confidence.”
No matter what writing is on the wall.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The grease board hanging from a wall in the Angels’ clubhouse provided instructions for their hitters on Wednesday — “Pack Bats Before Thursday’s Game” — but the words really sent this message to the team: It is not over.
The Angels, after being battered by the Yankees the previous night, 10-1, slept on the uncomfortable reality that they are down, three games to one, in the American League Championship Series, and down to their last chance of solving Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees’ pitching staff.
They will carry their ace, John Lackey, and their usually healthy sense of determination into Game 5 on Thursday night at home. But even in the clubhouse, belief had a fight on its hands with circumstance.
Although the Angels were reminded to pack their equipment for a trip back to New York, first baseman Kendry Morales made his way around the room, asking teammates to autograph one of his jerseys for a friend’s child. It might have been his last chance.
“We just have to keep battling and keep doing what we have to do,” said Torii Hunter, the Angels’ center fielder. “You just can’t give up. That ain’t in a baseball player or a competitor, period.”
Hunter conceded that the Yankees have not allowed the Angels to play their brand of baseball, which has consisted of strong pitching, sound defense and an aggressive approach at the plate and on the basepaths. It is a style that has often given the Yankees fits.
“We’ve been wanting that since the first game,” Hunter said. “Go out there and play our game. We haven’t quite gotten there yet. It’s getting late — the bell’s about to ring. We need to get it done.”
The Angels led the major leagues in hitting with runners in scoring position, but in this series they are 4 for 29 in those situations and have left 33 runners on base. As it has turned out, maybe the Red Sox did not have the Angels’ number all those years in the playoffs; they just had superior pitching. Now, with C. C. Sabathia as dominant as Josh Beckett once was, so do the Yankees.
“Totally different pitchers,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said, comparing this Yankees staff with the ones who were beaten by the Angels in the 2002 and 2005 division series. “We have some pretty good pitchers, man.”
The Yankees’ pitchers have also stymied the Angels on the basepaths. Nothing better demonstrates the muting of their running game than this: Jorge Posada has more stolen bases than Chone Figgins, the Angels’ leadoff batter.
“One little freak thing can turn a series, but they haven’t really made any mistakes,” Figgins said. “In ’05, we made mistakes, but we were able to battle through. But their pitchers are keeping big innings from happening. When they need to make a pitch, they’re making a pitch.”
Then there is the matter of solving Rodriguez, who is batting .375 in the series and has homered in three consecutive games.
“The pitchers on this staff, we’re not going to back down,” said reliever Jason Bulger, who yielded a two-run homer to Rodriguez in Game 4, extending the Yankees’ lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning. “There are no holes in that lineup, so to say you’re going to pitch around one batter might not be the best thing.”
Angels Manager Mike Scioscia seemed less concerned with Rodriguez than he did with Sabathia. The Angels could at least draw comfort from the fact that Sabathia is not pitching Thursday.
“It’s not going to be easy for them to close this out,” Scioscia said, striking a defiant tone. “This isn’t done until the fourth game is won. We obviously have no margin of error, but we have to have confidence.”
No matter what writing is on the wall.
Source: New York Times
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