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Do or die game. Lose and go home. I think the Angels are the better team tonite.
NEW YORK YANKEES @ LA ANGELS ML & OVER 8.5
NYY (2-2) at LAA (2-2) @ 8:05 PM EST.
Mike Mussina and Bartolo Colon are back where they started.
In a rematch of the opener of their American League Division Series, Mussina and Colon will oppose each other when the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim meet in the Game Five clincher on Monday.
Mussina (1-0, 0.00 ERA) outdueled Colon (0-1, 5.14 ERA) with 5 2/3 scoreless innings in New York's 4-2 win in Game One on Tuesday. It was Mussina's third game since coming back from elbow problems and one of his best of the season.
The veteran righthander yielded five hits without walking a batter and retired 12 of the last 14 he faced before turning it over the the Yankees' bullpen, which bent but did not break in giving New York a 1-0 series lead.
"I'm pleased," Yankees manager Joe Torre said of having Mussina waiting in Anaheim for his team to return. "Even though the fact that (Sunday) was his fifth day (of rest), it's not going to hurt him to have the extra day."
After taking the opener, New York endured a pair of losses and a postponement due to rain before rallying for a 3-2 come-from-behind win Sunday to force Game Five.
Working on three day's rest in place of an ill Jarrod Washburn, John Lackey stymied the Yankees through five innings before allowing a run in the sixth to cut Anaheim's lead to 2-1. Like it has done so many times before in The Bronx, New York then grabbed hold of an opportunity in the seventh.
With one out, pinch hitter Ruben Sierra had an RBI single to tie it and Jorge Posada scored from third base on Derek Jeter's grounder, barely beating the throw home from third baseman Chone Figgins to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
And in another familiar scene, Mariano Rivera closed the door on the Angels, retiring all six batters he faced to finish the game and knot the series, 2-2. Despite throwing 36 pitches, Rivera insists he will be available for Torre on Monday.
"We have to go out there and do it," Rivera said. "I feel ready and we're ready for everything. I'll be ready for tomorrow. There's no going back, so we have to keep going. If I have to go two (innings), I have to go two."
The victory allowed New York to avoid seeing an opponent end its season in Yankee Stadium for the second straight year.
Whether or not the Yankees can avoid that fate on the road may rest largely on Colon's shoulders. A strong candidate for the AL Cy Young Award, Colon has struggled against New York this season, going 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in three starts, including his outing in Game One.
In Tuesday's start, Colon was reached for four runs through the first two frames before settling down. He yielded just one walk and two singles thereafter, but the damage was already done.
With an extra day of rest, Angels manager Mike Scioscia is confident Colon, who has been bothered by a sore back, will be ready to go.
"We're confident he's going to be fine," Scioscia said. "The extra day is something that any pitcher can use at this time, and I'm sure that his back will be 100 percent tomorrow and we'll see how long he can go if we need him."
The Angels clinched the 2002 ALDS here with a 9-5 win over the Yankees en route to their first World Series title. New York made it to the AL Championship Series the next two years but remains in pursuit of its 27th crown.
The winner will travel to Chicago to play the White Sox in the best-of-seven ALCS beginning Tuesday.
NEW YORK YANKEES @ LA ANGELS ML & OVER 8.5
NYY (2-2) at LAA (2-2) @ 8:05 PM EST.
Mike Mussina and Bartolo Colon are back where they started.
In a rematch of the opener of their American League Division Series, Mussina and Colon will oppose each other when the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim meet in the Game Five clincher on Monday.
Mussina (1-0, 0.00 ERA) outdueled Colon (0-1, 5.14 ERA) with 5 2/3 scoreless innings in New York's 4-2 win in Game One on Tuesday. It was Mussina's third game since coming back from elbow problems and one of his best of the season.
The veteran righthander yielded five hits without walking a batter and retired 12 of the last 14 he faced before turning it over the the Yankees' bullpen, which bent but did not break in giving New York a 1-0 series lead.
"I'm pleased," Yankees manager Joe Torre said of having Mussina waiting in Anaheim for his team to return. "Even though the fact that (Sunday) was his fifth day (of rest), it's not going to hurt him to have the extra day."
After taking the opener, New York endured a pair of losses and a postponement due to rain before rallying for a 3-2 come-from-behind win Sunday to force Game Five.
Working on three day's rest in place of an ill Jarrod Washburn, John Lackey stymied the Yankees through five innings before allowing a run in the sixth to cut Anaheim's lead to 2-1. Like it has done so many times before in The Bronx, New York then grabbed hold of an opportunity in the seventh.
With one out, pinch hitter Ruben Sierra had an RBI single to tie it and Jorge Posada scored from third base on Derek Jeter's grounder, barely beating the throw home from third baseman Chone Figgins to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
And in another familiar scene, Mariano Rivera closed the door on the Angels, retiring all six batters he faced to finish the game and knot the series, 2-2. Despite throwing 36 pitches, Rivera insists he will be available for Torre on Monday.
"We have to go out there and do it," Rivera said. "I feel ready and we're ready for everything. I'll be ready for tomorrow. There's no going back, so we have to keep going. If I have to go two (innings), I have to go two."
The victory allowed New York to avoid seeing an opponent end its season in Yankee Stadium for the second straight year.
Whether or not the Yankees can avoid that fate on the road may rest largely on Colon's shoulders. A strong candidate for the AL Cy Young Award, Colon has struggled against New York this season, going 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in three starts, including his outing in Game One.
In Tuesday's start, Colon was reached for four runs through the first two frames before settling down. He yielded just one walk and two singles thereafter, but the damage was already done.
With an extra day of rest, Angels manager Mike Scioscia is confident Colon, who has been bothered by a sore back, will be ready to go.
"We're confident he's going to be fine," Scioscia said. "The extra day is something that any pitcher can use at this time, and I'm sure that his back will be 100 percent tomorrow and we'll see how long he can go if we need him."
The Angels clinched the 2002 ALDS here with a 9-5 win over the Yankees en route to their first World Series title. New York made it to the AL Championship Series the next two years but remains in pursuit of its 27th crown.
The winner will travel to Chicago to play the White Sox in the best-of-seven ALCS beginning Tuesday.
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