ALCS Game 3: Lee locked in, Yanks offense locked in neutral

There's no way you can take away from what Cliff Lee did last night.

Trust me, I'd love to. I wish I could say it had something to do with his "magic" hat, a pact with Satan, or some potent HGH cocktail guzzled before first pitch, but I just can't.

It was, quite truly, one of the greatest pitching performances in postseason history. Eight innings, no runs, two singles, one walk, 13 strikeouts. I can't ever remember a Yankee team being quite so dominated. I'm not so sure he wouldn't have thrown 16 scoreless innings had he been asked to.

But as brilliant as Lee was, there's no denying that something is going on with the Yankees' offense right now. Throw out the eighth inning of Game 1, and New York has scored an almost unthinkable three runs in 26 innings against the Texas Rangers.

The Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers! With all due respect to C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, and Lee, Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz they are not.

There are culprits up and down the lineup right now. Derek Jeter (3-for-13) is doing himself no favors in his last gasp contract push. Nick Swisher (1-for-11) had a great 11-pitch at-bat against Lee last night, but his postseason struggles march on. Mark Teixeira (1-for-11), just as he was last October, looks completely lost. Alex Rodriguez (2-for-13) has had some good swings, but not much to show for it. Jorge Posada (2-for-10) has looked every bit like a 39-year-old catcher whose mind is predisposed on how many bases will be stolen on him the following inning.

The Yankees are hitting .194 as a team through three games. When you remember that their starters were bombed in both Game 1 and Game 2, it's a minor miracle this series isn't already over at 3-0.

If the Yankees go on to lose the ALCS, something tells me GM Brian Cashman will take a lot of heat for not sealing the deal to acquire Lee back in July. But the criticism Cashman may receive will pale in comparison to the heat Joe Girardi will take if A.J. Burnett gets bombed tonight in Game 4.

It's funny how this has played out. I think every Yankee fan knew in the back of his or her mind that Burnett would end up being counted on at some point in this postseason.

That time has arrived. It's a terrifying, bone chilling, vomit-inducing thought, but Girardi has decided he rather give his struggling right-hander the shot rather than put his other starters on short rest.

It's a massive gamble for sure. A potential season-wrecker is another way to put it. Take off your pinstripes, put on a sweatsuit, matching Nikes and drink the red kool-aid is another way to say it.

Part of me thinks this wouldn't be happening if CC Sabathia hadn't suddenly become a question mark these past two weeks. It could be that tiny bit of faith Girardi has lost in his ace that has led to Burnett getting his shot here.

Still, I'm surprised. It was recently as Friday night that ESPN's Buster Olney reported that after an awful simulated game performance (two hit batters, one ball thrown back to the screen), the Yankees would do everything in their power to avoid using Burnett.

That philosophy has obviously changed now.

I'll leave you with some optimism here: A little less than a year ago, Cliff Lee dominated New York at Yankee Stadium to give his team, then the Phillies, a huge upper hand in a best-of-seven series.

The starter the next night for the Yanks was none other than Allan James Burnett. I remember needing to drink heavily before first pitch armed with the knowledge that another shaky Burnett outing would likely blow up my season.

You all remember what happened. Burnett was awesome, striking out nine over seven innings in a 3-1 Yankee win.

I bring this up not to make you feel good about tonight's game, because I know that's kind of impossible. But remember that as horrible as Burnett has been, he still has the physical capability to excel in a big spot. It's what makes him so maddening.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to buy out all the vodka within a seven-mile radius.

Stray thoughts:

• A big River & Sunset pat on the back is in store for Andy Pettitte, who other than one bad pitch to Josh Hamilton, was everything you could have asked for. A shame the offense couldn't back up the old man.

• A big River & Sunset whuck is in store for David Robertson, who got his brains beat in hours after I had waxed poetic about how he, not Kerry Wood, should be the eighth-inning guy. Thanks pal.
  

• From my buddy Howie (@howardblu) via SI.com's Tom Verducci: Burnett hasn't pitched in 17 days, hasn't won a game in 49 days and hasn't beaten a winning team in 147 days. New York is 2-10 in games Burnett has pitched since August. This season in four starts with six or more days of rest, Burnett was 0-2 with a 9.25 ERA. In other words, get out the perfect game celebration bubbly!
  

• Back to Pettitte, SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted today that Yankee officials are said to be unsure if No. 46 will retire or come back in '11. I say there's no way he quits yet.

• The Chicago Cubs have hired a new manager, and it’s not Joe Girardi. Interim manager Mike Quade was given the gig full-time today. I suppose this hurts Girardi in terms of leverage with Yankees, though I'm sure they'll get something done assuming he wants to come back. He still looks pretty miserable to me.

• Melky Cabrera was released by the Braves. Do I smell a Robbie-Melky glowstick reunion on the horizon?!?

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

ALCS Game 3: NOW Yankees can turn attention to Cliff Lee

Let's face it: The Yankees are very fortunate they're not preparing to face Cliff Lee tonight trying to avoid a 3-0 hole in the ALCS.

That reality wasn't far off. If you want to break it down, you could say the Yankees were outplayed in 16 of the 18 innings in Arlington. Luckily, the two innings New York had the upper hand were the last two in Game 1's unlikely comeback.

Now they face the much bally-hooed Lee, who it seems has been preordained for glory before he ever steps on the mound at Yankee Stadium.

Never mind the fact that the Yankees have actually had some success against the left-hander (including last year in the World Series), or that New York counters with one of the best postseason pitchers who ever lived.

Oh right. Andy Pettitte. People always seem to forget about Andy Pettitte. For those a little murky on the subject, here's a quick refresher:

• 240 career victories


• Five World Series rings


• Won clinching game in all three rounds of 2009 postseason


• Went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 2010 regular season


• Has 19 postseason wins


• Pitched seven strong innings in ALDS victory over Twins


• Recently completed a well-documented journey to comfort


• Allowed two runs in eight innings to beat Texas in April


• Is 7-1 in 11 career ALCS starts

The way the Yankees' chances in this game are being described, you'd think Melido Perez was getting a spot start. Don't sleep on the type of competitor Pettitte is, either. You think he hasn't noticed how the media has fawned over Lee and crowned him as the best left-hander since Sandy Freaking Koufax?

I don't doubt that Lee will pitch well tonight. Just don't be surprised if this becomes a battle of the bullpens, where both starters do their jobs well and we head to the eighth inning with a 2-2 game.

I think that's more likely than the current populace prediction: Lee channels Steve Nebraska in The Scout, strikes out 27 straight on 81 pitches, hits two homers, cures A.I.D.S. then opens a successful chain of T.G.I. Friday's restaurants around greater Dallas.

I think all that happened in The Scout. I tend not to see Brendan Fraser movies more than once, unless that movie is called Encino Man.

My friend Howie is a season ticket holder who also doubles as the most pessimistic Yankee fan alive. I'm usually talking him off the ledge — he famously declared the 2009 Yanks dead in May, and had he been around in the 1920s, he would have railed against Babe Ruth's lack of closing speed on balls hit in the gap. But I can't argue with his theory that New York needs to take two out of three in the Bronx to have any chance here.

Going down 3-2 just seems a steep hill to climb with the starting pitching being as suspect as it has been. Even CC Sabathia has dropped down to "show me" status until he can put together seven or eight strong innings.

Joe Torre always said that Game 3 was the most important game of any playoff series. I'm inclined to agree. Are the Yankees done if they can't beat Lee and the Rangers tonight? Nah. But a sense of dread will certainly start to creep into the proceedings.

Stray thoughts:

• I mentioned this during my live blog, but it's worth bringing up again. Mark Teixeira is now a .183 (15-for-82) hitter in the postseason as a member of the New York Yankees. I'm no face and body language expert, but it appears Teixeira's head might explode if he gets any tighter at the plate. Relax T-800. Relax.

• His final two at-bats on Saturday aside, Robinson Cano looks locked in right now. I expect more big things from him tonight. No left-handed hitter had more homers off lefties than Cano in '10. Cliff Lee throws with his left arm. This is literary device called foreshadowing.

• Among pitchers not named Mariano, I don't think I trust any reliever in the Yankees bullpen more than David Robertson. Joe Girardi seems set in the idea of Kerry Wood as the eighth-inning guy right now, however. I'm still uneasy about this.

• Regarding Cliff Lee and the Stuff On His Hat: I'm going to assume he's a cheater and a liar and a crook until it's proved otherwise. And what about his last name? Am I supposed to believe it's really Lee? I think there's some Don Draper/Dick Whitman stuff going on here.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

LIVE BLOG: ALCS Game 2 - Yankees at Rangers

4:06 p.m. - Let's do this thing.

4:13 p.m. - Sorry, some technical difficulties here. I'm starting to think Derek Jeter would swing at a kitten if a pitcher threw it at him at this point. Anyway, Yanks go 1-2-3 against Colby Lewis in the first.

4:20 p.m. - Elvis Andrus reaches on an infield single then moves to second on a wild pitch. TBS cuts to a lot of ugly Rangers fans doing the antlers thing. It is dumb.

4:23 p.m. - Okay, I think we can see where this is going. Posada had a very shaky game behind the plate on Friday, and the Rangers obviously noticed. Running all over the place right now.

4:24 p.m. - Side note: Elvis Andrus claims he hasn't cut his hair since spring training. Shouldn't it be longer than mid-neck length? Is he okay?

4:30 p.m. - Posada exposed again. He doesn't look Andrus back at third before throwing down to second to get Hamilton, allowing Andrus to steal home. It's sad to watch, but this guy just shouldn't be behind the plate right now.

4:31 p.m. - Hughes gets Cruz to strike out the side, but Posada's gaffe leaves the Yankees trailing 1-0 after the first. Luckily, Texas must get ahead by at least six runs to have any shot at victory.

4:38 p.m. - Robbie Cano just misses a solo homer to right-center. TBS' Ernie Johnson, meanwhile, makes a joke at first-base coach Mick Kelleher's expense about getting hit in the balls during the ALDS.

4:40 p.m. - Nick Swisher rips a two-out double to right. Yankees getting some good swings on Lewis.

4:42 p.m. - Anybody notice John Smoltz get caught rooting for Texas there? Said something along the lines of, "Hopefully Lewis can get out of this...", before clearly catching himself. Yes, I'm insane.

4:43 p.m. - Posada gets the benefit of the doubt on a 3-2 pitch, Yanks have runners on first and second with Fat Puma coming up.

4:46 p.m. - Berkman ropes one to right that Cruz manages to track down for the third out. No damage, but there's a silver lining here: Yanks are getting good hacks on Lewis.

4:48 p.m. - Fun fact that may only interest me: Phil Hughes loves Collective Soul. Most underrated Collective Soul song: "Run". Gloriously terrible.

4:51 p.m. - David Murphy homers off the stupid overhang in right and its 2-0. Meanwhile, the Rangers play the theme to The Natural. Probably should have played The Fringe Player.

4:55 p.m. - Bummed that Jorge Cantu isn't in the starting lineup for the Rangers today. Things are always better when a guy who looks like a Dick Tracy character is involved.

4:57 p.m. - After Elvis Andrus singles, Michael Young squibs one down the first-base line and it's 3-0. Second and third with Rangers looking to blow it open with Hamilton. Not good, Phil.

4:58 p.m. - Beer No. 2.

4:59 p.m. - HUUUGE out by Hughes, who gets Vlad to groundout to A-Rod with the bases loaded. 3-0 = eminently doable.

5:08 p.m. - Nolan Ryan's long-grass plan backfires as Jeter legs out a nubber in front of the plate. Somewhere, Robin Ventura is smiling broadly.

5:10 p.m. - Curtis Granderson hit by a pitch that bounced, bringing up Mark Teixeira with runners on first and second and one out.

5:13 p.m. - Bad job by the Yanks' big boppers there, as Tex and A-Rod are retired easily to end two-on, no out threat. Not happy about how that played out at all.

5:17 p.m. - Ron Darling wore a fat suit in Shallow Hal. I would love for Big Ern to ask him about that shit.

5:19 p.m. - Time for Easy Cheese to man up. Man on third, one out. Can he find a way out of this?

5:20 p.m. - Terrible job by Hughes today. Gets ahead of Murphy, then serves up RBI double and it's 4-0. Yanks' starting pitching has left a lot to be desired through two games.

5:22 p.m. - When Bengie Molina is raking on you, you know you're having a bad day. 5-0.

5:25 p.m. - Andrus hits a screaming liner, but it's right at Cano to end the inning. Epic fail for both CC and Hughes in ALCS. On the bright side, the Yankees proved 12 hours ago that a 5-0 deficit can be overcome. And then there's this: Colby Lewis kind of sucks.

5:28 p.m. - TBS cuts to a luxury box shot of Dirk Nowitzki wearing a Dirk Nowitzki Rangers jersey. Bush league, bro.

5:29 p.m. - Cano ropes a double off the wall in center. That guy can hit. Time to start chipping away.

5:30 p.m. - What can you say about Posada? He's just not getting it done right now.

5:33 p.m. - Berkman rips an RBI single off Moreland's glove at first, then gets into the most un-athletic rundown in baseball history. He's out, but the Yanks are on the board at 5-1. Chip, chip, chip.

5:39 p.m. - Joe Girardi hates his job. He just looks pained at all times. Makes you wonder if he pulls the, "I just need to take a year off" route.

5:43 p.m. - Not a good series for Vladdy so far. He lines out to right, and it turns into a double play when Hamilton was off with the pitch. 5-1 heading to the fifth.

5:48 p.m. - My friend Bob on Ron Washington: "He kind of looks like Richard Pryor if he was still alive." Well, he's not wrong.

5:50 p.m. - Trying to put this kindly: Texas Rangers fans are hideous looking. That wasn't kindly. Forget it.

5:56 p.m. - Mark Teixeira's goal this season is to make me cry, I'm certain. If so, mission accomplished ... JERK!

5:58 p.m. - Would love to know why Phil Hughes is still playing baseball right now.

6:00 p.m. - Kinsler ropes an RBI triple and it's 6-1. Again, I have no idea why Hughes was still in this game.

6:01 p.m. - Hughes done. Not looking forward to seeing him again, either.

6:09 p.m. - Classic Joba. Flashes you his potential with back-to-back strikeout, then gives up a two-strike single to some guy named Mitch Moreland. Brutal.

6:10 p.m. - Note to self: Live blogging only good idea in theory.

6:17 p.m. - Cano hits a bomb into the upper deck and it's 7-2. He's turning the ALCS into his coming-out party.

6:26 p.m. - Berkman draws a walk to make it first and second in the sixth. Ron Washington itches his nose then comes and gets Lewis. Big chance for Yanks to get back in game here.

6:28 p.m. - Marcus Thames gets the call to pinch-hit. This is a, "Hit a three-run shot, dude" move, all the way.

6:30 p.m. - Thames seeing the ball well right now.

6:34 p.m. - Thames works it to 3-2, then fans on a changeup. Another opportunity goes by the boards.

6:38 p.m. - Hey, a David Robertson sighting!

6:44 p.m. - Robertson strikes out two in a scoreless sixth. This dude is good.

6:47 p.m. - How would the Yankees lineup do against Mariano Rivera? Poorly. They would do poorly. Next question.

6:50 p.m. - Jeter draws a walk to lead off the seventh. A good start for sure.

6:52 p.m. - Wow, Rangers fans. Breaking out the "Yankees Suck" chant again? Didn't we learn our lesson yesterday? Anyway, Granderson pops out and there's one down.

6:53 p.m. - Hey Mark Teixeira ... DO SOMETHING.

6:57 p.m. - Andrus can't corral A-Rod's shallow fly ball and the Yankees have another chance to get back into the game with Cano coming up. Robbie is locked in right now, a good spot.

7:00 p.m. - What's a "clutch call", John Smoltz?

7:01 p.m. - Cano strikes out on a fastball waaaay out of the strike zone. There won't be any comeback today.

7:03 p.m. - For the record, Teixeira is 15-for-82 for the Yankees in the postseason. That's .183.

7:05 p.m. - Did you know that Kid Rock was born free? So was I, but you don't see me writing bad songs about it.

7:15 p.m. - If the Yankees figure out a way to win this game, Robin Ventura better find a closet to hide in.

7:16 p.m. - I love seeing Darren Oliver.

7:28 p.m. - I can't wait to kick Cliff Lee's ass on Monday. Well, not me, but you know what I mean. Shut up.

7:32 p.m. - Looking ahead, it goes without saying the Yankees need a good start out of Pettitte on Monday. Sabathia and Hughes have fallen woefully short, and the needs a starter to stand up to this Texas lineup.

7:35 p.m. - Back to Sabathia and Hughes: Hard to make sense of both their performances. Sabathia was well rested. Hughes had tremendous past success against the Rangers. It does show you that nothing in baseball can be assumed. Remember that if you've already penciled in Cliff Lee for a Game 3 win.

7:41 p.m. - Five stolen bases on Posada today. Kind of sad.

7:59 p.m. - Cano up with men on second and third trying to keep it alive.

7:01 p.m. - Ballgame. 7-2. Blerg.

7:03 p.m. - Not a good showing today, but they got the split, which is really all you're asking for in this situation. Starting pitching needs to get better or Yanks have no shot. Incredibly fortunate to not be in deep trouble right now.

Thanks for reading everybody. Check in with the blog tomorrow for more insight.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

ALCS Game 1: A Comeback To Remember For Yankees

In the 1999 movie Unbreakable, the character played by Samuel L. Jackson explained that the incredible fragility of his bone structure, the reason he was derisively known as Mr. Glass, was directly tied to the fact that Bruce Willis' character was seemingly invincible.

Mr. Glass reasoned that if there's someone in the world who represents the extreme on one end, then the universe must have a person somewhere who represents the opposite end of the spectrum.

It made Jackson and Willis natural foes, and their relationship served as the crux of one of the last decent movies M. Night Shyamalan made before people started exiting theaters saying things like, "Hey, how long do you think M. Night has been hiding his brain injury?"

I bring this up because if you caught the camera shot of Nolan Ryan after the Yankees rallied to go ahead of the Rangers on Friday night — rotten scowl, arms folded, chin melded to his chest — you know that I was 1,500 miles away with the exact opposite expression.

If you've been caught off-guard by this resourceful, tenacious side of the Yankees, you're not alone. This was a championship-caliber win, the type of victory I never thought this team had in them as recently as 10 days ago.

CC Sabathia gets knocked out of the game after four innings, you expect to lose. Your offense goes silent for six straight innings to begin the game, you figure you have no shot. Fall down five runs, on the road, in a playoff game, you should probably pack it in. And yet, the Yankees will wake up on Saturday morning with a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS.

It couldn't have been done without the following people:

Dustin Moseley: The casual Yankee fan sitting next to you at the bar had no idea who Moseley was when he entered the game. Even you may have only known the right-hander as the guy who is (slightly) better than Chad Gaudin. But Moseley's two scoreless innings turned out to be huge for a Yankee team that trailed 5-0 by the time Sabathia was pulled from the game. Moseley was credited with his first postseason victory. It was much deserved.

Brett Gardner: He's gritty, he's gutty, and now he has his signature moment as a Yankee. Gardner's hustle infield single leading off the eighth inning — including poorly thought-out headfirst slide! — seemed harmless at the time, but it became the spark that ignited the Yankees' winning rally. Bonus points are in order for Gardy giving Craig Sager the "You don't expect me to take you seriously?" look throughout his postgame interview.

Derek Jeter: I wrote on Wednesday that I thought that Jeter would rise to the occasion in the ALCS; his usual October brilliance melding with a final opportunity to gain leverage in upcoming contract negotiations. So far, so good for Jeter, who doubled twice in Game 1. His first two-bagger drove in Gardner, sending New York's classic rally into overdrive.

Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod was having a night to forget until the top of the eighth (0-for-3, error), when his bases-loaded double quieted the Arlington crowd and drew the Yankees within one run. It was type of hit that Rodriguez regularly delivered during the 2009 postseason, and it proved No. 13's flair for the dramatic remains intact.

Ron Washington: I don't want to be too hard on Washington, who was betrayed by his bullpen and probably would be a great dude to listen to old jazz records with. But his decision not to turn to Neftali Feliz as the game unraveled in the eighth was ripe for first-, second- and third-guessing. Having a lefty come in to face Marcus Thames in a tie game wasn't the wisest move, either.

Ian Kinsler: Can't get picked off there, bro. Just can't happen. This is the playoffs, meat.

President George W. Bush: In fairness, Dubya wasn't really to blame for the Rangers' mess, but his attendance at the game did lead to the tweet of the night by ESPN the Magazine senior writer @jorgearangure: "I bet George W Bush authorized a sign that read "Mission Accomplished" after the 7th inning." Ouch.

Mariano Rivera: You can gauge how big a win is by how Mo reacts after getting the final out. In this case, it was both a passionate fist pump and shout. That's a 9/10 on the Mo Scale. Allowing the leadoff single to pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland led to some tense moments, but Rivera got it done like he has so many times before. Beating Michael Young and Josh Hamilton to end it was no easy feat, the G.O.A.T. just made it look that way.

Stray thoughts:

• It seemed like glorified mop-up duty at the time, but at least Joba Chamberlain can finally say he has a place in the 2010 postseason. Pretty amazing that he's went from future of the franchise to playoff fringe guy in little over a year. Will this reality serve as a wake up call that makes him work harder to improve himself in the offseason? Or are we watching the start of a descent into oblivion? Vegas has even odds.

• Derek Jeter Contract Watch: Four years, $52 million (up one year, $7 million since beginning of ALCS).

• Must admit I was pretty disappointed by Sabathia's performance. There was an undeniable Chien-Ming-Wang-in-'07-ALDS stench to the whole proceedings. Clearly the layoff affected him, but he seemed genuinely rattled at times as well. The big man needs to be better. A lot better.

• Funny how the "Yankees suck!" chants in Arlington died down by the late innings. Weird how that works.
  

• Will be interesting to see how Rangers bounce back from a truly wretched defeat. A weaker team (see: Twins, Minnesota) would lay down and die after a loss like that. We'll find out how Washington's bunch reacts on Saturday.

• Phil Hughes' career numbers in Arlington: 15 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 13 K, 1 no-hitter ruined by a douchechill hamstring. I'm just sayin' ...

• Important River & Sunset program note: I will be live blogging Game 2 of the ALCS right here on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Join me won't you?
  

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

ALCS Preview: Sabathia must stand up and deliver in Game 1

I'm so sick of Cliff Lee.

It's nothing personal against the guy, and I'm choosing my words carefully here, since he's probably going to pitch every fifth day for my team next season.

But the three days separating the end of the ALDS and tonight's ALCS opener has spawned a level of hero worship not seen since Sully defeated the seagulls.

It's literally all people can talk about. Roy Halladay throws a perfect game? Who cares. Tim Lincecum strikes out 14 (probably while high)? Big deal. Cliff Lee mows down a pathetic Rays offense twice? American hero.

You could tell the Yankees were sick of hearing about Lee this week, too. The Rangers ace was the main line of questioning for the first two days of workouts at the Stadium, this despite the fact that New York won't see the left-hander until Game 3.

"Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, but all we're worried about right now is Game 1."

I usually get frustrated when players fall back on stock answers like this, but in this case, what other answer could they give?

"Cliff Lee is the best pitcher ever. We're not even thinking about the first two games of this pennant-deciding series because we can't stop thinking about how easily Cliff Lee is going to defeat us next Monday. Us guys in the clubhouse actually started the #cliffleefacts Twitter hashtag. He's hot, too."

That doesn't make sense, right? Well, especially the last part.

I'll get into more when Lee's turn actually does come up, but the reality is that the Yankees have had some success against him. Everyone knows about his dominant performance in Game 1 of the World Series last year, but few mention Game 5, when he allowed five runs over seven innings.

To quote Duke from Rocky IV: "He's not a machine, he's a man, he's a man!"

As the Yankee Haters amongst you have no doubt told you, this postseason has broken just right for New York thus far.

I love all the ridiculous grassy knoll theories that Joe Girardi tanked the end of the regular season so the Yankees would miss Lee and the Rangers in the ALDS. To me, it was simply a fortuitous twist of fate, like when you blew the opportunity to hook up with the hottest chick at the office Christmas party only to find out later she has a vicious strain of herpes.

The Rangers and Rays going five games obviously helped the Yankees as well. The fruits of this good fortune is immediate with tonight's matchup of CC Sabathia meeting not his friend Lee, but C.J. Wilson.

Wilson is a left-hander coming off a breakout season in 2010, two facts that lead you to believe he should have success on Friday night. But his splits tell the story of a pitcher that excelled against most teams, but not against the Yankees.

Wilson was winless in three starts against New York, pitching to a 5.65 ERA over 14 1/3 innings. The Yankees batted .300 as a team against him.

Then you have Sabathia, who received some good fortune himself in the opening round of the playoffs. The lefty wasn't sharp against the Twins, but still got the win when teammates rallied off Francisco Liriano in the seventh inning.

The Yankees need Sabathia to revert back to form on Friday. When he's at the top of his game, Sabathia is every bit the pitcher that Lee is, possibly even better. Sabathia proved that at this time last year, when he won twice against the Angels in picking up the ALCS MVP.

Every Game 1 is important, but in a series that seems too close to call, this Game 1 means even more. Time for the big man to stand and deliver.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

2010 ALCS: Jeter has much to gain as October rolls on

I imagine the Tampa estate that Derek Jeter calls home has a room (or wing) devoted to all the awards and trophies he has amassed over his Hall of Fame career.

I'm guessing he takes the room and what it represents for granted at this point in his life. He probably won't truly be able to appreciate all he has accomplished until his ride as a professional athlete comes to an end. This may explain why he's using his 2004 Gold Glove award to prop open his attic closet.

That said, something tells me there's one accolade that brings him instant gratification ... and it belongs to his fiancé, Minka Kelly.

The Friday Night Lights star was recently named Esquire magazine's "Sexiest Woman Alive" for 2010. Past winners include Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, and Scarlett Johansson.

(In case you're keeping track at home, Jeter has bedded two of the last five women named by a globally respected publication as the hottest chick in the world. This is awesome.)

Yes, it's been a good October for Jeter, a man who has made his reputation in the fall. His team, the New York Yankees, will begin the quest for their 41st American League pennant on Friday when they kick off the ALCS against the Texas Rangers.

The 36-year-old shortstop has always had impeccable timing — his first year as a pro doubled as the Yankees' first championship in 18 years, after all — but the timing hasn't been great in regard to the end of the massive 10-year contract Jeter signed in 2000.

Jeter was third in AL MVP voting in 2009, but he had the worst season of his career in 2010, batting just .270 as his production dropped precipitously across the board.

But Jeter, more than anyone, knows that being a Yankee means producing not in April and May, but October. He had a quiet first round of the playoffs, with four singles in 14 at-bats against the Twins, but there is much money to be made by excelling in the ALCS.

I know, I know, how much money does one guy need? I'll hand that over to Yankees season ticket holder Bruce Springsteen from his classic "Badlands": "Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, and a king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything."

Jeter has reached the "king" stage of his life. ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney told Bill Simmons on Monday that he believed the Yankees will offer Jeter a contract in the range of three years for $45 million, obviously well below the three years, $75 million that has been widely speculated.

Olney's logic makes sense: They'll offer Jeter the deal and invite him to find a better one. When that doesn't happen, they'll have their icon.

The Yankees aren't dumb. They know Jeter doesn't have any leverage. Six months of mediocre baseball will take that from you. But Jeter still has one more chance at balancing the scales before the last big contract negotiation of his career.

He can go off for the rest of this month.

Say Jeter bats .400 in the ALCS and then wins the World Series MVP. You think the Yankees will be able to stand pat with the original offer they had in mind? No chance.

What's exciting as a Yankee fan is that you know Jeter lives for this type of thing. He's an epic self-motivator. I just don't see any way he doesn't rise to the occasion.

He has the money, the girl, the respect, and the success ... but you know the captain wants more.

The King ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

2010 ALCS: Yankees prepare for the great unknown

I am a fine connoisseur of movies that fall under the banner of "so bad, they're good."

If it has stilted dialogue, gaping plot holes, poor special effects, and gratuitous sex scenes, I am in.

Classics like the Thomas Ian Griffith thriller Crackerjack (1994), Shannon-Elizabeth-gets-violated-by-a-carrot horror flick Jack Frost (1997), and Billy Ray Cyrus action epic Radical Jack (2002) are shockingly dreadful movies that I've watched multiple times, usually while inebriated, with great delight.

This weekend I reached the peak of the "so bad they're good" mountain with The Room, a 2003 indie melodrama written, directed, produced, executive produced, financed, and starring a strange looking and even stranger sounding man by the name of Tommy Wiseau.

I was a little late to the game on The Room. Seven years after flopping in very limited release, the film has become a fairly substantial cult hit with weekly Rocky Horror-type screenings here in L.A. and around the country. Wiseau himself is known to frequent these screenings, apparently unaware that the joke is on him.

The movie makes no sense on several levels. The dialogue is loaded with non sequiturs and is heavily overdubbed. Entire plot elements and even characters are introduced and then completely forgotten. But part of the movie's charm is its unpredictability. Since it doesn't follow any rules previously thought to be understood, anything can happen. It's a complete free-for-all.

In other words, it's kind of like the MLB postseason so far.

We've had a no-hitter (Roy Halladay), a Bill Buckner reincarnate (Brooks Conrad), and a five-game series in which the home team lost every game (Rangers-Rays). We've even had a character introduced then completely forgotten as if they never existed (the Minnesota Twins).

People have asked me what I think about the Yankees' chances against the Rangers in the ALCS. I have no idea. I literally have no feel whatsoever. I didn't think either team was even going to make it out of the ALDS. We're in total crapshoot territory here.

The good news if you're a Yankees fan is that your team has some mojo working right now. Six days between games isn't the greatest way to keep your edge, but it does reinforce the feeling that the struggles of September were from another century.

You also have to feel good about avoiding Cliff Lee until Game 3 of the series. With all due respect to Halladay and Tim Lincecum, Lee is the most dangerous pitcher left in this postseason. He's a bulldog, completely locked in and pitching for a contract that will set his family up for generations. I just peed myself a little thinking about Lee on the mound in a Game 7 at Arlington.

Count me out of the camp that was thrilled when the Rangers knocked off the Rays. Make no mistake, I think Texas won because it was the better team. I was never convinced that the Rays were any good; it's almost amazing to think they won 96 games with some of the stiffs that littered their lineup.

But in sticking with the theme that the 2010 postseason has as much logic to it as the football catch scenes in The Room, I think the Rays would have been the tougher matchup in the ALCS. The two teams played roughly 30,000 times this season, while basically the same Rays roster played in an ALCS (and World Series) just two years ago. Yankee aura and mystique would serve no purpose here.

That could be a different story for the Rangers, who had never even won a postseason series until Tuesday night. And like a washed up hair metal band, the franchise is still dealing with the hard realities of the '90s, when the Yankees won nine straight playoff games over three years.

Everything in my gut is telling me this is a seven-game series. Both teams have strengths and weaknesses that can, and probably will be, exposed. But that's the thing about this postseason — there's no way to tell what's going to happen next.

In other words, be prepared for anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go purchase some adult diapers.

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. His favorite line in "The Room" is easily, "You're tearing me apart, Lisa!!!" Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.