WHY THE YANKEES ARE IN CONTROL

There's a big game on tonight that can really propel a strong momentum going into the ALCS Friday night against the Yankees. Now first off, I want to state that I love the Yankees chances. Here's Why: confidence is high, pitching is hot as hell and getting Hughes over the first hump has given him the feeling of invincibility. Hitting is spectacular and small ball has emerged as a compatible asset to the stellar pitching. The Yankees are a freight train barrelling into town, whichever city that is.

But let's face facts, both Texas and Tampa Bay are good. If the Rays win tonight, they will be flying high tonight and going into friday, it could be dangerous. Why? They'll be in the packed Trop and the Rays will be talking smack because they won 3 in a row from the Rangers... Something that doesn't happen.

If Cliff Lee shuts down the Rays tonight, that team will continue to be a driving force toward the unthinkable, a possible World Series in Texas that has never happened before.

But... and this is a big but, I believe in my New York Yankees. Here's Why... And I'll analyze both teams.

Texas Rangers: Cliff Lee is amazing, and he'll be great tonight, but he won't be pitching on Friday night whether he wins or loses tonight, C.J. Wilson will and the Yankees can beat C.J. Wilson. They've seen him a lot and they know what he has and he's not a number a 1 starter. And, by the way, don't be fooled by the TBS and ESPN radio announcers... Wilson is good, but beatable. They talk about him like he's Jesus and I just don't see it. Also, Cliff Lee won't pitch on 3 days rest and as Klapisch says, until he does that successfully, Lee's not elite. . So, that's a plus for NewYork. If New York takes game 1 with Sabathia and has a matchup of the most winningest post season pitcher Pettitte against Lee in Game 2, it's logical to side with New York.

Tampa Bay Rays: David Price, a proven starter has good nights and his bad nights too. But the bottom line is, if Price pitches tonight, they'd be fools to put his young inexperienced arm out there on 3 days rest against the Yankees Friday... Then what? They'd have to trot out one of the others, Shields, Garza, Niemann? The Yankees can beat all of them.

Again, the only way the Yankees win the ALCS is, Eye on the prize: pitching needs to be slightly better than the ALDS, small ball, speed and hard defense, and I'll take an unstoppable A-Rod and Tex, kind of like last year.

To me, tonight doesn't matter to New York. Yankees get what they get, and either way, They know what to do. It's October baseball, the way New York likes it.

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