Burnett and Bullpen on Brink

A six-run seventh inning rally wasn’t enough to send the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2003. New York erased a four run Los Angeles lead by knocking in six tallies with two outs in the top of the seventh Thursday night in game five of the ALDS. The New York bullpen’s unparalleled success during the regular season gave up three runs in the bottom of the frame to hand the lead back to the Angels on their home field. Reliever Phil Hughes, so instrumental down the stretch for the best pen in baseball since June, took the loss in the 7-6 Yankees defeat.
We will have baseball Saturday night, and a tension-filled game six after the Angels survived their first elimination game of this division series. Yankee starter, A.J. Burnett yielded eight hits and three walks. The Angels jumped all over Burnett in the first inning before the hurler found his rhythm and settled into a groove. L.A. scored four runs on a pair of singles sandwiched by a Vladimir Guerrero double. Workhorse starter, John Lackey dominated New York through the first six innings for the Halos. The tremendous tosser allowed leadoff singles to Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon before retired the next three batters in the first. He carved up the heart of the Yankee order as New York batters were fanned seven times. The Angels stopper found himself in a comfortable position before he took the ball in the second because his team handed him a four game lead. It was smooth sailing for Lackey until manager, Mike Scioscia pulled him from the game in the elusive seventh. Lackey was convincing in trying to persuade his skipper from yanking him, but it did not work. Scioscia called on Darren Oliver to face Mark Teixeira. Teixeira’s returns have not been blistering this post-season, but last night the first baseman delivered in the ultimate clutch situation. Scioscia may have been regretting waving Oliver into the game after Tex’s bases-clearing double. The lefty Oliver was obliterated by the switch-hitting slugger and the Yankees trailed just 4-3. Obviously, Scioscia’s logic in turning Teixeira around did not work Thursday night.
The Bombers added to their post-season lore by continuing to smash the ball in the super seventh. Hideki Matsui drove in the tying run with a single to center. Alex Rodriguez and Matsui scored the go-ahead and insurance run on Robinson Cano’s triple off Kevin Jepsen. Jepsen would have the final laugh, however. He was the winning pitcher of game five after his team created an enriching rally of their own. Fans in the Angels ballpark pulled out their Rally Monkeys and rooted hard when unexpected hero, catcher Jeff Mathis, scored in the bottom of the seventh. Mathis is suddenly the L.A. version of ARod. The backstop started the rally with his six straight post-season hit before Chone Figgins bunted the runners into scoring position. Mathis reached home on Bobby Abreu’s RBI groundout, and Guerrero clocked in the tying run with a off Hughes. Joe Girardi decided to bring in his right-hander to face Torii Hunter and Guerrero. Damaso Marte replaced Burnett as the southpaw specialist with the task of getting Figgins out. Girardi chose Marte over Phil Coke because the match-ups favored the 34 year old Dominican Republic native. The lefty has a little more bite than Coke. Marte did his job, and Hughes eventually recorded the third out after forking over the lead. Kendry Morales has been in the middle of most of the L.A. rallies against New York in this series. The young first baseman hit the go-ahead run to cap an Angels comeback.
Jered Weaver was the anti-Hughes in a rare relief stint in the L.A. eighth. The starter set down the Bombers in order, with two strikeouts. Joba Chamberlain faced three batters in the bottom of the eighth. The electric Chamberlain struck out Mathis but allowed two hits. Marino Rivera was summoned in relief to limit any more Angels damage. Rivera, almost-always a sure-thing, pitched perfectly in recorded the final two batters. The crux of the bullpen came through again. It’s too bad the same was not said for the rest of the New York relief core. The Yankees had their final chance to send the Angels home Thursday in a very dramatic ninth inning. It wasn’t dramatic because the Yankees laced the ball off Halo closer, Brian Fuentes. Instead, the Yankees used some of L.A.’s own medicine in implementing a little plate discipline. They were handed a few bases thanks to Fuentes’ wildness too. Girardi sent two pinch runners into the game in the final frame. Freddie Guzman replaced Rodriguez, and Brent Gardner ran for Matsui, who both reached on walks. Fuentes hit Cano with a pitch to load the bases for Nick Swisher. Swisher worked a full count with two outs and the bases juiced. The struggling Yankee outfielder fouled off several Fuentes offerings before flying out to the Angels shortstop to end the game.
Fans will flock to the stadium Saturday night to see Andy Pettitte take the hill in game six. Joe Saunders will go for the Angels if the impending rainstorm holds off in the Bronx. Two lefties start with one big chance to star for their respective teams this post-season. The Yankees do not have to panic or scramble to win the next game. They are still one game up on L.A. However, the missed opportunity Thursday may be exactly what the Halos need to get inside the Yankees minds. New York’s mental toughness and grit will be tested this weekend. Both teams are championship-caliber clubs. The frustrated Angels completed an incredible comeback and appeared discouraged last night. New York’s bullpen collapsed and is a concern heading into game six. The Yankees need Pettitte to go deep into the game. The relievers have to become what they were this past summer. The Angels are drawing on plenty of inspiration from an emotional year. The Yankees have a solid lineup to lean on, but they must focus on holding the L.A. offense to minimum scoring opportunities. Burnett’s troubling tendency to fall behind put the Yankees in immediate trouble. The bullpen was exposed by a damaging Angels lineup. The Yankees had a golden opportunity to close out the series after generating one of the most amazing rallies I can remember. They let it slip away once. It can’t happen again. Not from a team that lead the league in come-from-behind victories.

Parting Points: It was so nice to see Florida State win a close game last night.