ALDS Game 1: Yankees @ Orioles

Postseason Career Stats

 7-4 - Record - 0-0

 4.81 - ERA - 9.82

Of course the Yankees and Orioles had to come down to the postseason !

The only thing I don't like about this, is A.L East rivals meeting in the ALDS. This is such a big series - and to have in a best of five, is ridiculous. If the Boston Red Sox were in this we'd have Yankees and Red Sox in the ALDS. Doesn't sound right.

But it is what it is, and we will see these two finally battle it down after a long, long fight in the season for the division. Now in the Orioles eyes, the A.L East Division title looks like nothing. I'm sure they were upset not winning the east, but they can have the last laugh and beat the Yankees in a playoff series.

Yankees First Round History: Since 2002, the Yankees have not defeated a non-Minnesota Twin team in the division series. In the past nine years they've only beaten the Twins in the round. The last time they got past the first round without beating the Twins, was in 2001 against the Oakland Athletics. That is staggering.

That has to change this year. I'm not saying the Twins are an easy team to beat, but they're unmatched when they see the Yankees, and the Yankees take advantage of that. Yankees need to show they have to see the Twins in order to pass the first round.

Orioles Advantage: Bullpen. Especially with Jim Johnson in the back. But the middle part of it is just as good.

Orioles offense can score runs without the homeruns a little more than the Yankees -- just a little. We saw that in the Wild Card game against the Rangers. They didn't hit the homerun, they got clutch hits.

Yankees Advantage: Starting Rotation. Yankees have the best one-two starters in the postseason with C.C Sabathia and Andy Pettitte.

Game 1 and 2 is an advantage to the Yankees since they've always hit well in Camden Yards.

C.C Sabathia: He's got to go into this Game 1 and pitch well; pitch like the ace he is. A big game from Sabathia sets a such a tone through the entire team. That's what he did in 2009, but hasn't done lately.

Since 09, C.C has not pitched well in a Game 1 start. Even against the Twins in 2010, he allowed 4 runs.

This postseason might have a different feel for Sabathia, with Pettitte behind him. Last year he had a rookie Ivan Nova and a unsure A.J Burnett. So I think Sabathia is going to feel less pressured with Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda behind him.

Offensive Keys for Yankees: Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki and Eduardo Nunez. These three can get runners home without hitting the homerun. If these three can do that, the Yankees will be dangerous.

Opposing teams coaches who play the Yankees in the postseason, always say - we have to keep the Yankees in the ballpark. I know you can't change the Yankees for who they are, but, that's the three hitters I mentioned -- Jeter, Suzuki, Nunez -- can hit with runners on without hitting the big homerun.

Mark Teixeira: I'm not worried about him. Yankee fans overreact on Teixeira. I've been hearing Yankee fans say they want to bench Teixeira if he doesn't hit -- you've got to be kidding me.

I'm not worried about Teixeira, I think he's gonna hit. And even if he doesn't hit I want him in the game for his glove. I'm not going to bench the best defensive first basemen in baseball. That would be idiotic.

Alex Rodriguez: There's a feeling inside me that A-Rod is going to explode. He's due to have a major postseason.

All A-Rod needs is a homerun in this game. If that happens, watch out ...

Raul Ibanez (19 HR, 62 RBI, .240 AVG)  - DH - Jim Thome (3 HR, 10 RBI, .257 AVG)
EDGE

Russell Martin (21 HR, 53 RBI, .211 AVG) - C - Matt Wieters (23 HR, 83 RBI, .249 AVG)
EDGE

Mark Teixeira (24 HR, 84 RBI, .251 AVG) - 1B - Mark Reynolds (23 HR, 69 RBI, .221 AVG)
EDGE

Robert Adino (7HR, 28 RBI, .211 AVG) - SS - Robinson Cano (33 HR, 94 RBI, .313 AVG)
EDGE

J.J Hardy (22 HR, 68 RBI, .238 AVG) - SS - Derek Jeter (15 HR, 58 RBI, .316 AVG)
EDGE

Manny Machado (7 HR, 26 RBI, .262 AVG) - 3B - Alex Rodriguez (18 HR, 57 RBI, .272 AVG)
EDGE

Nick Swisher (24 HR, 93 RBI, .272) - RF - Chris Davis (HR33, RBI 85, .270 AVG)
EVEN

Curtis Granderson (43 HR, 106 RBI, .232 AVG) - CF - Adam Jones (32 HR, 82 RBI, .287 AVG)
EVEN

Ichiro Suzuki (5 HR, 27 RBI, .322 AVG) - LF - Nate Mclouth (7 HR, 18 RBI, .268 AVG)
EVEN