Series in Review: Cleveland 3, Detroit 0

The Yankees had a ten-week period where they were under .500.  Both teams have put their dry spells pretty convincingly behind them.

The Indians are plenty dangerous.  Ask the Tigers.  Ask the Twins.

Plus, as I showed in my post above, we've faced better competition over that same stretch the media talks about (the last 25 or so) and we've posted a better record.  And like I also said, it's not so much if you can beat the cupcakes; can you beat the quality competition, and in the recent stretch, the Indians have matched or outdone the Yankees in that category, against tougher pitching.  We've beaten Johan twice and Verlander twice in the last month, while the Yankees didn't beat Burnett or Beckett, nor faced Halladay.  

Essentially, as Jay put it, we are just as tough as the Yankees are, with better pitching, and usually, better pitching is what leads to victories in October, not better hitting.  The '95 Indians had as good of an offensive club as this Yankees' team does, yet did they tattoo Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine?  No.  Sabathia and Carmona both throw harder than those two and have comparable stuff to those two, which is why I think the Yankees won't be scoring that many runs off these two, whereas I think our offense is capable of scoring 4-5 runs off any of the Yankees starters.

In fact, wasn't one of the main complaints against the 90's Indians the fact we lacked a dominant ace?  Well, by my count, this 2007 edition has not 1, but 2, dominant aces.  Also by my count, the Yankees have essentially zero.  In my opinion, Pettitte/Clemens/Mussina remind me very much of Orel Hershiser and Dennis Martinez - quality veterans who are past their primes.  They can still deliver quality outings, but can't be counted on consistently to put up the dominant starts they were once able to do with regularity, much like Hershiser and Martinez in the mid-90s.

Combine that with a Mariano Rivera who hasn't been the same dominant closer he's been in the past (good, certainly, but not where you think the game is automatically over when he comes into the game - he nearly blew the lead against Baltimore on Wednesday, luckily able to strike out Scott Moore, who has limited ML experience, on an outside strike call with the bases loaded) and I think the Indians have at least a solid shot of defeating the Yankees in the postseason.  

The national media and many still think the Yankees have that invincible aura from past Octobers, but that hasn't helped them go all the way the past 6 seasons.  Plus, the Yankees haven't gotten out of the first round the past two years, to both the Angels (who have not been mystified by the so-called Yankee mystique) and the Tigers (who had no recent playoff history success against the Yankees, yet defeated them in 3 straight games after losing Game 1 if I remember correctly.)  

So, I'm not saying the Yankees aren't dangerous, but all this national media talk about the Yankees being the hottest team is incorrect, nor are they without their weaknesses, just like all the postseason participants have their strengths and weaknesses.

Just my 2 cents - no offense.

  YEAR     Home/Away
  2007     4.06/4.83
  2006     2.88/5.40
  2005     4.31/4.66
  2004     2.37/4.34 [first season where Jake started the season in the rotation]
 04-06     3.22/4.70

Then again, anything can happen in the playoffs! But I do like the idea of lining up all the little match ups in one's favor and letting the results play out.

I don't it matters whether we pitch C.C or Carmona in NYY or BOS or the moon. Their Home/Away splits don't reveal much. Although Byrd's Home/Away splits for this season and 2006 suggest that he could benefit from pitching on the road.

In the end, I just want a rested and hungry rotation going right at the Yanks throat. I think they would have an advantage over us in the longer series (7 games) because we'd have to get 3 starts from Byrd and Westbrook. However, in the ALDS (8-day affair), they'd have to face C.C and Carmona 4 times. I don't care how good their offense is, facing our guys guys ain't no picnic.

Seems he'd fit in well in the old Sea of Red.

LET'S GO TRIBE

This was a quick and dirty list.  I doubt using a more accurate stat would change it much.  All these pitchers are in the same league, and it happens that their four home parks have been the four highest run-scoring environments in that league this season.

If they have a more specific point to make, let them make it.

"So, you're saying there's still a chance!"

Hello NickFantana,

Even if the Tigers had won that 3rd game, the lead still would have been 5.5 games, the magic number would have been 5 (now 4 after tonight's game,) and the Indians would still be a pretty strong bet to clinch the AL Central.

Just my 2 cents.  :-)