ALCS Game 5 Preview: Backs Against The Wall

Pitching Matchup: Sabathia (1-0) vs. Wilson (1-0)

Lineups:

NY: Jeter- SS, Swish- RF, Cano- 2B, A-Rod- 3B, Thames- DH, Berkman- 1B, Posada- C, C-Grand- CF, Gardner- LF

TX: Andrus- SS, Young- 3B, Hamilton- CF, Vlad- DH, Cruz- LF, Kinsler- 2B, Francoeur- RF, Treanor- C, Moreland- 1B

3 Things To Watch For:

1) Whether The Yankee Lineup Will Finally Start Hitting

.198/.295/.321 team line for the series.  Those numbers get even uglier if you take out Cano.  'Nuff said.

2) Whether CC Will Bounce Back and Have a Strong Outing

10 IP, 7.20 ERA, 1.80 WHIP in 2 starts this postseason on long rest.  Back today on regular rest.  'Nuff said.

3) Whether The Bullpen Will Wake Up And Stop Getting Shelled

14 IP, 16 H, 8 BB, 11 ER, 7.07 ERA, 1.71 WHIP over 4 games.  Those numbers get even uglier if you take out Wood, Moseley, and Mo's 5 scoreless innings.  'Nuff said.

Player to Watch: All of Them

The Yankees are out of chances.  One more loss and everybody goes home to make vacation plans while we begin to fire up the offseason hot stove rumor mill and figure out how much they should offer Cliff Lee.  Save for the last few innings of Game 1, they have been thoroughly outplayed and outmanaged in every facet of the game by the Rangers.  The injury to Teix obviously left everybody shocked and disoriented and they never seemed to recover, but they have to shake that off and get focused on the task at hand, which is win tonight and force the series back to Texas.

In honor of all the "do or die," "back against the wall," "there is no tomorrow" cliches that will be thrown around tonight, we'll join in and get cliche as all hell with our musical intro.  So far the Yankees have had the eye of the schmuck.  Tonight they need to have the eye of tiger.  BOOM!!