Rainout Likely Won't Hurt Yanks

With game six of the ALCS postponed tonight and the pundits having 24 more hours to fill with no game to talk about, the inevitable question has arisen:

Who will benefit more from tonight’s cancellation?

As far as the game play on the field, I argue that neither team has an edge playing in the soggy weather. I don’t buy the whole “team from So. California unable to play in wet conditions” thing.

Most players on EITHER roster are from the west coast, southeast or Latin America…cold is cold to these guys regardless of where you play your 82 home games.

Strategically, though, the extra day off allows the Angels to throw ace John Lackey in a potential game seven on Monday.

While a possible third start for Lackey is getting a lot of pub tonight, as a Yankee fan, that doesn’t worry me as much as the “experts” want us to believe.

Granted Lackey pitched well in game one, but the Yanks got to him in game five. You’ll remember he left (reluctantly) with the bases loaded…though I felt the Yankees had him on the ropes at that point anyway.

So, translation…don’t worry too much about the off day setting up Lackey for game seven. If it comes to that, he’ll be pitching on short rest AND opposing CC.

I like the Yankees chances.

Now of course all this speculation could be rendered moot if the Yankees just go ahead and win tomorrow night, as I boldly predicted just minutes after their game five loss Thursday.

I still stand by that prediction and foresee a champagne celebration in their very near futures.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle