The Cliff Lee Show

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, Jean-Claude van Damn Cliff "I banged your mother and swooped in for your wife at the same time, without breaking a sweat" Lee was un-fricken-believable. In an almost effortless display of nonchalance Cliff Lee dazzled and further proved my superiority in the knowledge in the art of pitching. I believe I also said, "A-Rod was going 0-4 against Cliff Lee." (Oh yeah I did say that.) By the way, I said this a FULL WEEK AGO. I gave the edge to the Phillies in the Battle of the Aces, and all those CC supporters, called me a bafoon. I gave the advantage of the bullpen (not closer) to the Phils', and you guys laughed at me and blasphemed my good name. Still doubting my prognosticating ability? As Darrell Hammond would say, "Suck It, Trebek."

With a match of two Goliath's someone has to step up and put the other team into a choke hold. Well, Chase Utley went all Undertaker on Sabathia, and absolutely choke slammed, and then Tombstoned his 290-pound ass, straight through the mound. You've got to be worried if you're a Yankees fan if the guy that has put you on his back (in Sabathia) loses to the opposing teams' ace. He has one advantage left, in that he has thrown on 3-day's rest on numerous occasions, and Cliff Lee has never had the opportunity. But I'm going to approach Cliff Lee the same way you all should approach Chuck Norris. With Extreme Caution.

If the thought of your Ace losing wasn't enough cause for dismay, essentially the fate of the Yankees season rests on AJ Burnett. Not only does the plot thicken, but it gets decisively more difficult with the prospect of Pedro Martinez opposing (insert Nuke Laloosh or Ricky Vaughn here). Burnett is a time bomb ready to explode at any point. Is he capable of shutting down the Phillies lineup? Absolutely, and probably more apt than Pedro does the Yankees. But I've said it time and time again, for every gem that he tosses, he's got a cash for clunkers outing waiting in the wings. His last start in the NLCS doesn't give me much confidence either that he can pitch on the big stage. And this as we know is as BIG a stage as you're going to pitch on.

As dynamic, gaudy, and hair-raising the Yankee offense is, if A-Rod decides to rid himself of the Alien that inhabited his body through the Divisional and Championship Series, that resembled a REAL Major League Postseason player, They will lose. If Teixeira also decides to go tits up, and ONLY bring his glove to The Stadium or to Philadelphia, there are going to get throttled by the Philly Offense which seems to be clicking on all cylinders.

A quick prediction is that I think the Yanks will win this game, if JA Happ isn't in the game. The lefties are going to neutralize the bats of Teixeira, Swisher, Damon, Matsui and Cabrera; if that happens the Yanks are at a SEVERE disadvantage. Best remedy Yanks' fans? Pray for rain.

Stay Tuned

Ryan