Angels live another day after beating Yankees

Yanks ace CC Sabathia (3-0, 1.19 ERA, 20 strikeouts, three walks in his three postseason starts) would pitch that Game 7. That would mean there would be no way he could pitch Game 1 of the World Series on 2 days' rest and could not pitch three times in the Series, if the schedule was not altered because of weather.

So, chill out on that Yanks-Phils deal and try to look at the big picture.

"This game will drive you crazy,'' Hunter said. "I've got a headache. I will get gray hair if I let my hair grow out.''

After those six hits in the first inning, both teams got just six hits combined in the next five innings as Burnett settled in and Lackey cruised. After giving up those four straight hits, Burnett gave up just four hits and a walk before coming out in the bottom of the seventh with two on and nobody out.

Baseball is a game of numbers played by real live people who get hot and then go cold. Hardly anything is preordained when two teams with talent and confidence meet up to decide something important.

"We've had it happen to us before,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We've been able to get back off the carpet or the mat or whatever you want to say and come back and win a game. We had a tough loss on Monday. Came out, played a great game on Tuesday.''

So, even though the end seemed near after the Yankees won Game 4, 10-1, on Tuesday, that was just their third win of the series. Scores don't carry over and the Angels played Game 5 exactly the way they had to play it - all in.

So, the ALCS goes on in the Bronx this weekend. And, a few hours down the turnpike, everybody waits. Somewhere in Central Jersey, there is that invisible dividing line that can't be crossed. It is Phillies. Or Yankees. Or, somewhere near Disneyland, Angels.