The amount of times I've oscillated between manic confidence and anxious diffidence in the days leading up to this series rivals the amount of times I've watched The Goonies. From burgeoning bats to cheaply won runs, the Yanks have unearthed a hodgepodge of ways to pull out a W, but its their unrelenting offense (league-leading .313 BA and 80 hits in the last 7 games) that's pushed me back into the assuredness.
Tonight they send RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.04)--the poster boy for unpredictability himself--up against the equally loose cannon LHP Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.44) as the Yankees meet the Angels and try for their 9th straight road victory.
Saunders is 1-1 with a 7.59 in his 4 outings and becomes the latest pitcher to see his control go on sebaticle (14 BB in the last 20 IP!) It's like a league epidemic or something--Joba's had 13 BB in his last 24 IP. The notable absences of Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero should make the line-up more palatable (for NY, anyway), and with Mark Teixeira batting .342 against LHPs this year, the Angels' initimidation level went from Jabberwocky to Rick Moranis.
