2009 MLB PLAYOFFS

NEW YORK - If the Phillies were paying attention to this ALCS, they took away one very important lesson: Don't play the Yankees the way the Angels did. Don't show up rusty, don't make bone-headed plays, don't make sloppy error after sloppy error, don't lose track of how many balls and strikes there are, don't throw more balls than strikes, don't over-manage. Don't screw up . . . and they might have a chance. The Yankees earned their 40th pennant and another trip to the World Series with last night's 5-2 win in Game 6. They maximized every advantage they possess in talent, experience, luck and payroll, then they walked through every opening - dozens of them, seemingly - the Angels gave them. It was an unbeatable combination from the Yankees' perspective. Old guns Andy Pettitte (one run in 6 1/3 innings) and Mariano Rivera (six-out save) were in classic form, and new gun CC Sabathia walked off with the MVP trophy for his two wins and 2.13 ERA. It was an emphatic ``Yes we can!'' moment, night and series for a team that dominated opponents virtually from the moment Alex Rodriguez returned to active duty in mid-May. They took over the AL East lead from the Red Sox in mid-July and never looked back, finishing with the most wins (103) in the majors. The Angels' convincing sweep of the Sox in the ALDS promised a competitive ALCS. There certainly were some moments - a 13-inning Game 2 and the Angels' improbable Game 5 victory - but last night too often felt like an extended ``Three Stooges'' sketch. The Yankees were doing plenty of eye-poking, and the Angels were responsible for the bulk of the stoogery. ``At times we played good Baseball, at times we shot ourselves in the foot,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``The Yankees are a team that you can't give extra outs to. We did it in a couple of games and obviously it cost us.'' Vladimir Guerrero did have three hits, including an incredible double on a ball four inches off the ground and nearly a foot off the plate in the sixth, but his head was not in the game. He got doubled off of first base in the second inning on a ball hit to medium right field, he got flustered by home plate ump Dale Scott's generous strike zone in his first two plate appearances, and in the eighth, just before knocking in a run, he earned scorn from the 50,173 in attendance by trying to walk to first after the third ball. Joe Saunders issued five walks in his 3 1/3 innings, the bullpen chipped in four more, and Scioscia took out his hottest hitter and best catcher, Jeff Mathis, for a pinch hitter when the shaky Joba Chamberlain relieved Pettitte in the seventh. Throw in errors by Scott Kazmir and Howie Kendrick in the eighth that led to two late Yankees runs, and it was a big mess. ``We should have done better on defense. It probably cost us,'' said the ever-forthright Torii Hunter, slumped in his chair in front of his locker. ``We didn't play Angels style of Baseball in this series.'' The Angels made eight errors in the ALCS, the Yankees three. The Angels pitching staff issued 38 walks, more than six per game, while the Yankees allowed 18. How did the Angels ever win two games? ``We can sit here and cry all we want, but they played well,'' Hunter said. ``They have great arms, they played great defense. They have maturity, they have a lot of seasoned guys who know how to execute.'' And that's why the Phillies must bring their best to the Bronx on Wednesday. It's their only hope.