How important was Cliff Lee's eight-inning gem in New York on Monday night? Not only did he help the Rangers seal a win that pulled them ahead in the series; according to Lone Star Ball, his game, and the fact that he's looming in any potential ALCS Game 7, puts pressure on the Yankees to try to win three in a row.
Cliff Lee’s Excellence Puts Big Pressure On Yankees Over Next Three Games
And now, with a 2-1 lead, we see the advantage of Cliff Lee being slated to start Games 3 and 7 instead of Games 1 and 5. Lee, as we've discussed before, is in the Yankees' heads. The Yankees don't think they can beat Lee.
And with Lee looming in Game 7, that makes each of the next three games tantamount to an elimination game. The Yankees have to win the next three games in a row to avoid having to beat Lee to get to the World Series. Which means the Yankees feel they have to win each of the next three games to advance from the ALCS.
I think that's not insignificant.
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