With the opening game of the World Series just a few hours away, I felt it was the perfect time for a game 1 preview and prediction. 
The Phillies are putting Cliff Lee on the hill, and the Yankees are going with CC Sabathia. This is a stupendous matchup for the first game of the series, as both teams are counting on their hottest pitchers to get them a victory.
Although Cliff Lee has been a pivotal part of the Phillies’ run to the World Series, I trust CC Sabathia a little bit more.
Sabathia has been with New York all season, and I think that attachment to the team can actually have a positive effect on the way that he pitches. He has been through the ups and downs with this team, and he has become fully integrated into the Yankees family. He has been able to win big games already with this team, and he has shown that he is the right guy for the job. Another thing that I like about Sabathia is that he can go deep into the game. This means that the outcome of the game will be heavily dependant on the way that he pitches, and he is basically the player that holds the key to the Yankees winning game 1. I like those odds for New York.
Cliff Lee, on the other hand, has not played the entire season with the Phillies. He may be accepted by his teammates, but there is no way that he has what CC has with the Yankees. To join a team in the middle of the season could be effective to help a team get over the hump, but it is not as effective as being there from the start. Even though Lee has shown that he can be trusted in the postseason, he has not faced a lineup like the Yankees. There will be no freebies, and he will have to give it his all against each and every batter. Plus, being that he is on the road, especially in New York, there will be added pressure that I expect to affect him.
When all is said and done, this should be a fantastic game between two brilliant pitchers. I am given the edge to the home team in this one, as I see CC having a memorable performance in the Bronx.
Prediction – Yankees 5-2.
Filed under: MLB
