Five Cuts: ALCS Game 6 is critical for Yankees' World Series rotation

1. The Phillies suddenly are big fans of the Angels and The Weather Channel. It's not that Philadelphia would rather play Los Angeles than New York in the World Series. It's that the Phillies would benefit from both teams extending their pitching and, if rain in New York washes out Game 6 on Saturday, giving the American League champion less time to set up its pitching for the World Series.

Game 6 is especially important to the Yankees when it comes to their World Series rotation. The Yankees do not want to use a fourth starter in the World Series, which starts on Wednesday. The New York blueprint has CC Sabathia in place to start Games 1, 4 and 7. But if the Angels win ALCS Game 6, then Sabathia has to start ALCS Game 7 on Sunday -- which means the earliest he could start in the World Series would be Game 2 on short rest, and he effectively would be limited to two starts. And if rain washes out Game 6 on Saturday and the Yankees need a Game 7 on Monday to win the pennant, then Sabathia wouldn't take the ball until Game 3.

If the Yankees do have to go seven games to win the ALCS, for the World Series they would have to use:

• A.J. Burnett against Cliff Lee in Game 1 (unless they chose Andy Pettitte on short rest, something has hasn't done since 2006, and only three times in the past nine years).

• a fourth starter, such as Chad Gaudin, for Game 4 or

• Burnett on short rest in Game 4 and Sabathia on short rest in Games 2 and 5.

Now do you see why the World Series looks very different if the Angels win Game 6? By the way, there's no telling what happens with the rotation of the Angels, who are in survival mode in the ALCS, never mind the World Series. We know that Joe Saunders gets the ball in ALCS Game 6. But if there is a Game 7, who gets the ball?

"We've got a lot of options for Game 7," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "[Scott] Kazmir, [Jered] Weaver, [John] Lackey in the bullpen ..."

Lackey threw 104 pitches in Game 5, meaning he's unlikely to start Game 7 on two days' rest, the way Derek Lowe did for Boston in the 2004 ALCS. But if rain wipes out Game 6, Lackey could be the choice if there is a Game 7 on Monday.

2. In a hallway outside the Yankees' clubhouse at Angels Stadium late Thursday, cases marked "Korbel champagne" sat on one handtruck. A few steps away, on another handtruck, a steel tub the size of a bathtub was filled with ice and dozens and dozens of red and blue cans of Budweiser, freebies meant to be the ultimate in product placement. Out of sight were bottles of the good stuff, Dom Perignon. "Must be nice to be the Yankees," one stadium worker said.