Yankees 6, A's 1

Never mind A-Rod, at least for now.

Starting pitching is what gets you championships.

CC, Pettitte, Vazquez stock: up.

Hughes, Burnett: no worse than holding pattern.

I remember standinjg in a restaurant last October, waiting for my take-out order and watching Pettitte pitch against Chone Figgins, with the Yankees up in games 3-2 and one win from the World Series.

First pitch was a slider, outside corner. Strike One.

Second pitch was a cutter, hitting the flea on the flea on the flea on the outside corner. Chone flinched but didn't bite. Strike two.

"Oh MAN," I announced to the bar, "You Angels are in trouble tonight."

And so they were.