Major League Baseball

IT'S TIME TO P-RAY; DAMON: YANKS MUST ROOT FOR TAMPA BAY

Published Oct. 11, 2010 10:09 p.m. ET

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Johnny Damon understands what facing the Yankees, Rays and Rangers means. He doesn't have to wait for the computer to belch out reports to know the strengths and weaknesses of the three elite clubs still alive on the AL side of the draw.

And when it comes to the Yankees' best path to the World Series, the former Yankees left fielder and clutch performer says his ex-teammates should be rooting for the Rays tomorrow night in Game 5 of the ALDS in St. Petersburg.

"I think New York has a better chance of beating Tampa Bay," Damon told The Post yesterday on the way to a fishing trip in the Florida Keys. "Tampa's starting pitching down the stretch was not as sharp. New York played Texas a month ago and got swept [in three games in Arlington]."

Had the Rangers won Game 4 yesterday at home - they lost 5-2 - the Yankees would have opened the best-of-seven ALCS Friday night in Arlington.

Now, they have to wait until tomorrow to find out who stands in the way of them getting to the World Series.

Either way Game 1 of the ALCS is Friday at the Ballpark in Arlington or Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

The Yankees were 8-10 against the Rays and 4-4 versus the Rangers.

Another byproduct of the Rangers and Rays going to Game 5 is that aces David Price (Rays) and Cliff Lee (Rangers) will pitch in the deciding game.

If managers Joe Maddon and Ron Washington don't use them on short rest, something they didn't do yesterday in Game 4, the earliest Price and Lee could start in the ALCS would be Game 3 at Yankee Stadium next Monday.

Since they swept the Twins in three with Saturday night's 6-1 victory at the Stadium, the Yankees can line up CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes in the first three games of the ALCS.

What sets the Yankees, Rangers and Rays apart from the Twins is they have bona fide aces in Sabathia, Lee and Price. According to Damon, that plays on both sides of a players' mind.

"Your confidence goes up when you have one," said Damon, who won with Curt Schilling fronting a Red Sox staff in 2004 and with the Yankees led by Sabathia a year ago. "When you are facing one, one at-bat can make the difference between losing and winning the ball game."

Facing the ace, Damon says hitters can't be looking to fill the box score with hits.

"In the playoffs, you aren't supposed to go 4-for-4 and all that," Damon said. "You have to grind out at-bats. That's the way to get to the other teams' ace."

While Damon acknowledges what Sabathia meant to the Yankees last season in the playoffs and this year, he pointed to an arm he wishes the Tigers had acquired instead of the Yankees.

If Kerry Wood had gone from Cleveland to Detroit instead of The Bronx, Damon believes the Tigers may have finished ahead of the Twins in the AL Central or on top of the wild-card race won by the Yankees.

"What makes the Yankees a different team this year is Kerry Wood, he was what Joba [Chamberlain] was," Damon said. "Now you move Joba and David Robertson up an inning and that is a big plus. I heard [the Tigers] were getting Kerry Wood at the All Star break but he was hurt and it didn't work out.

"[Joel] Zumaya got hurt and everything tumbled off the shelf. Cash [general manager Brian Cashman] worked his tail off."