ANAHEIM, Calif. — Nine innings away from punching a World Series ticket, the Yankees acted yesterday like it was the middle of July.
Privately, their hearts have to be pounding over the prospects of playing in sports’ premier event for the first time since 2003 and a chance to win the franchise’s 27th World Championship.
When CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira were signed last offseason, it was with one goal in mind: Turn a team that didn’t make the playoffs in 2008 into a World Series winner.
Tonight at Angel Stadium, the Yankees can add another notch to their 2009 postseason belt by eliminating the Angels in Game 5 of the ALCS to earn a date with the defending champion Phillies, who ousted the Dodgers with a 10-4 win in Game 5 of the NLCS last night.
Up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Yankees said their focus has to be on John Lackey and the Angels, who have been dominated by Yankees hurlers and haven’t found a way to get Alex Rodriguez out.
“You have to think about Lackey, think about A.J., think about that day,” Jorge Posada said when asked about the dangers of thinking World Series before the Angels’ coffin is lowered in to the ground. “Everybody is human, but we have to focus on what we are trying to do.”
That would be advance beyond the second round for the first time since 2003, when Aaron Boone’s home run beat the Red Sox in extra innings of Game 7 of the ALCS.
A year later, the Yankees led the Red Sox 3-0 in the ALCS and flushed the next four games. To Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and Posada, that wound still is fresh.
“That’s why we don’t look ahead,” Jeter said after yesterday’s workout.
In 45-degree temperature, Lackey gave up four runs (two earned) and nine hits in 52/3 innings and absorbed a 4-1 loss in Game 1. The next night in Game 2,
Burnett allowed two runs and three hits in 61/3 innings in a 4-3 Yankees victory that required 13 innings to finish.
“They are going to fight,” former Angel Mark Teixeira predicted of the AL West champions, who are hitting a pathetic .201 (30-for-149) and .138 (4-for-29) with runners in scoring position in four ALCS games. “Lackey is a bulldog.”
With Rodriguez acting like the biggest kid in Little League, he is covering for others, including Teixeira, who is batting .111 (2-for-18) and is looking for his initial ALCS RBI.
Yet Teixeira gladly will trade a victory tonight over a couple of hits in a defeat.
“At this time of the year it’s all about winning,” Teixeira said. “You aren’t looking for All-Star votes or MVP. At the end of the day, win the game.”
Considering his past October failures, Rodriguez’ stats do matter and they have him in contention for the ALCS MVP with Sabathia, who is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA.
“It’s not just the home runs, it’s not just the RBIs,” Joe Girardi said. “It’s more than just the numbers some times what Alex does. He has been as good as anyone I can remember.”
Rodriguez, Teixeira, Burnett and Sabathia have never been to the World Series. Tonight, three of the four will have a big say in deciding if the flight home to New York leads to Game 1 of the World Series next week or Game 6 of the ALCS Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
george.king@nypost.com