To exorcise playoff demons, the New York Yankees need to beat the Los Angeles Angels — and they just might.
The Bombers return to the American League Championship Series tonight, weather permitting, for the first time since 2004 — when the hated Red Sox reversed the Curse, beating the Yanks after trailing 3-0 in the seven-game series.
Sadly, the Yanks can’t avenge that moment this year: The Sox (chuckle, chuckle) are out of the playoffs.
But there’s unfinished business with LA, too. The Angels, after all, were the only AL team to notch a winning record against the Bombers under Joe Torre.
And they bested the Yanks in both the 2002 and 2005 division series.
Time for payback.
And if the Bronx team’s impressive performance in this month’s division series against Minnesota is any indication, things are looking good this time around.
* Alex Rodriguez slammed two homers in that series.
* Mark Teixeira put one over the fence in Game 2.
* Derek Jeter was in classic postseason form, seemingly always on base.
If CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte pitch as well against the Angels as they did against the Twins, another World Series ring is in sight. Go, Yanks!