YankeesRedSox.com

The papers and radio keep droning on about how the Yankees have to secure homefield advantage in order to be able to have any chance against the Angels.  I guess with a 7-1/2 game division lead that's what they need to do to fill column inches, but it misses the real reason the Yankees want to clinch the best record in the AL- the chance to determine when their ALDS series will begin.

Yes, homefield is important, but chances are very good that the ALDS matchups will be Yankees vs. Detroit and Boston vs. Angels.  If that holds up, I am willing to bet that Boston will crush the Angels.  Just like the Angels always seem to beat the Yankees, Boston always seems to beat the Angels.  And if that happened and the Yankees beat the Tigers, they would have homefield anyway.

But determining when the ALDS will begin is a much bigger advantage because the Yankees could choose to make the ALDS about only three starting pitchers.  If a team selects the eight-day ALDS it would start and end on Wednesday.  The way the games are scheduled, you could start the same pitcher in Game 1 and Game 4 and the same pitcher in Game 2 and Game 5, leaving you with the need for a third starter in only Game 3.  When you consider that the Yankees have only two starters who are pitching well right now, the abaility to make the potential ALDS rotation Sabathia, Pettitte, A.J., Sabathia, Pettitte is an advantage worth playing for.