Game 1 of the ALCS pits Tim Wakefield against Mike Mussina. Giambi vs. Wakefield offers a good example of the versatility of the NY offense. Wakefield shuts Giambi down in the conventional sense. Jason is 13 for 59 against Wakefield, a .220 BA. But he's selective, so he's drawn 10 walks for an okay .329 OBA. And when he has hit Wakefield, he's crushed the ball. Of his 13 hits, he has 4 doubles, a triple and 2 HR. Jeter, Posada and Williams get on well against Wakefield, and Jeter has three HR in 42 AB against him.

The Mike & Manny matchup is similar to Wakefield-Giambi, but with out the walks. Manny is 14 for 73 against Mussina (including the post-season) with seven extra base hits, including four HR. But he only has five walks, making his OBA .244. Mussina has done a good job in his career of shutting down the heart of the Red Sox order; Garciaparra is 13 for 54 against him (.241), while David Ortiz has never had a hit off Mussina in 20 AB, striking out 13 times in the process.

The Marlins try to go two up on the Cubs as they send Brad Penny to face Mark Prior. Penny did not pitch great down the stretch for the Marlins, and it carried over into his Division Series start. Starting 8/21, and including the playoffs, he's posted a 4.87 ERA, allowing 11 HR in 44 1/3 innings. Look for the Alex Gonzalez matchup, as the Cubs Gonzalez is four for nine with three doubles against Penny.

Meanwhile, Prior has been lights out since the start of August. Including the division series, he's 11-1 in his last 12 starts with a 1.47 ERA. He's struck out 102 in 91 2/3 innings in that time; and he's been efficient, averaging 15.5 pitches per inning. This is going to be a tough one for the Marlins to win.

Enjoy, and get your clicker fingers ready!