Bungling Halos don't respond well to New York's big chill

NEW YORK -- The first of many inexplicable screw ups by the Los Angeles Angels came early against the Yankees. It was a moment that typified the night for the Angels and showed they simply weren't ready for this rain-soaked big moment.

Even the normally sure-handed Torii Hunter isn't immune from an error on this night. (US Presswire)

The Yankees' Hideki Matsui hit a simple pop fly towards third base. Nice and easy. Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar first focused on the ball and then on each other. The ball, then each other; ball, each other. Their loving stares into each other's eyes continued as the ball rapidly approached the ground.

Both players acted like the baseball was a case of herpes.

You catch it.

No, you catch it.

It plopped into the ground and a run scored.

Nice concentration.

This was the world of the Angels where the routine became an adventure.

This is the team that's going to beat the JuggerYankees?

These guys? This group?

It's hard to tell which overpowered the Angeles the most: CC Sabathia's arm or the low pressure system that dangled a little rain and wind over the area and seemed to screw with the Angels' heads. Both seemed to equally intimidate, making Los Angeles look like it didn't belong on the same field with the JuggerYankees.

The Angels showed some toughness (a little, a tad) -- catcher Jeff Mathis certainly did in standing up to an elbow smash from Alex Rodriguez at home plate -- but by the time they did it was too late.

Some baseball players are so soft they make golfers look like Marines. The Angels though took the cake on softness. Jeez, tighten up those sports bras, fellas. It was 45 degrees at first pitch, not minus 45. The ALCS isn't being played on Soldier Field in January. This isn't the Iditarod.

There were players wearing those parka thingies on their face. From the way they acted you expected a group of slobbering Alaskan Malamutes towing sleds to emerge from right field.

Or Sarah Palin.

"We haven't seen our guys crack the door open for a team in a long time," said Mike Scioscia, Angels manager.

They didn't just crack it. They pushed it open and said, "Please, come in."

Scioscia explained that the Angels' miscues shouldn't be attributed to weather but why else were they making such uncharacteristic and catastrophic errors?

In fact, the Angels made three errors in a game only twice before during the season. They made only 85 total errors all year which was a franchise low and the fourth lowest in the AL. What happened on Friday night was completely un-Angel-like.

Some of the mistakes the Angels made and their reaction to the weather was almost comical. Outfielder Juan Rivera, while trying to catch a line drive, ran like an old man falling down the stairs, tumbling onto the ground awkwardly. It wasn't that wet out there, Ron. The only thing missing from that scene was Rivera activating his Life Alert.

Aybar continued his sloppy play by one-hopping a routine throw to first in the bottom of the third. Pitcher John Lackey made a critical throwing error in the sixth and Torii Hunter, who had one error all season, misplayed a line drive in the same inning. In the seventh, Jason Bulger threw a wild pitch to Jorge Posada.

There's no other explanation. The weather got into their heads as much as the Yankees did.

The not-ready-for-primetime players.

The Angels had three errors against the Yankees leading to two unearned runs but committed only one the entire series against Boston. The Angels were extremely lucky they weren't beaten much worse. The game wasn't nearly as close as the 4-1 score indicates.

This was the true Midnight Madness watching the Angels slip and slide all over the place.

Normally the Angels aren't intimidated by the Yankees. They've beaten them in big spots before but that confidence wasn't present on Friday night. There was an assuredness gap (Sabathia definitely had something to do with that) but the Angels also looked highly disturbed by the alleged chill.

The Angels will be back, yet this was a disturbing sign of possible things to come.

Get tougher, Los Angeles.

Or this will be a quick series.