Orange County Register

ANAHEIM

During Angels manager Mike Scioscia’s interview session on the off day Wednesday, he bemoaned the way the Yankees have been able to “dictate” the way the games have been played by getting the lead.

“If you’re always looking up the wrong end of a game with a team like the Yankees, you’re not going to get it done,” Scioscia said. “So we need to get out there early. Get some early runs. Get some leads, and then hold them.

“I think that’s the only template that’s going to work against a team like the Yankees.”

Great idea.

The Angels have put it into execution. Their first five batters reached base — a walk to Chone Figgins and four consecutive hits (a double by Bobby Abreu, two-run single by Torii Hunter, RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero and RBI single by Kendry Morales)– to put four runs on the board.

In the first four games of the ALCS, the Angels didn’t score before the fourth inning and held the lead only twice before and then only briefly — the time it took Jorge Posada to hit his game-tying home run in the top of the eighth in Game 3 and then on Jeff Mathis’ walkoff double in that game.

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