MLB: NY Yankees 4, LA Angels 1

NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- CC Sabathia opened the AL Championship Series with eight outstanding innings Friday to carry the New York Yankees to a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees paid Sabathia $15 million this year with games like this in mind. He started a playoff series opener for the sixth time in his career and dominated the team with the highest regular-season batting average in the majors.

Sabathia allowed a run on four hits and struck out seven before giving way to Mariano Rivera in the ninth. Rivera walked the lead-off batter, then collected the 36th post-season save of his career.

New York, returning to the ALCS for the first time in five seasons, took advantage of occasionally shoddy fielding to remain the only unbeaten team in this year's playoffs.

A two-out pop-up by Hideki Matsui fell harmlessly between confused Los Angeles infielders in the first, allowing New York to score one of its two runs in that inning.

Melky Cabrera scored another run in the sixth thanks to a throwing error by pitcher John Lackey and a fielding miscue by center fielder Torii Hunter.

Lackey took the loss, giving up two earned runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Although there had been rain in the forecast, the game was played in dry, 40-degree weather. There is rain expected Saturday, when the Yankees host the second game of the best-of-seven series.