NEW YORK — CC Sabathia heated up as the night went on, throwing fastballs past the Los Angeles Angels and pumping his fist for emphasis.

On a blustery night more suited to bobsleds than baseballs, Sabathia pitched eight superb innings of four-hit ball to win his second straight postseason start, and the New York Yankees took advantage of a rare sloppy game by the Angels to win the AL Championship Series opener, 4-1, yesterday.

"That's why we got CC," Johnny Damon said. "To be a workhorse during the season, of course, but to shut down teams in the postseason."

The Angels looked like chilled Californians withering in the unseasonable wintry weather, making three errors that led to two unearned runs and allowing an infield popup to drop untouched for an RBI single. Even Torii Hunter, an eight-time Gold Glove center fielder, allowed a single to roll past him.

"It was just CC. CC was the cold weather," Hunter said. "CC's the real deal, man."

Because of the cold conditions, the traditional foul line introductions were scrapped. It was 45 degrees at gametime, and a 17 mph wind made it feel worse.

Back in the ALCS for the first time in five years, New York built a 2-0 lead in the first. Derek Jeter and Damon singled, and left fielder Juan Rivera threw wide of second for an error that put runners on second and third.

Alex Rodriguez's one-out sacrifice fly — his seventh RBI of the postseason — gave the Yankees the lead, and Hideki Matsui followed with a short popup. Third baseman Chone Figgins and shortstop Erick Aybar each thought the other would snag it, and the ball fell for a single as Damon came home.

"These guys are not going to be robots out there," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's a mistake. It was ugly. But it happens."

After Kendry Morales' fourth-inning single cut the deficit in half, Matsui hit an opposite-field double to left-center in the fifth that made it 3-1. Lackey's throwing error on a pickoff attempt allowed Melky Cabrera to take second in the sixth, and Jeter followed with a run-scoring single that got by Hunter.

Sabathia, 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his first postseason with the Yankees, gave up a double and three singles, struck out seven and walked one.

"It was about as cold as it gets," he said. "It was pretty nasty today."

Sabathia showed his heightened emotion, especially when he pumped a fist after striking out pinch-hitter Mike Napoli to end the seventh.

Mariano Rivera pitched a hitless ninth for his record 36th postseason save.

A.J. Burnett is slated to start Game 2 today for the Yankees. Joe Saunders, who hasn't pitched since Oct. 4, goes for the Angels.