"The Yankees just feasted on opposing closers in last year's playoffs.

Joe Nathan of the Twins in the ALDS. Brian Fuentes of the Angels in the ALCS. Brad Lidge of the Phillies in the World Series. The Yanks bludgeoned each one.

So it hardly will be an easy assignment for Matt Capps when he's summoned to face the Yankees in this year's ALDS. The Twins' closer is in his first-ever postseason, he's never ranked as an elite closer and the Yankees are the furthest thing from an easy ninth-inning assignment.

"They're a major league team and they've got a lot of very good baseball players over there," Capps said yesterday after the Twins worked out at Target Field. "With that being said, I faced major league hitters all year and when I go out there, it doesn't matter who's at the plate. I expect myself to get them out.

"I also know sometimes it doesn't work like that. But needless to say, the ball's handed to me, nobody's going to expect more out of me than me."

Capps may expect a lot, but the righty is unproven in the playoffs. In fact, it can be argued he is unproven in his six-year major league career. The 27-year-old spent the first five seasons with the abysmal Pirates, never on a team that won more than 68 games. For most of this season he was with the lowly Nationals, who finished with 69 wins."