ANAHEIM, Calif. - Before now, there had been questions about CC Sabathia’s qualifications once the regular season concluded. He hadn’t distinguished himself, with a 2-3 record and 7.92 ERA in the playoffs entering this year. But now, three starts into his new, far more highly paid trip to the playoffs with the New York Yankees, those numbers seem so very far away.

Even on just three days’ rest, Sabathia pitched like an ace last night in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series as the Yankees rolled to a 10-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels that put them on the brink of their first World Series appearance in six years.

“I never had any doubt about me being able to perform on this stage and to pitch well late in October,’’ said Sabathia, who gave up just one run on five hits in eight innings for his third postseason victory of the year. “But it seems like people did.’’

Sabathia, who was rocked in three postseason appearances with the Indians and Brewers, has a 1.19 ERA in ’09 with 20 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. He quieted a crowd of 45,160 disappointed fans at Angel Stadium as the Yankees took a commanding three games to one lead. Game 5 is tomorrow at Angel Stadium.

“He was spectacular again,’’ Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “To be able to shut this club down like he did, again, is no easy feat. This is a very dangerous lineup. We had some chances early, and CC kept getting outs for us.’’

Sabathia isn’t the only one enjoying a new view of the postseason. Alex Rodriguez, another embattled star who has struggled in the postseason, led the offense again, belting a two-run homer in the fifth inning - his fifth homer in this postseason - and had a single leading off the fourth inning when the Yankees took control with three runs.