NEW YORK (MCT) — As they witnessed the famously fundamentally sound Angels fumble in the outfield, make errant tosses and allow one ball to just drop at their feet, the Yankees realized another type of home-field advantage Friday night.

The team from Southern California doesn’t do cold weather very well.

Seemingly aided by the biting wind and bitter temperatures, the Yankees rode a sharp CC Sabathia to a 4-1 victory in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series at Yankee Stadium, where 49,688 shivering fans watched the Yanks’ fourth-straight playoff win.

“He was outstanding,” said shortstop Derek Jeter, referring to Sabathia. “We couldn’t have asked him to do anything more.”

Having posted a division series-opening win over the Twins last week, Sabathia started the best-of-seven series with an even better performance — lasting eight innings and allowing just one run on four hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.

“He did everything you’d want a No. 1 starter to do,” said Andy Pettitte, who will start Game 3. “He had a devastating change-up and that made his fastball even better.”

Before Mariano Rivera saved it, the ace lefty was immersed in chants of “C-C, C-C,” while Angels starter John Lackey was haunted by some shocking defensive miscues.

The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the second run courtesy of a pop-up that inexplicably dropped between two Angels infielders for a hit — resulting in the first of Hideki Matsui’s two RBI.

Angels manager Mike Sciocia said there was a miscommunication on the play.

“No matter how good of a team you have, you’re always going to have errors, so in that sense I wasn’t surprised,” said Matsui.

And in the sixth inning, the Yankees scored their second unearned run of the game with two out, though Lackey had a hand in that.

After Melky Cabrera’s second walk of the game, Lackey’s errant pickoff throw allowed Cabrera to take second, where he scored on Jeter’s sharp single to center for a 4-1 lead.

Sure-handed center fielder Torii Hunter allowed the ball to skip by him for the Angels’ third error of the game. Jeter, who moved to second but was stranded, was the last batter to face Lackey.

The Angels’ right-hander gave up two earned runs on nine hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.

“We didn’t play for four days, and I thought we played extremely well,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Sabathia gave up only a fourth-inning, two-out RBI single to Kendry Morales.

That scored Vladimir Guerrero from second base, and cut the Yanks’ lead to 2-1.

Guerrero had gone into his home run trot, believing his blast to the deepest part of left-center field might have gone over the fence – though it skipped against the wall for a double.

The chilled winds might have played a factor, and Saturday night’s Game 2 forecast is even worse. With a 90 percent chance of rain, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Angels’ GM Tony Reagins were to meet to discuss contingency plans for a possible postponement.

The teams are due to travel to Anaheim on Sunday, with a 4 p.m. Game 3 scheduled for Monday.

It was 45 degrees and drizzling, with a blustery wind, when Jeter opened the Yankees’ first inning with a hard, 3-2 single to right.

Just 1-for-12 in the division series sweep over Minnesota, Johnny Damon sliced a single toward the left field line. As Jeter charged into third base, Juan Rivera’s throw skipped through to the infield for an error, allowing Damon to take second.

After Mark Teixeira took a cut at a 3-0 pitch and popped out, Alex Rodriguez delivered a sacrifice fly to center.

Pitching without long sleeves in defiance of the weather, Lackey had every right to believe he’d walk back into the warm visiting dugout trailing just 1-0 when Matsui followed with a harmless infield pop.

But as third baseman Chone Figgins gazed up, shortstop Erick Aybar ranged over – and then neither player moved as the ball dropped between them.

Damon scored without a play for a 2-0 lead, and Aybar appeared to be the most at fault, since he had the better angle, and never made a motion for the ball as it fell.