Derek Jeter
Matsui, Pettitte Lead Yankees to World Series Title
Thursday, November 5th, 2009 | 2009 Fall Classic, MLB, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Sports, World Series | No Comments
Pedro Martinez just couldn’t get Hideki Matsui out on Wednesday night. In the 2nd inning, Matsui gave the Yankees an early 2-0 lead with a 2-run HR off of Pedro. In the 3rd inning, Matsui extended the Yankees lead to 4-1 with a 2-run single off of Martinez. Matsui capped off his amazing night – this time against Phillies lefty J.A. Happ – with a 2-run double that blew the game open in the 5th inning. After Matsui’s 3rd crushing blow of the night, the Yankees led 7-1 and they would cruise to an easy 7-3 victory in World Series Game 6. The win clinched the 27th World Series Championship for the storied franchise.
For his efforts, Matsui was named the World Series MVP – even though he only started in 3 of the 6 games played. Matsui finished the series with 8 hits in 13 at-bats, with 8 RBI’s and 3 runs scored, including 3 homers. His phenomenal Game 6 performance clinched it – no other player had ever had 6 RBI’s in a single World Series game.
Although Andy Pettitte did not have his best stuff – 3 ER on 4 hits and 5 walks in 5 2/3 inning – Pettitte worked out of jams and avoided the big inning that allowed the Yankees to keep extending the lead as the night progressed. It was Pettitte’s 18th career post-season win and his 6th win to end a playoff series – both major league records. Shockingly, Pettitte also started and won the game-clinching game in each of the Yankees series’ wins this October/November – against the Twins, Angels and Phillies. No other player has ever done that in MLB history.
Mariano Rivera – what can you say. Although he did not get a save on Wednesday night, he did get the final 5 Phillies outs of the game. He came in with 1-out in the 8th inning and gave up a double in that inning and a harmless walk in the 9th inning. For the series, Rivera appeared in 4 of 6 games – 5 1/3 innings pitched, 0 ER, 3 hits, 2 walks and 3 K’s. Rivera allowed just 1 ER in his 12 2009 post-season appearances. For his career, in 88 post-season appearances, he has allowed more than 1 run in a game only once! Pretty amazing.
Congrats to the Yankees – as much as it pains me to say. The happiest/luckiest guy around is Manager Joe Girardi. If the Yankees had not won, or if had gone to a Game 7 where CC Sabathia would have had to pitch on 3 days’ rest, Girardi could have been on the hot seat for his moves. Now that they’ve won, he gets a reprieve and looks like a genius for “knowing his players and their limitations.” Girardi – a 3-time World Series winner as a Yankee player – had this to say about the accomplishment – “To be able to deliver this to the Boss, the stadium that he created and the atmosphere he has created around here is very gratifying for all of us.”
Yankees in Driver’s Seat with 7-4 Game 4 Win; World Series Title in Sight!
Monday, November 2nd, 2009 | 2009 Fall Classic, MLB, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Sports, World Series | No Comments
The New York Yankees are in the driver’s seat. With their 7-4 win on Sunday night, the Yankees now lead the Phillies 3-1 in the 2009 World Series. One more win, and the Yankees will have the franchise’s 27th World Series Championship.
Sunday night’s game was a game for the ages. CC Sabathia pitching on 3 days’ rest. Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel going with Joe Blanton instead of his ace Cliff Lee on 3 days’ rest. Lead changes galore. Home runs, hit batsmen – what more could you ask for.
The Yankees struck 1st with 2 runs in the top of the 1st, but the Phillies answered with single runs in the 1st and 4th innings to tie the game at 2. The Yankees jumped back on top with run scoring singles from Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon in the top of the 5th inning. The Yankees still held that 4-2 going into the bottom of the 7th inning, but the Phillies would not be denied. Chase Utley hit a solo home run off of Sabathia (his 3rd off of Sabathia in this series) in the 7th inning and Carlos Ruiz tied the game at 4 with his solo shot off of Joba Chamberlain in the 8th inning.
Manuel opted to go with his closer – Brad Lidge – in a tie game to start the 9th inning, and that move proved to be costly. Although Lidge got the 1st 2 outs of the inning, Damon singled and stole second to get into scoring position. After Lidge plunked Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez delivered the big blow just as he had done the night before (he hit a 2-run HR off of Cole Hamels to get the Yankees back in the game and was also hit by pitches twice). A-Rod’s double gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead and Jorge Posada followed that up with a 2-run single that plated Teixeira and A-Rod for a 7-4 Yankees lead. Just like that, the air left Citizens Bank Ballpark – Phillies fans knew it was over.
Cliff Lee will try to avoid letting the Yankees celebrate on their home turf. Lee outdueled Sabathia in Game 1 of the World Series, but he will go up against A.J. Burnett this time around. Burnett stymied the Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series, but will be pitching on 3 days’ rest, something he has not done so well in his past. If the Phillies can somehow win tonight, it will be Andy Pettitte for the Yankees on 3 days’ rest on Wednesday night in the Bronx. Pettitte does not like pitching on 3 days’ rest, so the Yankees will not be bringing their best lineup in Game 6. Tonight is the key – if the Phillies win, it would not be surprising to see the Phillies take this thing to a dramatic Game 7 in NY. Sabathia would make his 3rd start of the series and we would likely see Cliff Lee for a few innings out of the bullpen on just 2 days’ rest. Bring on the drama…
Yankees Top Angels 5-2, Advance to 2009 World Series
Monday, October 26th, 2009 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, MLB, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Sports | No Comments
The World Series is finally back in New York. The Yankees defeated the Angels 5-2 on Sunday night to advance to their 40th World Series in franchise history. If the Yankees can defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 Fall Classic, it will be the Yankees 27th World Championship.
Andy Pettitte pitched a solid game in Game 6 of the ALCS – 1 ER on 7 hits and 1 walk in 6 1/3 innings pitched. Pettitte struck out 6 Angels batters and he won his 16th career post-season game – a major league record. Joba Chamberlain retired the only 2 batters he faced in the 7th inning to get Pettitte and the Yankees out of a “mini” 1-out, 1-on “jam” to preserve the Yankees 3-1 lead. And Mariano Rivera came on for his “typical” 6-out save, although he did give up a run on 2 singles to Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero in the 8th inning. But Rivera worked a perfect 1-2-3 9th inning, striking out Gary Matthews, Jr. to end the game and send the Yankees faithful into a tizzy.
After falling behind 1-0 on a Bobby Abreu RBI single in the 3rd inning, the Yankees rallied to take the lead for good with 3 runs in the 4th inning. Two walks and a single from a patient Yankees lineup loaded the bases with just 1 out. Johnny Damon delivered a clutch 2-run single to left, and then after a Mark Teixeira single loaded the bases again, Angels starter Joe Saunders walked Alex Rodriguez to force in a run. Just like that, the Yankees led 3-1 and they could taste another AL pennant. When the Angels cut the Yankees lead to 3-2 with a run off Rivera in the 8th inning, the Yankees answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Robinson Cano led off with another walk just like he did in the 4th inning. Then the Angels defense deserted them again. Nick Swisher reached on a Howie Kendrick error and then Scott Kazmir threw away Melky Cabrera’s sacrifice bunt allowing Cano to score from 2nd base. The Yankees had 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and after a Derek Jeter ground out and a Damon walk, Teixeira drove in the game’s final run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field.
Yankees 5, Angels 2. Game over…
The Yankees will host the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night. The $201 million payroll – the largest in all of baseball – finally delivered a shot at a World Series to George Steinbrenner and the Yankee brass – it has been 6 years since the Yankees have played in the Fall Classic. Alex Rodriguez – in his 16-year MLB career – is finally going to get to play in his 1st World Series. After struggling in his post-season performance to date, A-Rod delivered in 2009 – .438 batting average, 5 home runs and 12 RBI’s in the Yankees 9 playoffs games in 2009. CC Sabathia – the Yankees high-priced ace – will square off against his former Cleveland Indians teammate Cliff Lee on Wednesday night. Both pitchers have been “lights-out during the playoff in 2009. Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in 3 starts (3 ER, 20 K’s and 3 walks in 22 2/3 innings pitched). Lee is 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA in 3 starts (2 ER, 20 K’s and 3 walks in 24 1/3 innings pitched). Should be a classic battle – wouldn’t it be great to see these 2 duke it out in Games 1, 4 and 7?! Can’t wait. We’ll have our predictions over the next 2 days leading up to Wednesday’s contest.
