Yanks lose Game 5 head back to the Bronx

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies last night by the score of 8-6. A.J. Burnett got the start on 3 days rest and was dreadful. He lasted 2 1/3 innings giving up 6 runs. He had no location or control at all and just couldn't get anything going. The Yankees got off to a fast start against Cliff Lee with a rbi single by A-rod in the first but couldn't score anymore. Cliff Lee wasn't so great himself but was able to give the Phillies 7 innings giving up 5 hits with 5 runs, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. Chan Ho Park pitched a perfect 8th inning and then things got interesting in the ninth. Brad Lidge who got lit up the night before did not come in to save the game Ryan Madson came in as the closer and gave up a leadoff double to Jorge Posada followed by a single to Hideki Matsui. The Yankees had first and third no outs and were poised for the comeback with the top of the order coming up. Derek Jeter hit into a double play killing the rally though even though a run scored. Johnny Damon kept the game alive with a single and then Mark Teixeira who hasn't done anything offensively in this series popped out to end the game leaving A-rod stranded in the on deck circle. The Yankees had their chances even though A.J. Burnett got lit up and they were way behind. The real dagger came when it was 6-2 thanks to good relief pitching by Dave Robertson and Alfredo Aceves who pitched 4 innings giving up 0 runs on 2 hits. Phil Coke pitched the seventh and gave up 2 solo homeruns to put the game seemingly out of reach. The Yankees did comeback and those 2 runs turned out to be the game winners. Phil Hughes pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings giving up 1 hit. If it wasn't for Phil Coke's terrible outing who knows what would of happened. The Yankees though are back home in the bronx to try and close it out where there fans will be loud and crazy and Andy Pettitte will be on the mound. He is pitching on 3 days rest which is dangerous but if he can keep them in the game and give them 6 innings the Yankees will take it. The Yankees have a rested Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain along with Damaso Marte to close out the game. I am sure Mariano will be used for 6 outs if need be but we will see what happens. I know Pedro pitched well in Game 2 but I don't think that will be happening again. The Yankees offense has woken up after the first 2 games and scored some runs so I look for them to jump on Pedro and knock him out early and also get to their pen, if Andy doesn't blow up the Yankees could run away with this one but that depends on Andy Pettitte.

Yankees at Phillies-World Series Game 5

The Yankees will play tonight at 7:57 on Fox, they are one win away from their 27th title. The Yankees have held a 3-1 lead in the World Series eight previous times and they’ve won the title each time (six times in Game 5, two times in Game 6). I think tonight is going to be a tough task with Cliff Lee on the mound against them but A.J. Burnett pitched brilliant in game 2 and has done very well in the past on 3 days rest. Here are the pregame notes and lineups via Sam Borden of the Journal News. The Yankees have used only three starters throughout the postseason and they are the first team to reach the World Series with a three-man rotation since the 1992 Braves (Maddux, Glavine, Avery). The last team to win the World Series with three starters came a year before that, when the 1991 Twins (Morris, Tapani, Erickson) beat Atlanta. The 15 runs scored by the Yankees in Games 3 and 4 marks their biggest World Series outburst since they scored 18 runs over Games 1 and 2 of the 1998 World Series against San Diego. The Yankees haven't been hitting but I think it is a combination of who is pitching for the Phillies and th small ballpark in Philly. Mariano Rivera made his 11th appearance of the postseason in Game 4, matching his career high (also 2001). The only games in which he hasn’t pitched are Game 4 of the ALCS and Game 1 of the World Series. Rivera has thrown more than one inning five out of 11 times and more than two innings three times, recording a 0.63 ERA in 14 1/3 innings while striking out 13. I wonder with a lead if the Yankees will go to MO in the 8th tonight with a chance to wrap things up, i am guessing yes but we will see. The middle of the Yankees order hasn’t been a consistent producer during the World Series with Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez combining to go 3-for-28 with 13 strikeouts. Rodriguez’s two hits, at least, have been meaningful – he homered in Game 3 and drove in the decisive run in Game 4. It looks like A-rod has awoken maybe by getting hit all these times they woke a sleeping giant. When Johnny Damon stole second and third base in the ninth inning of Game 4, he became the 13th player to record two stolen bases in an inning in the World Series. The last was Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton in Game 3 last year. That was such a heads up play by Damon but I think he gave a lot of people heart failure. The Yankees have been hit by five pitches in the World Series, one shy of the World Series record. Pittsburgh was hit by six in 1909 and Arizona was hit by six (from Yankees pitchers) in 2001, both of which were seven-game series. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Damon(LF) Tex(1B) A-rod(3B) Swisher(RF) Cano(2B) Gardner(CF) Molina(C) Burnett(P) Phillies Lineup: Rollins(SS) Victorino(CF) Utley(2B) Howard(1B) Werth(RF) Ibanez(LF) Feliz(3B) Ruiz(C) Lee(P) Ramiro Pena is replacing Melky Cabrera on the roster as he is out with a hamstring injury. The Yankees are able to replace him on the roster with approval by MLB if they feel he won't play anymore games this season. He injured himself late in last nights game running to first base.

Yankees one win away from #27

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies tonight by the score of 7-4. They won this game in dramatic fashion. Joba Chamberlain came on to pitch the 8th inning with the Yankees leading 4-3. He struck out the first two hitters making it look easy and then boom a homerun from Feliz and the game was tied. Joba got the last out by strikeout also. Brad Lidge came in for the 9th and got Matsui and Jeter easily so there was 2 outs and no one on when Johnny Damon put together a great at bat finishing it with a single. He then stole second and kept running to third when he saw no one covering. Mark Teixeira was up next and got plunked and then A-rod came up to the plate and smacked a rbi single and then Posada hit a 2 run single. Mariano came in to finish off the game on 9 pitches. I don't know what they will do tomorrow but if I have a lead in the 8th inning of 1 or 2 runs I would go to MO to finish this thing off. Derek Jeter had a big game for the offense with 2 hits and a walk and rbi. Johnny Damon had 3 hits and a rbi. Jorge Posada had a hit and 3 rbi's and Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano each had a hit. Mark Teixeira continues to struggle with only one hit in this World Series but the Yankees are one win away from their 27th World Championship anyway and he had a great year and is still making all the plays in the field. A.J. Burnett will be on the mound against Cliff Lee to try and finish this World Series off. I think it is going to be a very tough game tomorrow as all of them have been but even more so since the Phillies are facing elimination at home with their ace on the mound. Cliff Lee was dominant in Game 1 but I am not sure he can be that good again as that was a historic performance. The Yankees want to finish it but know that if they don't they will be going home to try and finish it off. I will be going to Game 6 if there is one but I don't want to go, I would love to see the Yankees win tomorrow and let the partying begin. The Yankees are a veteran team and I don't think they will think ahead but it has to be hard not to think how close to their goal they are. The Yankees have really hit the last 2 games here in Philly and must have a lot of confidence going into tomorrow. I am sure this is the biggest game of Cliff Lee's life tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how he responds.

Yankees at Phillies-World Series Game 4

The Yankees will try to make it 3 straight over the Phillies and move within one game of their 27th World Title. CC Sabathia the Yankees horse will be on the mound against Joe Blanton who the Yankees have done really well against when they have faced him. He faced them 4 times and has a 8+era from when he was in Oakland. Here are the pregame notes and lineup via the Lohud Yankees Blog. Sabathia will be pitching on short rest for the second time this postseason though he had extra rest (seven days) before his Game 1 start. Going short isn’t a problem for Sabathia, who is 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA when pitching on short rest in his career (including postseason). The last time he did it, he went eight innings allowing just one run in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Angels. I actually think CC was a little off in Game 1 although he pitched well and expect him to be better tonight. Alex Rodriguez finally got his first World Series hit in Game 3, hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning also making history as the first postseason use of instant replay. Rodriguez was also hit by pitches twice, tying a World Series record set on five other occasions. If A-rod hits now in the World Series watch out, the Yankees are a different team when he is hitting. While A-Rod broke out of his mini-slump from the first two games, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard continues to be a non-factor. Howard fanned seven times in his eight at bats in Games 2 and 3, and his nine total strikeouts are three shy of the overall Series record (set by Kansas City’s Willie Wilson in 6 games in 1980). The Yankees would like Ryan Howard to wait until next year to break out of his slump. After struggling in his first postseason appearance during Game 3 of the Division Series, Damaso Marte has been the most reliable reliever in the Yankees bullpen ever since. He has faced nine batters and retired them all, striking out three. Marte has thrown 77 % of his pitches for strikes. Marte is finally resembling the guy the Yanks thought they traded for. Jorge Posada’s single in the seventh inning of Game 3 was his 87th postseason hit, moving him past Pete Rose and into seventh place on the all-time list. Those who were worried about Hideki Matsui coming off the bench needn’t have fretted: Matsui now has a .370 (10-for-27) career pinch hit average, including the regular and post-season. He alsoconnected for the 24th pinch-hit home run in World Series history in the eighth inning of Game 3, and that was the first since his teammate, Eric Hinske, did it for the Rays in Game 4 of last year’s Series. Of the 24, it was the eighth by a Yankee (last was Jason Giambi on Oct. 23, 2003, Game 5 at Florida). Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Damon(LF) Tex(1B) A-rod(3B) Posada(C) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Cabrera(CF) Sabathia(P) Phillies Lineup: Rollins(SS) Victorino(CF) Utley(2B) Howard(1B) Werth(RF) Ibanez(LF) Feliz(3B) Ruiz(C) Blanton(P) Joe Girardi announced to the beat writers just a little while ago that A.J. Burnett will be starting tomorrow on 3 days rest and he plans on keeping the 3 man rotation. Chad Gaudin has been told to prepare for anything but unless a starter gets knocked out early I don't think he will get into a game.

Yanks take lead in Series

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies tonight by the score of 8-5. They are now halfway to World Championship #27. Andy Pettitte got the start and after a rough beginning especially in the second inning when he gave up 3 runs he settled in nicely to pitch 6 innings giving up 4 runs. He had 7 strikeouts as well. The bullpen was outstanding tonight as Joba pitched a perfect seventh and Marte a perfect 8th. Phil Hughes got an out and then gave up a solo homerun before MO came in and got the last 2 outs easily to give the Yankees the win. A-rod broke out of his slump getting hit twice, walking and hitting a 2 run homerun. Nick Swisher had a big game with a double and solo homerun. Johnny Damon had a 2 run double and Andy Pettitte had a rbi single. Jorge Posada also had a rbi single. The Yankees will now send CC Sabathia to the mound in Game 4 tomorrow night on 3 days rest against Joe Blanton. The games aren't played on paper but the Yankees have a big advantage tomorrow and want to take advantage. Joe Blanton is 0-4 with a 8 era against the Yankees in his career and they should be able to hit him especially after the offense woke up tonight. If the Yankees win tomorrow then they will face Cliff Lee in Game 5 trying to finish it off but if not they know they will be coming home with a chance to win the title.