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.