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Phillies send Series back to the Bronx
By Ronald Blum, AP Baseball Writer
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 | No comments posted.
PHILADELPHIA — Now comes the hard part for the Philadelphia Phillies: winning two in a row at Yankee Stadium.
The defending champions hung on in the final game of the year at Citizens Bank Park when Derek Jeter grounded into a ninth-inning double play and Ryan Madson struck out Mark Teixeira. Monday night’s 8-6 victory in Game 5 staved off World Series elimination.
After an off-day, the Series resumes Wednesday night, with New York’s Andy Pettitte going on short rest against Pedro Martinez, not exactly a beloved figure in the Bronx. The chants of “Who’s Your Daddy?” should be booming for Martinez, who lost 3-1 in Game 2.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope we give him more run support this time,” Jimmy Rollins said.
After splitting the first two games at home, the Yankees managed to take command in Philadelphia and need just one more win for title No. 27. They haven’t won since 2000.
“Obviously, you want to get greedy and get all three,” Alex Rodriguez said, “but we did what we had to do and got two out of three, and now we go back home.”
Rodriguez did his part with two doubles and three RBIs, but that wasn’t enough.
Chase Utley hit two home runs to raise his Series total to a record-tying five, driving in four runs. After Rodriguez doubled in a run in the first off Cliff Lee, Utley hit a three-run homer in the bottom half against A.J. Burnett and added a solo shot in the seventh to join Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit five home runs in a single World Series.
“Obviously, it’s great company,” Utley said. “It’s pretty surreal.”
Lee got his second win of the Series, allowing five runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings. He is 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts.
“It’s a game where I had to battle a little more than I’ve had to the past few games but, thankfully, we scored a lot of runs,” he said. “I really couldn’t care less how we got it done, just as long as we win.”
Philadelphia won two of three at Yankee Stadium in June, but that was before New York started playing well. The Yankees lost three in a row just twice after the All-Star break and dropped consecutive home games only once after mid-June.
But Martinez enjoys pitching in New York and relishes big challenges. He’s allowed just three runs over 13 innings in two postseason starts.
“Pedro is ready,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “I expect probably something similar to what we got the other night.”
At 37, one year younger than Martinez, Pettitte is the big uncertainty. New York has gone through the postseason with just three starters, preferring to leave Joba Chamberlain and Chad Gaudin in the bullpen.
Pettitte is 8-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 21 starts on short rest, last doing it in April 2007 following a one-inning relief appearance. He hasn’t made a start on short rest coming off a start since September 2006 while with Houston.
Burnett had been 4-0 on short rest before allowing six runs, four hits and four walks in two-plus innings, his shortest start since his first outing in 2007. He had defeated Martinez in Game 2, but lasted just 14 batters in Game 5.
“It was nobody else’s fault but mine out there tonight,” he said. “It was embarrassing. With the importance of a game like that, you’ve got to figure out a way to throw strikes.”
If the Series goes to a Game 7, CC Sabathia would come back on short rest for the third time in the postseason. Cole Hamels, last year’s Series MVP, appears to be the likely seventh game starter for the Phillies.
First, Pettitte must deal with Utley, who has four homers in the Series off left-handers.
“We have to try to find a way to get Chase Utley out,” Johnny Damon said.
After Utley and Raul Ibanez homered off Phil Coke for an 8-2 lead, the Phillies watched New York score three times in the eighth inning and put its first two batters on in the ninth.
Manuel didn’t use closer Brad Lidge, who gave up three ninth-inning runs in Game 4.
“I kind of wanted to just give Lidge a break tonight if I could,” he said.
Madson got in trouble but wiggled out. Then it was time to head back to the Bronx.
“We definitely have the momentum,” he said. “I didn’t care if they scored one or two, as long as they didn’t score three.”
The defending champions hung on in the final game of the year at Citizens Bank Park when Derek Jeter grounded into a ninth-inning double play and Ryan Madson struck out Mark Teixeira. Monday night’s 8-6 victory in Game 5 staved off World Series elimination.
After an off-day, the Series resumes Wednesday night, with New York’s Andy Pettitte going on short rest against Pedro Martinez, not exactly a beloved figure in the Bronx. The chants of “Who’s Your Daddy?” should be booming for Martinez, who lost 3-1 in Game 2.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope we give him more run support this time,” Jimmy Rollins said.
After splitting the first two games at home, the Yankees managed to take command in Philadelphia and need just one more win for title No. 27. They haven’t won since 2000.
“Obviously, you want to get greedy and get all three,” Alex Rodriguez said, “but we did what we had to do and got two out of three, and now we go back home.”
Rodriguez did his part with two doubles and three RBIs, but that wasn’t enough.
Chase Utley hit two home runs to raise his Series total to a record-tying five, driving in four runs. After Rodriguez doubled in a run in the first off Cliff Lee, Utley hit a three-run homer in the bottom half against A.J. Burnett and added a solo shot in the seventh to join Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit five home runs in a single World Series.
“Obviously, it’s great company,” Utley said. “It’s pretty surreal.”
Lee got his second win of the Series, allowing five runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings. He is 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts.
“It’s a game where I had to battle a little more than I’ve had to the past few games but, thankfully, we scored a lot of runs,” he said. “I really couldn’t care less how we got it done, just as long as we win.”
Philadelphia won two of three at Yankee Stadium in June, but that was before New York started playing well. The Yankees lost three in a row just twice after the All-Star break and dropped consecutive home games only once after mid-June.
But Martinez enjoys pitching in New York and relishes big challenges. He’s allowed just three runs over 13 innings in two postseason starts.
“Pedro is ready,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “I expect probably something similar to what we got the other night.”
At 37, one year younger than Martinez, Pettitte is the big uncertainty. New York has gone through the postseason with just three starters, preferring to leave Joba Chamberlain and Chad Gaudin in the bullpen.
Pettitte is 8-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 21 starts on short rest, last doing it in April 2007 following a one-inning relief appearance. He hasn’t made a start on short rest coming off a start since September 2006 while with Houston.
Burnett had been 4-0 on short rest before allowing six runs, four hits and four walks in two-plus innings, his shortest start since his first outing in 2007. He had defeated Martinez in Game 2, but lasted just 14 batters in Game 5.
“It was nobody else’s fault but mine out there tonight,” he said. “It was embarrassing. With the importance of a game like that, you’ve got to figure out a way to throw strikes.”
If the Series goes to a Game 7, CC Sabathia would come back on short rest for the third time in the postseason. Cole Hamels, last year’s Series MVP, appears to be the likely seventh game starter for the Phillies.
First, Pettitte must deal with Utley, who has four homers in the Series off left-handers.
“We have to try to find a way to get Chase Utley out,” Johnny Damon said.
After Utley and Raul Ibanez homered off Phil Coke for an 8-2 lead, the Phillies watched New York score three times in the eighth inning and put its first two batters on in the ninth.
Manuel didn’t use closer Brad Lidge, who gave up three ninth-inning runs in Game 4.
“I kind of wanted to just give Lidge a break tonight if I could,” he said.
Madson got in trouble but wiggled out. Then it was time to head back to the Bronx.
“We definitely have the momentum,” he said. “I didn’t care if they scored one or two, as long as they didn’t score three.”
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