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By keeping Cliff Lee in the game in the ninth inning after losing his shutout bid, Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel may have hurt the Philadelphia Phillies chances of winning a second straight World Series.
With the World Series tied 1-1 heading into Philadelphia, the Phillies have a lot to be positive about. They have held the New York Yankees’ star studded line at bay, allowing merely four runs in the first two games. Cliff Lee still looks immortal, throwing a complete game with 10 strikeouts and no walks in game one.
Despite Lee’s dominance, Phillies fan should not so thrilled about his performance. In allowing his ace to attempt to attain a complete game shutout, Manuel might have also put his impressive southpaw and the rest is his club in a tight spot.
Manuel faces Andy Pettitte and his established big game ability versus what this year has been an inconsistent Cole Hamels (6.75 ERA in three starts this postseason). If Philadephia drops this game they will face a 2-1 series hole and the temptation to start Cliff Lee on three days’ rest versus the Bronx Bombers likely ace- C.C. Sabathia.
Lee has never started on short rest in his career. In itself, this would not appear to be a limitation. Lee has done everything the Phillies have asked of him since joining the team. However, Lee threw 122 pitches in his game one gem.
Is it really reasonable to ask anyone, even Cliff Lee, to pitch on three days’ rest, for the first time in his career, against C.C Sabathia and one of the best lineups in the baseball, after logging a pitch count 122 in his last outing, with the World Series on the line?
The alternative is to pitch Joe Blanton in game four, who in four career starts against the Yankees is 0-3 with an 8.18 E.R.A.. This would push Cliff Lee to Game 5 and limit him to only two starts in the series. How did Charlie Manuel allow this to be his best option?
Manuel made a huge error allowing Lee to stay in the game in the ninth in Game One. It is understandable that he wanted to give his ace the opportunity to make history. He would have been the first person to shutout the Yankee’s in game one of a World Series, something no one has done in 39 chances.
But after the Jeter got on base to lead of ninth inning, Manuel should have pulled his ace simply to save his electric arm for another game.
So, Phillie Phanatics should root, root, root for a rain out, which would give Lee another days rest and a chance to pitch three times in the series instead of just twice. In other words, they should hope that it ISN’T always sunny in Philadelphia.
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Top of the eighth, Yankees lead 3-1. Jimmy Rollins at first, Shane Victorino at second, and one out. The legendary Mariano Rivera toes the rubber, then delivers the payoff pitch to Chase Utley.
In a move so bad that even the Fox broadcasters lampooned it, Charlie Manuel did not send the runners on the pitch. The Yankees turned an easy, inning-ending double play, and Ryan Howard was left hanging in the on-deck circle.
But that wasn’t the stupidest decision Manuel made last night.
When the commentators welcomed us back from the commercial break in the bottom of the seventh, they reported that Manuel had asked Pedro whether or not he wanted to stay in the game. Of course, Pedro had said yes.
My jaw dropped as the announcers nonchalantly changed the subject. Had I misheard? Or did they not understand the impact of what they had said?
Sure, it’s nice to let the pitcher have a say in when his night ends if he’s throwing well. But not in such an important game. Not in such a close game. Not with a pitcher who becomes dramatically worse after his 100th pitch. Not when you have a bullpen full of relievers who haven’t worked in more than a week.
And not when another manager made the exact mistake six years ago.
Doesn’t anyone remember that?
In case anyone reading this has had the good fortune to forget Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS, then-Red Sox manager Grady Little ignored all logic and asked Pedro if he wanted to stay in the game in the eighth inning. Three hits later, Boston’s three-run lead was reduced to two, and Little ran out to the mound. Pedro again declared that he should stay in the game, and Little acquiesced; by the time Pedro finally did leave, the score was tied. The Yankees went on to win in extra innings.
If you remember that game, I apologize for forcing you to relive the agony. But the story needs to be retold, because Charlie Manuel apparently hasn’t heard it.
I get that Pedro was pitching a good game. I understand that Manuel wants to leave his starters in the game as long as possible to decrease the chances of a bullpen implosion. And no one was more excited than I to see Pedro back on the mound in the Bronx. But you don’t win playoff games managing by emotion.
At least Manuel had the good sense to take Pedro out as the trouble was just starting, rather then let him pitch until the implosion was complete. The sole run the Yankees scored in the seventh didn’t change the outcome of the game (at least, without consulting chaos theory).
But how could he have known that? It wasn’t a blowout; it was a close game that (I assume) the Phillies still believed they could win. There’s a fine line between a nail-biter and an insurmountable lead, and against Mariano Rivera, the margin of error is pretty slim.
Perhaps Manuel had already made up his mind before consulting Pedro, though even without his personal history, I would question the decision to leave a tiring starter in a close game instead of going to the well-rested bullpen.
But it seems likely that the decision was largely influenced by Pedro’s personal desire to fight on.
There is no question that Pedro Martinez is one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, but it’s also pretty clear that he does not know his own limits; his managers don’t seem to realize that. Every tragic hero’s downfall begins with hubris, and unfounded confidence in one’s abilities certainly falls under that category
In Watchmen, when one of the vigilantes asked his partner who they were protecting the people from, he simply replied, “from themselves.” The manager’s job is not to encourage his players’ desires to push themselves too far, but to control it.
Hindsight is 20/20, but even before the inning started it was hard not to question Manuel’s decision. No matter whose decision it was for Pedro to keep pitching, it was certainly bad managing.
One can only hope that, this winter, Martinez signs with a team whose manager remembers recent history and feels comfortable saying “no.”
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So much for this being an offensive World Series.
For the second night in a row we saw a pitcher’s duel in the Bronx. Last night A.J. Burnett out-dueled Pedro Martinez as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 to even their best-of-seven series at one game a piece.
What you saw last night was two pitchers going about getting hitters out in two completely different ways, but getting the same result.
Burnett overpowered the Phillies lineup with a mid-90’s fastball and a power curve all night. Martinez used an array of off-speed pitches to keep the Yankee hitters off balance all night.
But last night proved that no matter how hard you throw, whether you throw 95 mph or 85 mph, pitching is all about first-pitch strikes and location. A well spotted 85 mph fastball is just as effective, if not more effective than a 99 mph fastball right down the middle.
Burnett threw 22 first-pitch strikes to the 26 batters he faced and Martinez threw 16 first-pitch strikes to the 26 batters he faced.
Here are some other observations from last night:
• I’ll be honest, I didn’t think Burnett had a performance like that in him.
In the third inning, after walking Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, every Yankee fan thought “Here we go again” with Burnett.
• I am very surprised the Phillies didn’t change their approach during the game. If you see a guy throwing strikes, there is no point in being patient.
• Ryan Howard just struck out again.
• Have Yankee fans not realized that chanting “Who’s your daddy?” only motivates Martinez?
• I am still trying to debate who is the smarter pitcher—Martinez or Greg Maddux?
• The ball Matt Stairs hit to drive in Raul Ibanez in the second was an error by Alex Rodriguez—not a hit.
• I would love to see a throwing contest between Johnny Damon and Jason Bay. That would be high comedy.
• If the Yankees don’t resign Damon, some dumb team is going to give him a three-year deal and regret it from the first day. Damon at this stage of his career is a product of the Yankee lineup and the new Yankee Stadium.
• Did anyone else think Ibanez’s diving catch in the second inning was happening in slow motion? It seemed Ibanez was running forever and the ball hung up in the air forever.
• It was good to see Mark Teixeira finally show up with the bat. That home run was a bomb to right center.
• How did Hideki Matsui hit that home run in the sixth? That pitch was at his shoe tops.
• Did Charlie Manuel get coaching advice from Grady Little before the game? There is no way Martinez should have come back out for the seventh.
• Howard just struck out again on another curve four feet out of the strike zone.
• Manuel said he didn’t start Rollins and Shane Victorino in the eighth because Utley doesn’t hit into many double plays. Manuel thought it might have been five or less throughout the season.
Manuel was right. Utley hit into five double plays during the regular season.
• If you are a Yankee fan, you can say Damon’s line drive hit the ground in the seventh. As a Philly fan, you can say Utley was safe on that double play.
Both plays were bang-bang. I have no problem with either call.
• I don’t care how great Mariano Rivera is, you can’t keep asking a 40-year-old to throw 40 pitches a night.
The Yankees are really going to need to find somebody to pitch the eighth inning in Philadelphia. With three games in a row, Rivera can’t pitch two innings every night. His arm will fall off.
• I wonder if Jerry Hairston will get the start in Game Three against the lefty Cole Hamels? Hairston was 1-for-3 last night replacing Nick Swisher.
• How much weight has Mark Grace gained? He has seriously ballooned up. I think we will be seeing him in a Nutrisystem commercial pretty soon.
Hero for Game Two – A.J. Burnett
Goat for Game Two – Ryan Howard
Series MVP – Cliff Lee
Game Three is Saturday night at 7:57 ET
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All the bright spots and the warts have been exposed after two games in the 2009 World Series.
Mariano Rivera, perhaps the brightest of all stars, pitched a two-inning save to preserve a 3-1 Yankees victory over the Phillies on Thursday night in New York.
The World Series is now tied, at one win a piece.
Hideki Matsui hit the go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Yankees their first lead of the series, 2-1.
A.J. Burnett was masterful, giving up one run (should have been unearned) on four hits, nine strikeouts, and two walks in seven innings.
The series resumes Friday in Philadelphia, with evening games on three straight days in the City of Brotherly Love.
Either team could close the series out with a sweep in the next three games, but that is not likely to happen. However, the balance of power will be decided in the next three games.
Cole Hamels (10-11) faces Andy Pettitte (14-8) in an important Game Three battle. Pettitte has been terrific in the postseason, going 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA.
Hamels, meanwhile, has been a bit of an enigma during these playoffs. Last year’s NLCS and World Series MVP has been ordinary in the postseason.
Hamels is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA. His strikeout/walk ratio is good, giving up two walks and notching 12 strikeouts. The most alarming stat is the 11 earned runs he has allowed in 14.2 innings.
The first game against the Rockies, Hamels must have had the birth of his first child on his mind.
Hamels was trailing 4-0, when after being told he would not bat in the bottom of the fifth, he then walked briskly to the dugout.
He was on the way to the hospital to see his son being born.
The Rockies won the game, 5-4, and Hamels took the loss.
Hamels won Game One of the NLCS but gave up four runs in eight hits and gave up two home runs. The Phillies won the game, 8-6.
Some say Hamels’ fastball is flat, but I think he lets errors and mistakes affect his pitching.
I think he needs to shut everything out and just pitch. It was no accident that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel chose Pedro Martinez to pitch in New York.
Martinez did not pitch badly, but Burnett was better.
On the Yankees’ side of the ball, the concern has to be for Alex Rodriguez.
After getting an RBI in eight straight playoff games, Rodriguez has yet to get a hit in the World Series.
He struck out three times in Game Two.
Out of the two, who is more likely to break out of his slump: Rodriguez or Hamels?
Rodriguez has to get a hit sooner or later, and Manuel will continue to pitch to him until he hits one out.
I think the Phillies will win two out of three at home.
That would give them a 3-2 lead heading into New York.
Not an easy task.
Especially if Rodriguez starts hitting.
Pettitte appears strong for Game Three. I’ll take the Yankees to win, 6-3, on Friday night.
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After spanking the New York Yankees 6-1 in Game One of the World Series last night, what will the Philadelphia Phillies do for an encore?
Philly is a +170 underdog for tonight’s Game Two, while the Yanks are -200 home faves with an over/under set at 9.
The Phillies will send a familiar Yankees foe to the mound tonight in Pedro Martinez, who has enjoyed a hate-hate relationship with Pinstripes fans dating back to his days with the Boston Red Sox.
The Yanks have owned Martinez, however, as they are 7-2 in Martinez’s last nine starts against them.
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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Pedro Martinez has lost the velocity of his fastball as his Hall of Fame career has progressed, but nothing else.
He still has arguably the best changeup in the game, and locates it, a 89 mile-per-hour fastball, and a snail-slow curve effectively. He has a whip-like delivery, which adds deception and puzzles the opposition as to what pitch is coming their way.
By mixing his pitches, with the ability to throw any pitch in any count, he keeps hitters guessing. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, opponents have often guessed wrong.
In Game Two of the World Series, the New York Yankees guessed wrong early. Many of their hitters have experience against Martinez, but not this Martinez.
When he pitched with the Boston Red Sox from 1998 through 2004, they faced him with regularity. But that was the Martinez who worked his off-speed pitches off his fastball.
This Martinez, who was seeking revenge against a once-bitter rival, has pitched in the National League ever since he left Boston, and as he reached his late 30’s, he became more of a control pitcher, working his fastball off his devastating off-speed pitches.
To begin his outing against Derek Jeter, the Yankee captain with whom he had many duels during the rivalry years, he threw a first-pitch changeup for a ball, and then three more. He worked in a curveball, and then another changeup to bring the count full.
It wasn’t until the seventh pitch of the at-bat that a fastball was thrown. And it was a dandy, as Jeter swung right through the deception and movement.
He didn’t even feature a fastball to the next hitter, Johnny Damon, managing to strike him out with four changeups and a slider. He worked both sides of the plate to both hitters, and when he did challenge them, as he did Jeter with the last offering, the fastball had so much movement and pep to it that it was nearly impossible to make good contact, or even to make contact at all.
Matt “The Professional Hitter” Stairs , 41 years old and in his 17th year, broke a scoreless tie in the second with a two-out, sharply-hit single that snuck under Alex Rodriguez’s glove at third base.
It was a play Rodriguez probably should have made, and maybe he took that error officially scored a hit with him to the batters box. Or maybe it was just Martinez that stumped him.
The slugger who struck out three times in Game One against an unbelievable Cliff Lee fouled off two changeups to begin the bottom of the second, aggressively attempting to make up for Stairs’ grounder with one swing.
Martinez missed with a fastball, evidently just low, and then Rodriguez continued to take his hacks, fouling off four straight fastballs.
Martinez knew who to challenge, and when to stop challenging them over the course of an at-bat. The fastball wasn’t fooling Rodriguez, and if he threw it many more times consecutively, odds were Rodriguez would have connected and launched a shot deep.
So, he mixed up his repertoire, throwing a slider that Rodriguez tapped foul, and then a fastball purposefully located high.
He offset the heater with something Rodriguez didn’t expect, the first curveball of the battle. It began in Rodriguez’s kitchen, which made up his mind: swing. Then, the ball dropped off, landing in Rodriguez’s basement. Rodriguez missed it by a mile; strike three, one out.
Aside from benefiting from a great diving catch by left-fielder Raul Ibanez to thwart what could have led to a big second inning for New York, Martinez was in control for the next three innings.
His only mistake over those three, and the first five altogether for that matter, was costly. He missed with a changeup barely off the plate inside against Teixeira to begin the fourth inning, and then tried the same pitch. The second changeup, unlike the first, rolled into the strike zone.
It was located well, tailing to the outer portion of the plate, but the offering hung ever so slightly. That was enough for Teixeira, who turned on it, whacking it into the left-field bullpen for the tying run and just his fourth RBI of this postseason.
Martinez stared blankly at the black-clad fans, pondering the small yet damaging mistake in location, but recollected himself and became the Martinez who tossed three scoreless frames.
Rodriguez got under an inside fastball, flying out to left field, and after a walk to Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano flied out to center field. And Jerry Hairston, who was thrown sliders and changeups in the second inning, saw all fastballs and struck out as Martinez’s fifth victim.
Martinez threw Melky Cabrera all changeups to begin the sixth, and sent him down swinging. His 12-to-6 curveball resulted in a weakly hit groundout by A.J. Burnett’s personal catcher Jose Molina.
Then, after a double by Jeter, with the crowd on its feet, Damon skied a curveball to Howard at first, ending the frame and the threat.
To start the sixth, Martinez struck out Teixeira, throwing four changeups and a curveball, then struck out Rodriguez with an entirely different approach—three fastballs in succession and a changeup.
He allowed nine home runs during the regular season and all were solo shots. He allowed one to Teixeira in the fourth, and another to Matsui in this sixth. He threw a good pitch, a curveball, but Matsui somehow managed to connect solidly with the pitch at his ankles and muscle it into the left field seats.
At the 99-pitch mark after six innings, he talked to manager Charlie Manuel in the dugout and told him he felt fine and could pitch the seventh. He thought he had something left, just like in Game Seven of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Yankees, but really didn’t.
His over-confidence certainly didn’t work in the ALCS then, and not in Game Two of the 2009 World Series, as he uncharacteristically left his pitches up, even his offspeed junk, which resulted in two singles by the Yankees to begin the seventh. These two hitters, Hairston and Cabrera were his final two.
He walked off the mound, pointed to the Gods, then as boos reigned throughout his favorite place to pitch, he looked into the hecklers’ eyes and cracked a wry smile upon entering the dugout.
He pitched brilliantly . Teixeira and Matsui just put together a pair of good swings, and fatigue set in in the seventh.
Pedro didn’t collect the win, nor did his Phillies, but though he would have loved to shut up the 60,000-plus and duplicate Lee’s complete game, he managed to make a majority of the Yankees lineup look ridiculous, and quiet the jeers from his favorite fans.
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> For 17 innings, the Phillies had played nearly mistake-free baseball (the exception: Jimmy Rollins’ ninth inning error last night), refusing to cede to the pressure that took out the Twins and Angels.
Down two in the eighth and facing Mariano Rivera in his bid for a six-out save, Rollins and Shane Victorino did exactly what you’d want them to do there—made the pitcher throw a lot of pitches and get on base.
Chase Utley then battled to a full count, and drama was brewing.
And then the runners inexplicably didn’t go as Utley got sawed off on a dribbler to second, and just as fast as you can say Missed Opportunity, that was a double play to get Rivera off the hook.
(Ed. Note: Charlie Manuel specifically didn’t send the runners, citing Utley’s contact tendencies and his desire to see Ryan Howard hit in that inning. Um, OK. So put the brainlock on the manager instead.)
You can’t overstate the magnitude of that play, really. Had Victorino gotten to second, you have Rivera likely pitching around Howard to load the bases and facing Jayson Werth with the bases loaded. He’s also doing it on his 27th pitch of his inning, and damage is usually done after a pitcher has thrown a couple of dozen pitches.
I’m not saying that Werth does damage and the Phillies come back to win the game; he is, after all, facing Mariano Freaking Rivera. Maybe Werth just makes an out. Then again, maybe he gets a hit and ties the game. You just have to send the runners there; even in the event of a strikeout, Rollins and Victorino are extremely good at stealing bases.
Oh, and it’s also all kinds of fun that the umpires blew the call at first to call Utley out. Gah.
> Pet peeve: Guys with filthy batting helmets. I get the need for luck and familiarity and all, but it still looks gross and bush league to me. At least no one in this game is taking it to true Manny-ish extremes.
> Matt Stairs, of all people, with the early RBI. It’s not exactly encouraging for the NL team when your DHs are hitting less than .200 for the year, but so long as they produce, I suppose.
> In the bottom of the seventh, Jerry Hairston fought off a little bleeder to get on base, and then Melky Cabrera delivered a clear single to right. That ended Pedro Martinez’s night and let Yankee Fan get their full “Who’s Your Daddy” on. The man actually smiled as he left, even though the game now goes eight times out of nine for the home team from here in.
If the man ever needs money after baseball, he can work forever as a wrestling heel manager to New York audiences; I suspect they would never tire of paying for the privilege of screaming for his blood.
Martinez’s night ended with 107 pitches, six-plus innings, six hits, two ER (eventually, three), two walks, eight strikeouts, and two HRs. He’s in the same exact place that CC Sabathia was last night—a good start, some bad luck, and the loss.
But I still hope he’s back next year, and I can’t imagine that Yankee Fan really wants him gone either. In a world of forgettable pitchers, you can’t deny that he’s genuinely fun to watch and/or hate.
> Chan Ho Park came in, threw hard, got ahead, and then made a two-strike mistake for the Jorge Posada insurance RBI single. Park’s just one of those guys with great stuff that I don’t trust, regardless of the numbers.
> Derek Jeter then kept the game close with an utterly inexplicable bunt strikeout. Kind of breathtaking there, really. Even if it works, you’re setting up the ice-cold Johnny Damon against a lefty; hardly something you would hope for.
Yankee Fan will explain that by blaming Joe Girardi for flashing the sign, and it didn’t come back to haunt them. But that’s besides the point. If Girardi did call for it with two strikes, Jeter should have walked into the dugout and shoved the bat up his overmanaging ass. Just inexcusable, really.
And then the inning ends with badly called double play, with the umps missing a call on a liner that Ryan Howard short-hopped. (Oh, and on the DP, the Internet broke from angry Yankee Fan tweets. Baseball Fan, I get why you want instant reply, especially when the call goes against your laundry. But honestly, isn’t the game delayed enough?)
> Ryan Howard: four ABs, four Ks, the last of which was a pretty terrible call by the umpire…but Rivera’s just getting that call in this stadium, in this point of his life. A soft line drive from Werth, but Raul Ibanez refuses to be the last out tonight.
Stairs, a 2-for-15 lifetime hitter against Rivera, for the hope against a man who has thrown 35 pitches already…but Rivera immediately jumps out to an 0-2 count and then backs the older man off the plate for ball one. Stairs waits out a diving breaking ball for ball two, but the next one catches him fishing, and that’s that.
There’s a reason why Rivera’s a first ballot Hall of Famer and Matt Stairs is, well, Matt Stairs.
> What is it about teams self-destructing against the pinstripes? Yankee Fan doesn’t want to hear this, but it’s actually what happens in most games, really. The Dodgers self-destructed against the Phillies with weak pitching. The Rockies did it with an utter inability to hit left-handed pitching.
But when you do it against the most famous franchise on the planet, Voodoo Magic Pinstripes have to be the cause. (And if “self-destruct” is defined as not sending the runners, that’s a pretty small threshold for self-destruct.)
> Encouraging for the Phillies: Alex Rodriguez stayed down tonight, and as the past two nights have shown, you can pitch to this team when he’s firing up blanks. Discouraging: The same is true for the Yankees when Howard isn’t hitting. It’s not as if he’s likely to break out in the next game either, because…
> Andy Pettitte gets the ball for New York in Game Three in Philadelphia against Cole Hamels, and, um, Pettitte’s left-handed. I know that the Phils have been aces at home, but I can’t see this series ending there. (Happy to be wrong, of course.)
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This Column Originally Published at GetOutofMyBallpark.com
Have you ever been really excited to show off your new apartment to some friends, and then some guy shows up, beats the crap out of you, poops on your couch and then lights your bed on fire? That’s what the Yankees feel like today after what Cliff Lee did to them. In the Steinbrenners’ first chance to show off their billion dollar monument to being whores (and taxpayer money) on the world wide scale, the Phillies spoiled the party by dominating the Yanks on both sides of the ball and ruining the return of Aura and Mystique (Schilling’s favorite strippers) to the Series. He shut down the best offensive team money can buy (one run on six hits in a complete game), while also giving the atomic finger to a former teammate who got all the attention even while Lee was winning an AL Cy Young.
And it felt great for me. Every Yankees fan I’ve seen today looks like somebody s**t in their cereal. Douche-Rod, who had switched bodies with David Ortiz circa 2004 for most clutch hits in the playoffs, was back to his old self, putting up an 0-4 night with three Ks. Teixeira was almost as bad, coming one K short of matching Rodriguez in complete uselessness (though Rodriguez still has bigger tits). The entire team was shut down by Lee, who has done nothing but dominate since coming over in the Indians fire sale at the deadline.
On the other side of the ball, Sabathia, the $161 Million man, got hammered by Chase Utley twice and after he was out, it took five relievers to get 6 outs, while giving up four more runs.
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His challenge arrived ever so quickly amid an epic duel unimaginably surprising at a time baseball extends to November, reducing our interest as we direct our full attention on football and basketball.
But in a city, where baseball devotees are warned, courtesy of Doppler reports, the rabid and starved New York crowd couldn’t care less about getting drenched in October madness. When it pertains to the Yankees, especially after a World Series drought delayed mystique and prestige, fans will attend witnessing their boys in pinstripes attempt adding to a gratifying tradition.
Unfortunately, on a night when it seemed the Yankees were fitted naming the next Mr. October, it turned into the Phillies favor. The emergence of Cliff Lee is suddenly startling the entire world, instantly petrifying a confident crowd seated faithfully in the cozy seats inside the colossal Yankees Stadium, where an epic classical is expected to deliver thrills for the ages. It’s happening in a year Philadelphia is on verge of sustaining back-to-back greatness, since the Cincinnati Reds accomplished such a historic sequence.
The former Cy Young Award winner is the centerpiece to the Phillies unforeseen return to the World Series, starved to attain a legitimate appetizer of holding the gleaming prize, like most of his teammates last season when experiencing a joyful moment.
It’s an understatement to dismiss the Phillies over the Yankees, a world favorite as masses clearly are brainwashed for the total of titles amassed and mystique, which symbolizes America’s team.
Let’s not fail realizing that Lee out performed his old partner and longtime teammate CC Sabathia, indications of how evenly match the Phillies rotation might be. This series can potentially last seven games, meaning the entire nation will probably witness one of the greatest pitching duels in the World Series. Without taking a guess, the two clubs will start each of their aces in a pivotal Game Seven.
For much of the postseason, Sabathia and Lee have thrown effectively, pitching like no other, proficient enough to dominate in critical situation. First, the Yankees must strike in Game Two for legitimate hopes to contend with the defending champs whose impeccable pitching heroics continue to aid Philadelphia, thriving and overcoming adversity in the regular-season.
At Yankee Stadium, the newly palace, where fans wear ponchos keeping dry, was silent enough hearing the velocity of Lee’s deadly changeup or his deliverance of the breaking ball. These days, of course, paying attention to Lee is easier unlike before when he spent ample of seasons, throwing unhittable curveballs for the dreadful Cleveland Indians.
So, the opportunity to showcase his pitching prowess on a superior club merits notability, intimidating the hottest hitter in baseball, Alex Rodriguez on his invincible changeup and Mark Teixeira was hitless as well, failing to catch up to an indomitable changeup.
Lee contained the hottest team in baseball, with an unbelievable performance this postseason, if not the most memorable postseason outing. The monster statistics are staggering, maintaining an all-time low ERA of 0.54. Is that invincible enough?
Let’s mention his 3-0 start, quickly emerging to stardom in a city where the cheese steaks exist, and where Lee throws heaters scorching greater than a Philly cheese steak on the grill. His impressive performance disappointed the Yankees in their first ever World Series game played at their new stadium.
That’s anything but exciting, when fans could debate that Sabathia had a stellar postseason. Don’t forget he shut down the Los Angeles Angels with his ferocious fastball, putting a freeze on the hottest offense in the regular-season. Throughout, his postseason experience, he kept fans wearing pinstripes warm by throwing flame-throwers, and stopped the Angels for showcasing their aggressive base running.
Even though, the Yankees might have a bit more star power, Lee’s outstanding mechanics demonstrates different features. It’s a bit similar to last season, when the Phillies were led by the sound left-hander who emerged into a legendary icon and earned MVP honors.
Cole Hamels was unhittable, ridiculously nailing pitches inside, located near the corners of home plate. Well, this year, the surprising hero is Lee. He’s pitching wonderfully, named your new Mr. October.
Fittingly, is to know what is at stake. That being said, Lee’s complete-game, 10-strikeout, six-hit spectacle is for all the reason manager Charlie Manuel should consider starting the strikeout expert on three-day rest if necessary.
After slowing down A-Rod, who overnight earned his nickname back, overcame a hideous scandal and finally flourished and rejuvenated tradition in the postseason, it’s probable to happen suggesting Lee returns to the mound on short rest.
It’s not a simple task, stifling evidently a steroid-free slugger. In the postseason alone, A-Rod numbers were more terrifying than Freddy and Jason, hitting a staggering .438 with five homers and 12 RBI, but not when there’s a gifted ace as perilous as Lee.
Knowingly, the Phillies were in desperate need of a top-notch ace to solidify a feeble rotation. The front office had good sense, pulling off the surprising blockbuster deal and stole Lee from Cleveland.
Bravo!!!!!
Yes, the Phillies were smarter than any organization before the non-waiver trade deadline came to an official close. Their initiative plans was to obtain Toronto’s ace Roy Halladay, but the deal was withdrawn when embattled and then-general manager J.P. Ricciardi’s prices were too steep for getting a deal done. There are certainly no regrets, finding out that Lee is the centerpiece to their dominant postseason.
In two seasons, the Phillies are 17-4. That’s the greatest streak in NL history, mainly because of their ability to retire opposing hitters. But the offense compiles hits whenever necessary, sort of like last night when Chase Utley drilled two solo homers off Sabathia, which changed morale of the game.
And later to break opening a nice lead, Raul Ibanez redeemed himself of a bases-loaded situation that could have created damage earlier in the contest by lacing a two-run single. It extended the lead and finalized a 6-1 victory, stunning the entire state of New York.
Currently, Philly cheese steaks are much tastier than a New York steak. Seems on this night, Lee got the best of CC concerning and disappointing an entire city. So, belittling the Phillies is a mistake, and ignoring the unthinkable arm of the invincible lefty.
Clearly, as things appear now, he’s a better ace throwing like a legend and World Series MVP. Just think, if the Phillies win the next three games, he’ll be named the Most Valuable Player.
There’s no need to start conversations. Just watch, Lee.
He’s extraordinary.
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The boo birds are lying in wake. They are getting ready to let loose a tirade the likes of which have not been seen in a very long time in the Bronx. Last night there were rumblings, signs of things to come.
Despite the fact that Alex Rodriguez was hitting over .430 in the post season and hit clutch tying home runs late in games, here he was on baseball’s greatest stage with the opportunity to completely bury his past failures and finally be accepted as a true blue New York Yankee.
The only person to stand in his way was the former Cy Young Award winner, Cliff Lee, who is having a post season for the ages. What a classic confrontation. Even I was psyched despite my disappointment in the World Series combatants.
Last night clearly belonged to Cliff Lee. Not only did he strike out A-Rod three times but completely shut down the heart of the Yankee lineup with A-Rod, Texiera, and Posada going a measly 1-12 against the crafty left hander. Lee struck out 10 and posted his first win and complete game in the World Series.
Chase Utley supplied all the offense the Fightin’ Phil’s needed with two home runs off Yankee ace and former Lee teammate, C.C. Sabathia. Other than the two blasts, Sabathia held the powerful Phil’s bats in check allowing only those two runs in seven innings.
Then the Yankee bull pen, which I said was a course of concern for Joe Girardi’s troops managed to give up four runs in two innings to put Game One out of reach. With the win, the Phillies grabbed the home field advantage and need to win three more games to repeat as World Champions. With three of the next four games at Citizens Bank Park, I like their chances.
The Yankees find themselves nearing to have their backs against the wall for the first time in this post season and will give the ball to their other gazillion dollar free agent, A.J. Burnett, who many times this season looked nothing more than an ordinary struggling pitcher.
Make no mistake however, when Burnett is on his game he can be one of the most un-hittable pitchers in either league today. He is going to have to be if the Yankees plan on expanding this series into November.
The Phillies counter tonight with my favorite pitcher and player in this past generation, Pedro Martinez. He has been nothing short of sensational since the Phillies picked him up late in the season. One of the great big game pitchers of all time, Pedro brings his expertise to a Yankee organization that he once called his “Daddy”.
Don’t you just love this?
If Pedro does get racked around, Charlie Manuel may be second guessed since he had a choice of starting another left hander in Cole Hamels who would have turned around the Yankee switch hitters to the right side where his patented change-up is a devastating pitch.
Regardless, Hamels will start Game Three in Philadelphia and if the Yankees find themselves down 0-2 they will have to pull out of their past hat from the Series of 1999 where they lost the first two games to Atlanta only to come back and sweep the Braves from there.
Prediction; I have only missed one game in picking the right team in this post season. I expect Pedro to pitch a gem but unfortunately Charlie won’t let him go beyond 105 pitches and then I expect the Phillies bull pen to implode late in the game as the Yankees did last night.
The Yanks will come back and tie this series at one each. It will also be the last game the “Skankees” will win in 2009, and A-Hole-Fraud-Roid’s woes will continue. You see I really believe in “what goes around, comes around” and Alex Rodriguez, once a hero of mine, is the poster child for arrogant, ignorant behavior which is too wide spread in professional sports.
Yankees 7 Phillies 3
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