As these 35 days drag on, I keep reflecting on the magical 2009 season and World Championship. The Yankees didn’t just sneak into the playoffs and surprise everyone, they jumped in feet first and dominated.  A-Rod finally delivered what Yankee fans have been expecting since 2004. The Captain did what he always does, and that’s win. The most underrated hit of this entire postseason was Jeter’s bomb in game one of the ALDS versus the Twins. The Yankees got behind early in that game and the energy in the stadium was nowhere to be found, until Jeter pulled one deep over the left field wall and woke up the fans and his teammates.

The offense didn’t disappoint and neither did the rotation.  Girardi knew the Yankees best chance of winning was to go with a three man rotation and left the world championship in the hands of CC, AJ, and Andy.  He took some undue criticism from fans and media alike following AJ’s second World Series start. In my opinion, there were no three better pitchers to start those games than the aforementioned men.

Nearly every time Girardi made a call to the bullpen, the relief was delivered.  Mariano Rivera did exactly what New York fans have come to expect from him, Damaso Marte pulled a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde act, not impressing anyone for months but becoming a whole different pitcher when it truly mattered, and David Robertson, the unsung hero of these games, took the ball and shut down the best of the best.

David Robertson  quietly put together a fine 2009 regular season:

2-1, 3.30 ERA,  1 Save,  45 Games, 43.2 Innings pitched, 36 Hits, 16 ER, 4 HR, 23 BB and held opposing batter to .216 average.

Not too shabby for a guy who was relatively unknown to the baseball world prior to last season, a fact proven by the opposing teams.  

Robertson dazzled in the playoffs and went about his job like a ten year veteran with fingers full of rings.   

2009 Post Season Stats:  

Division Series: 1-0, 0.00 ERA,  1.0 IP,  1 H, 1 Game

Game 2 –“The Houdini Act”

Robertson entered the game with the bases load, no outs, and left all three runners stranded. Mark Teixeria later won the game with a walk-off bomb.  Game 2 sunk the Twins and made Yankees fans believe that the magic of late 1990’s playoff  games was back in the Bronx.

“Sometimes, I still can’t believe I got out of that jam and won that game. When Mark hit that home run, the momentum just seemed to push us and shove us right through that round,”  Robertson said.

American League Championship Series: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 Games

World Series: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 Games

Game 5–2 shut out innings

In his first World Series appearance at Citizens Bank park, Robertson entered the game following a shaky performance from AJ Burnett who gave up six runs early. He inherited runners on first and third with nobody out, but got Pedro Felix to pop out to Teixeria, and later struck out Jimmy Rollins looking.  In the bottom of the fourth he saw ground outs from Shane Victorino and Chase Utley, and then sent Ryan Howard back to the dugout without a run.

Am I over-hyping Robertson’s performance?  If you think so, let’s re-examine the performances of the rest of the Yankees pen over the course of these playoff games.  

Phil Hughes pitched to a 8.53 in post season play due to the fact that opposing batters were hitting .379 off of him. Girardi gave Hughes the opportunity to straighten himself out, reaching for the bullpen phone nine times during the post season for him with no success.

Joba Chamberlain pitched well. In ten games he recorded a 2.84 ERA, while batters hit .333 against him.  The World Series had a shift in balance when Pedro Felix deposited a Joba fastball into the seats at the Bank.

Alfredo Aceves  success in the regular season didn’t follow him into the playoffs. In four games, Aceves was 0-1, with a 4.15 ERA,  and opposing batters hitting  .313. Regardless, he was the Yankees workhorse all year going 10-1 out of the pen.

Mariano Rivera: 0.56 ERA,  12 Games, 5 Saves,  16 IP,  .175. Do I really need to make a case for Mo?  He is the foundation of all of the Yankees success since 1996. Once he retires, the closer position on the Yankees, and frankly all of baseball, will never be the same.  It scares me to think of a day when I won’t hear the first few notes of Enter Sandman and look up to see number forty-two trotting to the mound.

Damaso Marte makes a case to secure my anointed “Unsung Hero” tag.  In eight games he pitched to a  0.00 ERA in 4.0 innings and held opposing batters to .154. The reason I chose Robertson over Marte is largely because of the aforementioned ‘Houdini Act’ of  game two that sent the Yankees hurtling towards their 27^th ring.   Marte flat out stunk during the regular season and on Opening Day 2009, as the Yankees christened their new digs, he was booed off the mound. Opening Day 2010 he will get a standing ovation.

Jay Ferraro is the Executive Producer of Baseball Digest LIVE and Gotham Baseball LIVE.  He is also a columnist for Baseball Digest ,Baseballdigest.com, and Gothambaseball.com. You can reach him at Jay_Ferraro@Juno.com , follow him on Twitter here and add him on Facebook here.

The Yankees payroll was over $200 million this year, by far the most in baseball. Although the Phillies were 7th overall, the majority of the key Phillies players were homegrown: Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, etc. Whereas, a good amount of the key Yankees players were bought: A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, etc.

The Yankees deserve credit for winning this championship and putting this team together, but it needs to be pointed out the way they did it, which is why a good majority of the fans out there do not like them.

In terms of the game itself: Andy Pettitte outpitched Pedro Martinez, and the Yankees powerful offense outperformed the Phillies powerful offense. In the end, even with all the pieces in place, the Phillies were unable to become just the fourth team in the history of the National League to repeat as World Champions.

Don’t be fooled though. Even though this Phillies team got beat this year, they will be back. Ruben Amaro, Jr. will tinker with the pieces in the offseason and try to improve the club before spring training next year, and their core players are all still in the prime of their careers.

Some other game notes, included Ryan Howard finally breaking out of his World Series slump, as he hit a homerun in the game, but it was all too little too late. Give the Phils credit though, because they fought and grinded to the very final at bat, which included Shane Victorino fouling pitch after pitch after pitch off against Mariano Rivera, before he finally grounded out to Robinson Cano to end the game.

Until 2 late inning offensive outbursts by the Phillies during Game 1,  it was a pitching duel between Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia gave up 2 runs on 4 hits over 7 innings to Lee’s 1 unearned run on 6 hits in his complete game victory over the Yankees. That night it was the Yankees bullpen that provided the Phillies with extra runs to seal the win.

Game 2 featured another pitching duel between the Phillies’ Pedro Martinez and Yankees’ A.J. Burnett. In this matchup, it was Burnett who shut down the offense and the Phillies bullpen(or, by decisions made, Charlie Manuel) that failed to keep the game within a run. Burnett was followed up with 2 shutout innings by postseason beast Mariano Rivera.

After two games that showcased dominating pitching for both teams, Game 3 was a more offensive contest that included a comeback win. Following a 90 minute rain delay, the Phillies forced Andy Pettitte to throw a lot of pitches and were able to pull together 3 runs early to go ahead 3-0 after 2 innings. Pettitte recovered and proceeded to mow down the Phillies lineup for 4 innings until a home run in the 6th by Jayson Werth. Meanwhile, Cole Hamels was handling the Yankee lineup until the wheels began to fall off in the 4th inning when he allowed a homerun. The wheels came completely off in the 5th inning when 4 more Yankee hits led to 3 more runs and the early exit by Cole Hamels. The Yankees chipped away at the Phillies bullpen en route to an 8-5 win. The Phillies managed two solo homers in the loss.

Game 4 was, for some, going to be a lopsided win by the New York Yankees. C.C. Sabathia on 3 days rest matched up against Joe Blanton with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel opting against starting the ace, Cliff Lee, on short rest. Blanton(and the defense!) allowed 2 quick runs and Sabathia allowed 1 in the first himself, but both settled down to pitch into 6th and 7th innings. Both bullpens showed their weakness in Game 4.  Joba Chamberlain, playing in his second consecutive World Series game, served up a game-tying home run to Pedro Feliz.  It not stay a tie game for long, as Phillies closer Brad Lidge had what can only be as a meltdown. After two quick outs, Lidge allowed a single to Johnny Damon. Damon quickly changes the entire scope of the inning with headsup baserunning that resulted in stealing second base and taking third when there was no Phillie covering the base due to the shift put on during Mark Teixeira’s at bat. With Damon on third, Lidge hits Mark Teixeira with a pitch, putting men on first and third with no one out.  Alex Rodriguez quickly smokes a double that scores Damon and gives the Yankees the lead.  Jorge Posada follows the lead and cranks a single and is tagged out at second base to end the inning, but not before Rodriguez and Teixeira score to give the Yankees a 7-4 lead. Mariano Rivera came on in the bottom of the 9th to close out another win for the Yankees.

Continuing with the team’s approach of using 3 starters in the World Series, the Yankees sent A.J. Burnett to the mound on 3 days rest to face a fully rested Cliff Lee and the Phillies in an potential elimination game. Charlie Manuel had received criticism for not starting his ace on three days rest in Game 4 and, for at least one night, he proved to have made the right decision. Burnett gave up 3 runs in the first and was unable to record an out in the 3rd inning, on his way to a line that included 6 earned runs on 4 hits and 4 walks. In the 7th, Phil Coke allowed 2 solo shots that made the score 8-2 entering the 8th. As both teams have shown with their pitching problems and lineup power, a 6 run lead is not safe in any ballpark. The Yankees chipped away to score 4 runs and came within 2 in the 9th inning before Ryan Madson shut the door for the save.

The questions remain for these two team as they prepare for an off-day before Game 6 on Wednesday night. Should Gaudin pitch, ever? Should Pedro Martinez start Game 6? What about J.A. Happ? Should Gardner start over Hairston, Jr.? Will Robinson Cano and Ryan Howard come out of their slumps? How will both managers decisions impact the outcome? We can’t possibly answer all of these questions. We can acknowledge one thing, however.

The baseball season continues further into November, staving off winter for at least another day.

The Yankees scored three runs in the 9th inning and beat the Philadelphia Philles 7-4 before a sold out, raucous Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies had gotten off the mat in the bottom of the 8th when Pedro Feliz hit a game tying solo home run off of Joba Chamberlain. But after Brad Lidge retired the first two Yankees in the 9th, Damon lined a single on the 10th hit of the at-bat.

With Mark Teixeira up, the Phillies employed their usual shift with third baseman Feliz positioned more like a shortstop. Damon took off for second, beating catcher Carlos Ruiz’s throw. After a momentary hesitation, Damon broke off for the unoccupied third base and reached it uncontested.

The play was huge. With Damon on third, Lidge would be more reluctant to throw his slider in the dirt. Lidge, who appeared to have turned his regular season struggles around during the post-season, hit Teixeira. Alex Rodriguez then drilled a fat fastball off the left field wall to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Jorge Posada provided some insurance with a 2-run double and Mariano Rivera nailed down the save.

Damon’s defense had come into question earlier in the game when he play Feliz’s catchable ball on a hop and made a weak throw home as Ryan Howard scored to tie the game at two apiece.

In actuality, Howard never scored as he never touched home plate. It was just part of a bad night for home plate ump Mike Everitt who had a wandering plate all night.

Down 3-0, Alex Rodriguez, hitless to that point, got the Yankees on the board in the 4th when he lined a 2-run home run off a televsion camera near the right field corner.  Originally ruled as being in play, the umpires conferred and went to replay to confirm the call (Fox’s Joe Buck continued to call rhe replay inconclusive the rest of the night).

Pettitte helped out his own cause with a game tying single an inning later and Johnny Damon put the Yankees ahead for a good with a 2-run double in the same frame.

Nick Swisher, who snapped out of a 4-35 skid with a double, added a solo home run in the 6th and Hideki Matsui added some insurance with a pinch-hit solo shot in the 8th inning.

Pettitte started out shaky and the Phillies took advantage.  Jayson Werth hit the first of two home runs  in the 2nd inning and the Phillies added two more when Pettitte walked Jimmy Rollins with the bases loaded and Shane Victorino followed with a sac fly.

But Pettitte settled down through the middle innings.  He dominated the dangerous left-handed trio of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez.  Howard, in fact, has gone 0-8 with seven strikeouts in the last two games.

Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte, of all people, retired all six batters they faced to build the bridge to the 9th.  Joe Girardi decided to go with Phil Hughes, but after retiring the first batter, Hughes gave up a solo shot to Carlos Ruiz to make it a 3-run deficit.  On came Mariano Rivera, who needed just five pitches to close the ball game out and give the Yankees their first series lead.

Series Notes

Pettitte’s RBI was the first game tying RBI by a Yankee pitcher since Jim Bouton during the 1964 series.  Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera became the first trio to play in a World Series together 13 years apart.  Pretty cool.

Hideki Matsui’s home run was ironic in that it was the first one he hit to the opposite field all season.

People are still marveling over the performance by A.J. Burnett in Game 2.  Burnett has heard all the praise – plus fastball, wicked movement on breaking pitches, among the bestcurveballs in the game.  He’s also heard all the negative- no heart, empty head, bad attitude.  Burnett shook off the latter and a slow start and dominated thePhillies hitters for seven innings.  It was actually surprising that Girardi didn’t send him out for the 8th inning so that Rivera wouldn’t have to go for a six out save.

CC Sabathia faces Joe Blanton tonight in Game 4.  Sabathia will be working on three days rest for the second time in the post-season.  Burnett is scheduled to face Game 1 winner Cliff Lee in Monday night’s Game 5.

For perhaps one night only, Red Sox fans became Philadelphia Phillies fans as Pedro Martinez continued his successful 2009 comeback tour with his start against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 2009 World Series. For 6 innings, Pedro Martinez lived up to the hype of the situation at hand in his first Bronx start in 4 years. He dominated the American League Champions, holding their offense to 4 hits including 2 runs on solo home runs by Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui, while striking out 8. Following the 6th inning, FOX cameras showed Phillies manager Charlie Manuel talking with his starter, who had reached nearly 100 pitches.  When the 7th inning started, Manuel had decided to stick with Pedro Martinez and he was facing off against Jerry Hairston Jr., inserted in the lineup for his successes against the pitcher that dated back to 2004. Hairston blooped a single to right, and immediately “Shades of Grady” began to emerge during the tight 2-1 game. Melky Cabrera smacked a single to right before Charlie Manuel made the move to the bullpen. While the non-move cannot be considered as game-changing as the non-move made by ex-manager Grady Little in 2003, it seems almost inconceivable that a manager of Pedro Martinez would allow such a situation to present itself again.

Perhaps Phillies manager Charlie Manuel needs a history lesson in Pedro Martinez  101: Versus New York Yankees, Postseason Edition.

Pedro Martinez’s first postseason start against the Yankees was on October 16th, 1999, Game 3 of the ALCS that featured what should have been a classic pitching duel between Pedro and Yankees starter Roger Clemens. Instead, it was rout of epic proportions as Clemens and Hideki Irabu combined to give up 12 runs in 6 and 2 third innings. For the Red Sox this was their only victory in an eventual 4-1 series loss to the Yankees, who went on to win their second consecutive World Series title.

Pedro Martinez didn’t face the Yankees again in the postseason until Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS, matching up against Roger Clemens. This time, Clemens outpitched Pedro in a 4-3 victory for New York. The game included a bench clearing beanball war that resulted in Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer tumbling to the ground(which the NY media vilified Pedro Martinez for) and a post-game interview that included a hilarious quote from Martinez, “Who is Karim Garcia?”.

Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS was the setting of one of the most infamous managerial non-moves in recent baseball history. On October 16th 2003, 4 years to the day of the 1999 ALCS Game 3 matchup with Clemens, the two aces again squared off. In this round, Clemens exited after 3 innings and giving up 4 runs(3 earned). Martinez rolled through the Yankee lineup until the 7th inning, as his pitch count rose and the Yankee hitters grew comfortable at the plate. Despite giving up a home run and a pair of singles, Martinez got out of a 7th inning jam. Many Red Sox fans were surprised when Pedro Martinez appeared on the mound to start the 8th inning, despite the fact that David Ortiz’s home run in the top half of the inning gave the pitcher a 3 run lead to work with.

Until that point in the series, the Red Sox had utilized a near-systematic usage of their bullpen. Namely, Mike Timlin in the 8th inning and Scott Williamson in the 9th inning to close out games where the Red Sox were ahead. For reasons perhaps only ex-manager Grady Little knows, Pedro Martinez was left in the game after a mound visit by Little to determine if Martinez could finish the inning. Pedro subsequently gave up 4 consecutive hits, including 3 doubles, to allow the Yankees to tie the game at 5-5.   Grady Little removed Pedro for Alan Embree and Mike Timlin to stop the bleeding, but the damage had been done. Three innings later, Aaron Boone was christened with a new middle name that starts with the letter F. Ask any Red Sox fan about the 2003 ALCS, and they will tell you the game was lost not in the 11th, but the 8th.

It was during the regular season in 2004 when Pedro Martinez uttered the now famous line, “I just have to tip my hat to the Yankees and call them my daddy.” after a loss to New York. Regardless of the outcome of the game, Yankees fans showered Pedro Martinez with ‘Who’s Your Daddy?” chants during his game 2 and 5 starts and his relief appearance during game 7 in the 2004 ALCS and even later in his first start back in the Bronx with the Mets in 2005. Though the Yankees have a new stadium, this is one of the traditions that made the move, as Yankee fans sang the refrain during Pedro’s warmups and at the beginning of Game 2 last night.

For 6 innings, Pedro Martinez largely silenced the New York crowd, save for the two home runs that gave New York a 2-1 lead. Thanks in part to Charlie Manuel’s inability to recall history, Yankees fans theme song for Pedro Martinez was sung loud as he exited the 7th inning with men on the corners. As the series heads back to Philadelphia tied a game a piece, hopefully Charlie Manuel is considering his options should he be faced with a similar situation later on.

Matsui’s solo shot off Philadelphia’s Pedro Martinez in the sixth inning of Game 2 broke a 1-1 stalemate and was the key blow in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Phillies.

When healthy, Matsui has been one of the most consistent Yankees since arriving from Japan in 2003. But his troublesome knees have given rise to doubt that he will return to the Bronx in 2010. For one night, he puts those doubts to rest.

“Matsui has been huge for us all year,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

The former Tokyo Giants legend posted 28 homers and 90 RBIs in 142 games this season, and his second homer of the playoffs is proof he remains a vital part of the team’s offense.

On the mound, New York was even more impressive.

After A.J. Burnett allowed the Phillies their first – and only – run of the game on an RBI single by Matt Stairs in the second inning, the Yankee offense was quiet until Mark Teixeira homered to right-center leading off the fourth to tie the game at 1-1.

The Bombers got another run in the seventh, when Jerry Hairston led off the inning with a base hit. Brett Gardner pinch-ran, and reached third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Melky Cabrera, and scored on Jorge Posada’s pinch-hit single.

Burnett had a solid outing, striking out nine, including Ryan Howard three times, in his seven innings of work to earn his first-ever Series win. Thought by some to be the weak link in the Yankees’ rotation coming into the postseason, Burnett’s gutsy performance saved the bullpen any extra work after a terrible showing in the Game 1 defeat.

Instead, Mariano Rivera, like he did in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Angels, got the final six outs for the save.

Joe Saunders, who performed so well in Game 2, blanked the Yankees through three innings, but trailing 1-0 in the 4th, the Yankees broke through.  Robinson Cano drew a lead-off walk and Nick Swisher followed with a bust-out-of-a-slump single to left.  After Melky Cabrera successfully sacrificed the runners over, Saunders walked Derek Jeter to load the bases.  Johnny Damon got the Yankees off the schneid with runners in scoring position with a base hit to left field for a 2-1 lead.  After a single by Mark Teixeira loaded the bags again, Saunders walked Alex Rodriguez to force in the third run of the inning.  After that it was all up to Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera.

Pettitte allowed an RBI single to former teammate Bobby Abreu in the third, but was spotless the rest of the night. His biggest challenge came in the 6th when Torii Hunter reached on a two-out single and Vlad Guerrero followed with a double.  But Pettitte knocked down Kendry Morales’ comebacker and threw him out at first to escape the jam.

Pettitte received a standing ovation after he allowed a one-out single to Juan Rivera in the 7th and departed in favor of Chamberlain.  The right-hander bridged the gap to Rivera by retiring pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar to keep the game at 3-1.

The Sandman actually looked human in the 8th inning when he gave up a two out RBI single to Guerrero to cut the deficit to 3-2.  But the Angels, so sound fundamentally, gave the Yankees some breathing room in the home half of the inning.

After a walk to Cano, Nick Swisher laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt.  Howie Kendrick dropped Scott Kazmir’s throw to first for an error and the Yankees were in business.  Cabrera followed with another sac bunt, which Kazmir “sky hooked” into right field for a run-scoring error.  Teixeira’s long sac fly to center gave the Yankees an insurmountable 5-2 lead.

In the 9th, Rivera retired Kendrick on a ground-out and Juan Rivera on a fly-out before striking out pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr. for the final  out.  Rivera strode off the mound, exchanged hugs with Jorge Posada, and the Yankees’ celebration was on.

Game Notes

Game 1 of the World Series is Wednesday night.  The Yankees will send the ALCS MVP, CC Sabathia, out against his former Indians teammate Cliff Lee.

On Sunday night, the left-hander from Baton Rouge did the next best thing, and did his part to propel the 2009 New York Yankees into the World Series.

The Yankees haven’t been to the Fall Classic since 2003. That year marked Pettitte’s last season with the team that signed him as an amateur free agent in 1991. After being allowed to leave (or was pushed out, depending on who you talk to), to Houston for three seasons, he came back to the club in 2007. After going 14-14 a year ago, including a poor second half to the 2008 season, his returning this year was up in the air as well.

It was only after the Yankees had made their high-profile signings that they addressed bringing Pettitte back, which they eventually did. The team is fortunate they did so, because they are going back to the Fall Classic because Pettitte limited the Angels to just one run over 6 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking just one to earn his 16th postseason win, the most in baseball history.

There were 50,173 fans vociferously booing Joe Girardi when the skipper jogged to remove Pettitte in the top of the seventh, but it was quickly turned to a thundering standing ovation, as the tall southpaw tipped his cap to the largest crowd to see a Yankee game this season.

Mariano Rivera made things interesting in the eighth, when he allowed a two-out RBI single to Vlad Guerrero. It was the first earned run he had allowed at home in the postseason since Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.

But in the ninth, Rivera’s margin for error was expanded, as the Yankees scored two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, thanks to some sloppy defense by Los Angeles. He made short work of the Angels in the ninth, retiring the side in order to earn his 37th postseason save, also the best in MLB history.

The Yankee offense took advantage of the Angels in the fourth. After Derek Jeter worked out a walk to load the bases, left fielder Johnny Damon stepped up to the plate. It was Damon, as a member of the Red Sox and in all of his grizzled glory that quieted old Yankee Stadium in the second inning with a grand slam on Javier Vazquez’s first pitch in Game 7, 2004. He had failed in his first attempt with the bases loaded earlier in the night, but delivered in this at-bat, driving in two runs with a base hit up the middle.

Mark Teixeira hit a ball far enough in the hole that shortstop made Erick Aybar’s throw to second base a shade late to force Damon at second base. Then, Alex Rodriguez, whose first year in the Bronx was that miserable 2004 season, and who has been trying to make up for that and several other postseason failures since, drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 3-1.

It was all the offense they needed.

***

There were three “Yankee Stadium” signature moments before the game, the first being a loud roar from the crowd when Tino Martinez was spotted in a luxury suite and shown on the immense HD screen in center field.

The second eruption came when Bernie Williams was announced as the thrower of the ceremonial first pitch.

The third was the thundering sound of “Welcome to The Jungle” played through the Stadium’s sound system, sending the Bronx into a frenzy.

Then Pettitte took over.

***

CC Sabathia was named the ALCS MVP, and will face Phillies’ left-hander Cliff Lee in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday. The two pitchers were teammates on the 2007 Cleveland Indians, a club that blew a 3-1 ALCS lead over the Red Sox.

Pitching wins championship and that is the major difference between the current squad and the one five years ago that squandered a three games to none lead.  Mariano Rivera is the only hurler to be on both team’s rosters.  Had tonight’s Game 6 starter AndyPettitte taken the mound for Game 6 back then, there may have been a different outcome.  And while CC Sabathia , already 3-0 in this post-season, waits in the wings in the event of a seventh game, the Yankees had to go with a creaky Kevin Brown in the decisive ‘04 contest.

The ‘04 team hit with a vengeance through the first three games of their showdown with Boston, and then, to a man, completely stopped hitting.    DerekJeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, and Hideki Matsui are the only players left from the prior roster.  And while the current team has struggled throughout these playoffs to score without the aid of a home run, they’ve proven throughout the season that no deficit is too small.  Even before losing Game 5 Thursday night, the Yankees turn a 4-0 deficit into a 6-4 lead.

And this year’s opponent should not be overlooked. The Angels don’t have more than three-quarters of a century of losing hanging over the heads.  They’re an established winning franchise, with arguably the top manager in baseball at the helm.  They are a team capable of coming back from a three games to one deficit.

So while it remains to be seen if the Yankees will play for their 27th championship, there’s no question that this team has built its’ own reputation and will determine its’ own legacy.

All of that did indeed happen last night as the Yankees took a commanding 3 games to 1 lead with a 10-1 blowout of the Halos.  Except the game was really closer than that until late and the Yankees did not play a very smart or sharp game.  Smart and sharp was CC Sabathia.  The big left-hander showed little issue of pitching on three days rest.  He struck out just four, but used his defense, which wasn’t tested with any difficult plays.  A Kendry Morales solo home run was the only blight on his record.  Sabathia threw 101 pitches, only nine in one inning, and allowed a run on five hits in eight innings.  He’s 2-0, 1.13 in two ALCS starts and 3-0, 1.19 in the post-season.

Rodriguez homered for the third straight game and is now just one home run behind Bernie Williams (six) for the most home runs in a single post-season.  A-Rod wasn’t just about home runs last night though.  He doubled, singled, stole a base, and scored on an aggressive play at home plate.  Oh, and he had a walk too.  Counting the final regualr season game against Tampa Bay, A-Rod has 7 HR and 21 RBI in his last eight games.

A-Rod finally got some help at the plate last night in the person of Melky Cabrera.  The Yankees have been beyond bad with runners in scoring position this post-season, but got some big hits last night.  Cabrera’s 2-run single in the 4th gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead and his 2-run double in the 9th made Joe Girardi’s decision to bring in Chad Gaudin an easy one.  Johnny Damon also contributed an 8th inning, 2-run home run.

Now to get to the crazy parts and there were plenty of them.  The post-season has already been marked with bad calls- see Phil Cuzzi and the Minnesota Twins- but last night’s calls were inexplicable.

Case 1 – Nick Swisher is clearly picked off of second base, but is ruled safe by Dale Evans (insert Roy Rogers joke here).  Many have asked why didn’t manager Mike Scioscia argue the call? Simple.  Shortstop Erick Aybar, who applied the tag, did not argue the call.  The manager has the worst seat in the house, so he relies on his player’s reactions.  No reaction, no argument.  It will be interesting to see if MLB fines the Angels though for showing the instant replay on the stadium scoreboard to a loud chorus of boos.

Case 2 – It’s hard to say this was a make up call since it wasn’t the same umpire involved.  With Swisher on third base, Damon lofted a fly ball to center field.  Swisher tagged up and scored what would have been a big insurance run at the time.  The Angels quickly appealed, feeling that Swisher had left third base early.  Veteran umpire Tim McLelland agreed and the run was taken off the board.  Replays showed Swisher definitely did NOT leave early and McLelland was looking out at center field, not at the base runner during the play.

Case 3 - This one was a combination of bonehead play by the Yankees and another bad call by McLelland, who was probably wishing for a “simple” pine tar case like back in the day.  Jorge Posada drew a walk in the 5th inning and remarkably stole second base as Hideki Matsui struck out.  That should have been the tip-off right there that strange things were to follow.

Robinson Cano hit a laser to center that Hunter bluffed having a play on.  Posada fell for it, hook, line, and sinker and went back to the base to tag up.  He should have been playing it half way, but instead only ended up at third base despite Cano pulling into second with a double.  Wait, it gets better.

Posada took off on contact when Swisher hit a comebacker.  Posada was a dead duck and headed back to third as Cano was approaching.  Posada ran past the bag while Cano stopped a foot short of the base.  Catcher Mike Napoli wisely tagged out both runners for an easy double play.  But nothing is easy in these playoffs.  McLelland ruled that Cano was safe.  In his post-game press conference, Scioscia said McLelland told him he felt Cano was on the bag already.  The Halos’ manager was exasperated, but knew he had no argument if that’s what the umpire felt had happened.  In his own press conference later, McLelland would admit to blowing both calls.

As if Posada and Cano’s “boneheadedness” was enough on that play, Posada also forgot how many outs there were later in the game after the Yankees turned a double play.  His teammates had to quickly get his attention before the Angels scored an easy run from third.  And of course, Posada has also lost the count while batting this season.

Gaudin had a nice easy 1-2-3 inning in the 9th and Yankees fans, ready to stone Girardi the night before, could relax.  They could also laugh, as Rivera himself did, at the spitball accusations made earlier in the day.  And most importantly, the Yankees are just one win away from their first World Series in six years.

Notes

With Jose Molina catching A.J. Burnett in Thursday’s Game 5, Joe Girardi may consider going with Jorge Posada as the DH gainst John Lackey.  Hideki Matsui has fallen into a 2-11 skid and looked lost last night.

Derek Jeter led off Game 4 with a single, but was picked off, resulting in a caught stealing.  Brett Gardner was also caught stealing and is 0-2 in the series.  And yes, Jorge Posada is 1-1.

Scott Kazmir was less than stellar last night.  The Yankees as a lineup have struggled against Kazmir throughout their careers, but the left-hander didn’t have his control.  He lasted just four innings, allowing six hits, four runs, four walks, and threw a wild pitch.

Nick Swisher was limping around after beating hit on the foot by an Ervin Santana pitch.

Just as he had done in Game 2 and in the series with Minnesota, Girardi countered every move or non-move by the opposing manager with a pitching change.  While David Robertson was retiring Kendry Morales for the second out in the bottom of the 12th, Fox TV cameras caught Girardi checking his scouting reports.

No sooner had Howie Kendrick stepped in to face Robertson, then Girardi hopped out of the dugout, despite the fact that Kendrick had faced Robertson just twice.  Those match ups had produced one hit and one strikeout.  It was also despite the fact that Robertson has been pitching much better over the last several months than the fellow right-hander, Al Aceves, that Girardi opted for.

Kendrick ripped a single back up the middle in his first at-bat against Aceves.  Then light-hitting Jeff Mathis ripped a hanging fastball off the wall in left-center to score Kendrick with the game-winning run.  While there is no question that the Angels might have won the game anyway, Girardi did his best to help shift the momentum away from his own ball club.  The series now stands at two games to one in favor of the Yankees, with Game 4 scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

Making the loss all the more painful was the fact that Yankees blew a 3-0 lead, built on solo home runs by Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Johnny Damon.  The Halos cut the lead to 3-1 on Kendrick’s solo home run off Andy Pettitte in the 5th and tied the game an inning later when Vlad Guerrero belted a 2-run home run.

The Angels took their first lead of the night off of Joba Chamberlain in the 7th.  Kendrick accounted for another run scored when he came home on Maicer Izturis‘ sacrifice fly.  The Yankees tied things back up in the top of the 8th when Jorge Posada went deep off hard-throwing right-hander Kip Jensen.

The Yankees had a chance to break things open against Angels starter Jered Weaver in the 2nd and 4th innings, but the lower part of the order failed to produce each time.  Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera went 0-9 and left 12 men on base.

The Angels had a chance to win it in the 10th when Mathis led off with a double against Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera made an errant throw off Eric Aybar’s bunt.  With runners on the corners and no one out, the Yankees brought the infield and outfield in.  Mark Teixeira made a diving stop off a Chone Figgins grounder for the first out and froze the runner at third in the process.

Rivera issued an intentional walk to Bobby Abreu to load the bases.  With the infield still in, Torii Hunter hit a bullet to Teixeira, who threw home for the force out.  Rivera then got Guerrero to ground out to Teixeira unassisted for the final out of the inning.

Game Notes

Due to all of the substitutions by the time the game was over, the Yankees had no DH, Jerry Hairston Jr. was in left field and batting 5th, and the pitcher’s spot was hitting second.  Girardi also wasted another roster spot when he used Brett Gardner to pinch-run for DH Hideki Matsui, but later pinch-hit for Gardner.

Bobby Abreu had his first two hits of the series, but is just 2-13 overall.  Kendry Morales (1-13, 3-23 in post-season), Mark Teixeira (1-13, 3-25) and Nick Swisher (2-10, 3-22) are among those slumping in October.

Between the Philadelphia Phillies and LA Dodgers, I picked the Phillies to win in a 7 game series. These teams are well stocked with pitching, but the Phillies will end up on top in the end. The Dodgers outperformed the Phillies pitching staff during the 2009 season, but the lopsided talent is not as obvious as say, the Yankees over the Twins.  Pedro Martinez could play a big role in this NLCS. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are a fantastic 1-2 punch. The Dodgers bullpen has better numbers than the Phillies bullpen, but Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ and Cliff Lee ranked 2nd in MLB for complete games during the second half, and that may mean their starters are going deeper into games during this series.  There hasn’t been any mention of the offense of either team, and that’s because this series will likely come down to pitching.

Between the Yankees and Angels, I picked the Yankees to take the ALCS in 5 games. Whether or not there’s a possible ‘hangover’ effect for the Angels after finally defeating the Red Sox, the Yankees are simply rolling through this postseason. Since August 1st, the Yankees are 41-18, 44-18 if you include the three game sweep of the Twins. The Yankees lost only 22 games in the second half, playing to a .703 winning percentage! One way the Yankees may lose this series is if Mike Scioscia outmanages Joe Girardi in a key moment. Girardi’s managing of the bullpen could be a factor as well, as he’s routinely brought Mariano Rivera into non-save situations and for more than one inning. While Rivera is the best closer in baseball, he has shown this season that when he pitches more than an inning, teams are able to scrap together and get men on base. If there’s one team in the postseason which you do not want to let men on base, it’s the Angels. However, the three man rotation of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte coupled with an offensive lineup that includes 7 starters that had 20 or more home runs during the regular season(5 of whom had 25 or more) is difficult to match up evenly with any team remaining in the postseason.

Regardless of who wins these series, it should be great baseball to watch as the postseason rolls on.

The Yankees and Andy Pettitte trailed Carl Pavano and the Twins 1-0 after six innings.  That’s right, the former “American Idle” had blanked the Bombers on just two hits up to that point.  Pettitte was nearly Pavano’s equal, having not allowed a base runner through four innings, and just one earned run and three hits.  That’s when the Yankees newest Mr. October, at least for round one round of the playoffs, struck.

Alex Rodriguez came to the plate with out in the 7th and drilled a 3-2 fastball high atop the wall in right-center field for a game tying home run.  In seven career post season game against the Twins, Rodriguez has now driven in nine runs. Pavano bounced back to strike out Hideki Matsui for the inning’s second out, but Jorge Posada went the opposite way for a solo home run to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

The Yankees bullpen then took over as Pettitte exited with one out in the bottom of the 7th. Joba Chamberalin allowed a double to Delmon Young, but retired Brendan Harris and Jose Morales to preserve the lead.  Phil Hughes would need a little luck in the 8th inning to do the same.

Nick Punto doubled to lead off the inning and Denard Span followed with a bouncer back up the middle.  Derek Jeter cut the ball off, but had no play on Span at first.  But the Captain alertly spun and threw home to keep Punto at third.  He did more than just that.  Punto had gone half way down the line and was now caught in between.  He scurried back to third but Posada’s throw beat him to the bag and A-Rod applied the rally crushing tag.  Instead of runners on the corners with no one out, the Twins merely had a man on first with one out.  Ron Gardenhire, hands a top his head in frustration, looked on in exasperation, his team having run themselves out of another potential big inning.

Hughes retired Orlando Cabrera for the second out and Joe Girardi sent for Mariano Rivera to face Joe Mauer.  Rivera shattered Mauer’s bat as the soon to be AL MVP grounded out meekly to Mark Teixeira for the final out of the inning.

Posada and Robinson Cano added RBI singles in the 9th and, after allowing a lead off single to Michael Cuddyer, Rivera retired the next three batters for a four-out save and sent the Yankees back to the ALCS for the first time since 2004.

Series Notes

Alex Rodriguez was 5-11 (.455) with 2 home runs and 6 RBI in the series.

The Yankees three starting pitchers – CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte combined to allow three earned runs in 19 innings.

Johnny Damon was just 1-12 in the series and swung and missed his way to the “Golden Sombrero” in Game 3.  It comes on the heels of a 22-89 (.247) last month of the season.

Andy Pettitte tied John Smoltz for the most career post season wins with 15.

Joe Mauer was 5-12 (.417) with two walks, but his RBI in Game 3 was his only one in the series.

2nd Base

Derek Jeter (breaking Lou Gehrig’s team hit record) and Mariano Rivera (500 saves) were honored prior to the game for the new heights they achieved this season, but it was some first year Yankees that combined for the victory.  Robinson Cano had tied the game up at 3-3 with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly that scored rookie Francisco Cervelli from 3rd base.  Eric Hinske, who had singled earlier in the inning, stole 2nd base, and moved to 3rd when John Buck’s throw sailed into center field.  Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth intentionally walked Johnny Damon in order to face rookie Juan Miranda.

The Cuban native entered the game in the top of the 9th for Mark Teixeira and had just 15 big league at-bats.  He hit a ball sharply back up the middle that ricocheted off of Farnsworth and into foul territory on the 1st base side.  Miranda reached 1st base uncontested and raised his arms in a victory salute as Hinske scored the game winner.  He was then mobbed by his joyous teammates and then got the special treatment of pie ala towel courtesy of starter A.J. Burnett, who had pitched impressively for the second straight start.

Burnett’s consistency is one of the Yankees biggest concerns entering the post-season, but his last two starts have done a lot to allay those fears.  Last night he allowed just three hits over 6 1-3 innings and struck out 8 before leaving with two men aboard and the game tied at one apiece.  Phil Coke’s physical and mental errors put the Yankees down 3-1 and would have saddled Burnett with the loss had the Yankees not come from behind.

Nick Swisher chipped away at the lead with a long home run off of rookie Anthony Lerew in the 7th to cut the deficit to one.  Teixeira had earlier hit his 39th home run, tying him with the injured Carlos Pena for tops in the American League.

Game Notes

Brian Bruney had another effective outing, retiring four of the five batters he faced.  He also picked up the victory to improve to 2-0.

Yogi Berra, Tino Martinez, Reggie Jackson, David Cone, Bernie Williams, Tim Raines, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada were among the current and former Yankees that helped honor Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

David Robertson pitched for the first time since September 5 after sitting out with elbow trouble.  He faced three hits, retiring two and issuing a walk.

The Yankees conclude their regular season home schedule tonight with Joba Chamberlain going up against Robinson Tejeda.

The Yankees also had to be encouraged by the second straight good start by A.J. Burnett. Though he lasted just 5 2/3 innings in 95 degree heat, Burnett struck out 11 and limited the Angels lineup to two runs.  He ran out of gas in the 6th, allowing an RBI double to Gary Matthews Jr., followed by a walk to Mike Napoli.  Girardi sent for Damaso Marte to flip Chone Figgins around to the right side.  The dangerous switch-hitter already had three hits, but Marte retired him on a fly to right to preserve the lead.

After that it was all mix and match and keeping one’s fingers crossed.  The biggest surprise, to the pitcher himself, was when Girardi called on Ian Kennedy in the 8th.  It was Kennedy’s first major league appearance this season after missing most of the year due to surgery for an aneurysm in his shoulder.  It wasn’t pretty, butIPK got the job done.  He loaded the bases loaded with a pair of walks and a hit batter, but got Erick Aybar on a fly to Melky Cabrera in left to set things up for Rivera.

With a lineup that was missing Alex Rodriguez (rest), Jorge Posada (foul ball off his foot), and Nick Swisher (foul ball off his knee), the Yankees knew they would have to scratch and claw for runs.  Mark Teixeira stroked a one out double off Scott Kazmir in the 4th and tried to score two batters later when Shelley Duncan ripped a single to left off the glove of Figgins at third.  Despite the fact Teixeira had started to head back to 2nd base, 3rd base coach Rob Thomson waved Teixeira home, hoping to break the scoreless tie.  Unfortunately for Thomson, Juan Rivera made a perfect throw to nail Teixeira at the plate.

Hideki Matsui, who had drawn a walk, and Duncan both into scoring position on the play.  That’s when the guy you would least expect to deliver in the clutch, did just that. Robinson Cano came into the game barely hitting over .200 with runners in scoring position, but ripped a single to right to plate both runners.  WhenNapoli couldn’t handle the throw home, Cano moved to 2nd base.  The play would prove important when Melky Cabrera followed with a double to easily score his buddy for a 3-0 Yankees lead.

So perhaps the Yankees finally have some confidence in the home of the Halos.  What they definitely have is a six game lead over Boston in the AL East and a six game homestand ahead with the Sox and Kansas City Royals.

Game Notes

The Yankees have Thursday off before starting that 3-game set with the Red Sox.  Joe Girardi has shuffled his starting rotation, moving CC Sabathia to Saturday to give him an extra day’s rest.  Joba Chamberlain will go Friday night against Jon Lester.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, A.J. Burnett is just the third Yankee pitcher to record double digit strikeouts in less than six innings.  Chamberlain did it earlier this season (12 K’s) and David Cone performed the feat in 1998 (11 K’s).

Jerry Hairston Jr. left the game with a wrist injury when he checked his swing in the 7th inning.  Hairston hurt a popping sound and will go for tests today.

Ichiro Suzuki would never forget the game after being picked off first base not once, but twice. Then an unfunny thing happened on the way to the post-game high fives for the Yankees.  Pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney narrowly missed hitting one out, driving a ball on to the warning track in right for a 2-out double.  That set up a showdown between two future Hall ofFamers, Ichiro and Rivera.  Moments later it was the Mariners celebrating when Ichiro hit a rare home run for a 3-2 Mariners victory.

The loss somewhat wasted a bounce back effort from A.J. Burnett, who allowed one run and scattered seven hits over seven innings.  I say somewhat, because Burnett really needed a good outing for his own confidence as well as his manager’s confidence in him.  He still could have picked up a victory had his team taken advantages of opportunities they had against “King” Felix Hernandez (16-5).

Derek Jeter led off the ball game with a single and Johnny Damon followed with a double.  But the Yankees came away with only one run on Alex Rodriguez‘ sacrifice fly.  Nick Swisher was stranded after a lead off double in the 7th and the Yankees had at least one man on in seven of the nine innings.

The Yankees went ahead in the 7th when Damon doubled for the second time, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on Mark Teixeira’s sac fly.

But despite the one run lead, the Yankees had the ball in the right hands.  Rivera hadn’t blown a save since April 24 when Boston’s Jason Bay slugged a 2-run home run off of him up in Fenway Park.  He had only been scored upon once in the last two months.

And things seemed normal when Rivera (3-3) struck out John Hannahan looking to give the M’s infielder the “Golden Sombrero” and then blew an inside fastball past a swinging pinch-hitter Mike Carp for the 2nd out.

Mo breathed a sigh relief when Sweeney’s opposite field fly seemed destined to leave the park, but short hopped the wall instead.  Then Rivera’s first pitch cutter to Ichiro didn’t move and the M’s right fielder deposited the ball deep into the right field seats for his 10th home run.  It was Ichiro’s fourth hit of the game, second walk-off hit of the week and third game winning home run of the season.

Game Notes

The Yankees announced that Sergio Mitre’s turn will be skipped when the Yankees open a series with the Angels on Monday.  Chad Gaudin, who pitched effectively against the Blue Jays, will take his turn.

CC Sabathia goes after his 18th win this afternoon (4:10 p.m. ET) when he faces rookie Doug Fister.

Despite a solid outing from spot starter Chad Gaudin, the Yankees slept their way through seven innings of dull baseball and trailed 4-2 in the 8th. Phil Hughes started things out with a dynamite top of the inning and then the bats came to life.  Alex Rodriguez dunked n a 1-out single off lefty Scott Downs and then it was time for Godzilla to destroy another city.  Hideki Matsui entered the game with nearly half his 24 home runs coming against southpaws.  Number 25 landed in the right field stands and tied the game at four apiece.

“Pie Anticipation” set in after Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless 9th and Brett Gardner kept the momentum going with a lead off single against Jays’ closer Jason Frasor in the home half of the inning.  The speedster swiped his 22nd base in 27 attempts and moved to third on Derek Jeter’s ground out up the middle.  With no third catcher available due to Jorge Posada’s suspension, Joe Girardi had no choice but to let Francisco Cervelli bat for himself.  The “Cisco Kid” didn’t let his manager down, singling through the left side for yet another last at-bat win for the Pinstripes.

Cervelli also showed the exuberance that has affected both the youngsters and the veterans.  He joyously rounded first and headed towards right field in an attempt to out run his teammates/mob scene.  But a smiling Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera caught him, setting up another raucous Bronx celebration that culminated when A.J. Burnett gave the rookie catcher his first taste of victory pie.

The Yankees were in the game because Gaudin, starting in place of Andy Pettitte, was solid through five plus innings.  He allowed a solo home run by Jose Bautista, but got out of other jams with run producing ground outs.  The Blue Jays tacked one on against Brian Bruney in the 7th, but mystique, aura, and exuberance were waiting in the wings.

Game Notes

Mariano Rivera won his 3rd game of the season and the 71st of his career.

The Yankees have Thursday off and will travel to the west coast for games at Seattle and LA (Ana).

Hughes came on in the 8th to protect a 2-1 lead, but Jason Bartlett smacked his 13th home run of the season to tie things up.  It was the first earned run allowed by Hughes since August 4 and the first home run given up since June 10.  But Swisher, who had smacked his 25th home run of the season in the 1st inning off starter David Price, turned around to the left side against Dan Wheeler and hit a laser into the first row in right field.

A wild celebration ensued, the culmination of course being an A.J. Burnett delivered pie to the face.  Swisher, whose personality has helped turned the ball club from a corporate, button down philosophy to a more relaxed business casual, enjoyed every moment of it.

Alex Rodriguez‘ RBI single in the 6th had given the Yankees a 2-0 lead behind Chad Gaudin (6 IP 6 H 1 ER 2 BB 6 K), who was clearly having his best outing as a Yankee.  Through six scoreless innings he had thrown just 65 pitches and scattered four hits.  But Evan Longoria greeted him in the 7th with a lead off home run, his 30th, and Gaudin was pulled after a walk and single followed. Joe Girardi fully utilized his bullpen, bringing in Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, and Phil Coke to strand both runners.

Game Notes

Derek Jeter’s hitless string continued as he only put the ball in play once.  His third straight 0-4 left him 0-12 in his last three games.

Mariano Rivera (2-2) earned the win after pitching a scoreless 9th inning.

From the Elias Sports Bureau – Nick Swisher tied his own AL record (2007), shared with Tony Clark, for most games (3) in which he has homered from both sides of the plate in one season.

Rays 1st Baseman Carlos Pena will miss the rest of the season after suffering two broken fingers on his throwing (left) hand.  CC Sabathia hit him with a pitch in Monday’s day part of the day-night doubleheader.  Pena currently leads the AL with 39 home runs.

David Robertson has been experiencing discomfort in his elbow and will be visiting Dr. James Andrews for further evaluation.

Joba Chamberlain will get his 3 inning stint tonight when he faces Jeff Niemann in the series finale (7:05 P.M. ET TV-ESPN).