Yankees Jeter, Pettitte and Posada on Letterman

Yankees Win 27th World Series

The Yankees 2009 season started with a trip to the pool hall on an afternoon during spring training. It ended with a World Series championship. The new Yankee Stadium’s inaugural season started with a Boston fan named Gino Castignoli burying a Red Sox jersey under the structure. It ended with champagne and the Commissoner’s Trophy. The 2009 season started with an A-Rod press conference and ended with A-Rod coming up clutch in big postseason at-bats. February was a long, long time ago.

The Yankees needed everyone to win the championship. Not everyone had Hideki Matsui numbers in the World Series but it took a complete team effort to get to October and get through the ALDS and ALCS. Phil Hughes had a tough postseason but was a big reason why the Yankees had such a strong regular season. Robinson Cano didn’t have many hits in the postseason but batted .320 in the regular season.Then there’s Damaso Marte who had an injury plagued regular season and became Girardi’s go-to-guy with outstanding pitching in the postseason.

There’s also the guys that are consistent; The “Core Four”. Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte were good all season and their postseason experience shined in 2009. Rivera was the only closer in the postseason not to blow a save. Pettitte was the starter in each of the Yankees three series clinching games. Posada came back from an injury riddled 2008 season and led the pitching staff and clubhouse. Jeter was Jeter. What else can be said about the Yankees captain.

On to the newcomers. Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira, Swisher. The Yankees don’t make it to the World Series without acquiring these guys. Sabathia was incredible in the postseason. He went 3-1 in five starts with a 1.98 ERA in the postseason. Teixeira led the AL in home runs during the regular season with 39. He also had two big postseason home runs. Remember back to the first month of the season and Nick Swisher kept the Yankees going when A-Rod was out with injury and the bats were as cold as the April and May weather.

Finally, A-Rod. He was clutch. Nobody can say he chokes in October anymore. He put his critics to rest. He batted over .360 in the postseason with six home runs and 18 RBI. A-Rod was a big reason why the Yankees won number 27.

The Yankees broke in the original Yankee Stadium with a World Series championship in 1923. In 2009, the Yankees broke in the new Yankee Stadium with a World Series championship.

Yankees Home for Game Six of World Series

The Yankees have two chances to win the World Series in the Bronx starting with game six Wednesday night. Andy Pettitte takes the mound for the Yankees on three days rest against long-time Bronx nemesis Pedro Martinez. The Yankees have played seven home games this postseason and have lost only once. That was game one of the World Series. In game two of the World Series, facing Pedro, the Yankees got an outstanding pitching performance by AJ Burnett and beat the Phillies 3-1. In game three, Pettitte gave up four runs on five hits in six innings but gave up two solo home runs to Jason Werth.

Where does the momentum lay heading into game six? Do the Phillies have it after holding off a Yankees late inning rally and hitting the ball hard in game five? Do the Yankees have it now that they’ll be playing in front of their home crowd and have the postseason’s all-time winningest pitcher on the mound for game six followed by CC Sabathia in game seven if necessary?

The advantage has to be for the Yankees. Obviously the Yankees need just one more win and the Phillies need to win both games at Yankees Stadium. The starting pitchers in games six and seven favor the Yankees. So does the fact that they’re playing at home. Pedro pitching on four days rest compares to Pettitte pitching on three days rest because Pedro has been pitching over long layovers. Sabathia has to be heavily favored over anybody the Phillies put out there in game seven. The Yankees lineup goes back to full strength having a DH at home Posada behind the plate.

The nerves of Yankees fans have never been the same after 2004. They’ll never take any series lead for granted. Fans can’t help but be a little nervous about Pettitte pitching on short rest after he told some players he didn’t have much left in the tank game three. The Pettitte-Pedro matchup should be a good one but not a pitchers duel.

Yankees World Series Game Four 9th Inning

Johnny Damon’s two-out single in the 9th inning off of Brad Lidge was just the first big play in the inning by Damon. His next big play was stealing two bases on one pitch. With the Phillies’ defense shifted toward right field for Teixeira, Damon stole second, which was being covered by third basemen Pedro Feliz. Feliz caught the ball to the first base side of second base and Damon hopped up from his slide and dashed toward the uncovered third base bag. The Phillies and Lidge were shocked. Lidge especially. Lidge didn’t retire another Yankee out by himself. The third out of the inning was made throwing Posada out at second base trying to turn a two-run single into a double. Lidge recorded the first two outs of the inning with ease.

“It all happened so fast,” Lidge said.

Damon’s heads up baserunning will be a talked about for a while if the Yankees go on to win the World Series. So will A-Rod’s double that drove in Damon to give the Yankees the 9th inning lead. After the game Damon praised A-Rod and A-Rod returned praise for Damon for their contributions during the 9th inning.

“He’s the reason why we’re sitting here right now in Philadelphia. He’s been driving in the big runs,” Damon said referring to A-Rod.

A-Rod referred to Damon’s 9th inning at-bat as “an unbelievable, tenacious at-bat by Johnny Damon.”

Damon and Lidge battled hard in that 9th inning at-bat and Damon came out on top. With guys like Teixiera and A-Rod hitting behind Damon, all Damon needed to do was get on base to give them a chance to bat.

Lidge said, “The whole thing came down to a really good at-bat by Damon. He fouled off some real good sliders. We kind of kept going back and forth. And finally, he got a fastball away and did a really good job of serving it out to left field.”

Lidge could have never expected Damon would be standing on third base one pitch later with Teixeira not even having to take the bat off his shoulder.

“I’m just glad that when I started running, I still had some of my young legs behind me,” Damon said.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, “That’s instinct. You’ve got to be sure, when you’ve got Teixeira and A-Rod coming up behind him, but that was a great instinctual play by Johnny.”

Than Yankees now lead the World Series 3-1.

Yankees Win Game Four of World Series in Dramatic Fashion

A-Rod may have gotten the biggest hit of his life tonight. With a tie game in the top of the 9th, A-Rod drove a double to left that put the Yankees up 5-4. With Mariano Rivera hovering in the bullpen, one run probably would have been enough. Another two runs would be more than enough. Posada added to the Yankees lead with a two-run single in the next at bat. The Yankees didn’t get down after Joba Chamberlain blew the Yankees 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 8th. They reached deep and answered with three runs in the 9th off of Phillies closer Brad Lidge.

It’s fitting that the Yankees won this game the way they did. This is how they have played all season long. They have so many weapons and so many smart baseball players. Credit Damon for heads up baserunning in the 9th inning. Also credit Damon for putting together a great at bat with two outs in the 9th, ending with a single that allowed him to record that two stolen base play. Johnny Damon went 3-5 in the game with two runs and an RBI.

CC Sabathia pitched on three days rest and gave the Yankees a great effort. He left after 6.2 innings and the lead. Damaso Marte got the final out of the 7th inning and Joba Chamberlain pitched the 8th but made one mistake, which left the ball park and tied the game. Pedro Feliz bombed one off of Joba with two outs in the inning to tie the game.

Mariano Rivera made easy work of the Phillies in the 9th inning, throwing just eight pitches. Expect Rivera to be ready to pitch in game five.

Another dramatic finish to a Yankees game and the Philadelphia crowd, loud all game and series, go home stunned.

Yankees Beat Phillies in Game Four of World Series 7-4

A-Rod may have been hit by more pitches (3) than he has hits (2) in the World Series but his two hits were huge.

Tied at 4-4 in the top of the 9th, Johnny Damon singled with two outs. Damon grinded out the at bat and ended up with a hit into left-center field. With Teixeira up next, the Phillies had a defensive shift on and the Phillies third basemen was just to the left of shortstop. Damon stole second and bolted for third knowing nobody was covering the bag. Damon was credited with two steals on the play. Teixiera was hit by a pitch, giving A-Rod the opportunity to bat. A-Rod took full advantage. He ripped a double down the left field line to drive in Damon and out the Yankees head 5-4. Posada drove in Tex and A-Rod with a hit to left-center in his at bat that gave the Yankees some more insurance. Mariano Rivera didn’t need the insurance runs as he set the Phillies down in order in the 9th.

This Yankees team fights until the final out. The Yankees have terrorized yet another closer this postseason. They now are up three games to one over the Phillies. AJ Burnett goes for the Yankees in game five against Cliff Lee, who stifled the Yankees in game one. Both pitchers were dominant in their first starts this series. The Yankees are in the drivers seat and need one more win in three chances to be crowned champions.

Yankees Beat Phillies 8-5 in Game Three of World Series

The momentum has shifted in the Yankees favor during the last two games after Cliff Lee dazzled the Yanks in game one. After the Yankees tied the series with a huge outing by AJ Burnett, the Yankees won game three in Philadelphia by a score of 8-5 behind some big home runs and a gutsy pitching performance by Andy Pettitte.

Yankee bats awoke from their slumps as A-Rod, Damon and Swisher all came up with big hits. Even Andy Pettitte helped his own cause with an RBI single. A-Rod hit a two-run homer to get the Yankees on the board after they were down 0-3. The original call on A-Rod’s home run was a double but replay clearly showed the ball hitting a camera that was over the fence. The umpires reviewed the play and made the right call. Pettitte’s single tied the game and Damon had a two-run double that put the Yankees up 5-3. Swisher, who went 2-4 in the game, hit a solo home run that gave the Yanks a 6-3 lead. Posada had an RBI single in the 7th and Hideki Matsui, coming off the bench as a pinch hitter, hit a solo home run in the 8th in his only at-bat. The Phillies added to their three runs with two solo home runs in the late innings.

The Yankees are feeling good heading into game four. They have their ace on the mound and a 2-1 game advantage in the series. It was only a matter of time before their bats woke up. They still have some guys struggling like Cano and Melky. This series isn’t over by any means but the Yankees have things set up and the advantage going into game four.

Yankees Take Game Two, Even Up Series

AJ Burnett showed up in game two and pitched a masterpiece when everyone said he could be hit or miss in the start. He also did exactly what Girardi and the Yankees wanted; handed the ball straight to Mariano. Mo came in for two innings and held the Phillies down in the Yankees 3-1 win. Pedro Martinez made his return to Yankee stadium and the Yankees made sure he didn’t go home happy.

The turning point in the game was when catcher Jose Molina picked Jason Werth off of first base with a snap throw in the top of the 4th. The Yankees were down a run already and the stadium was quiet. Molina’s pickoff got the crowd going and put some life into the stadium. Mark Teixeira lead off the bottom of the 4th with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.

Hideki Matsui gave the Yankees the lead in the 6th with a solo home run that allowed Burnett to have the chance to get the win. Burnett went seven strong, giving up just one run, which came when A-Rod misplayed a ball in the 2nd inning. Burnett also struck out nine batters. The Yankees added some insurance in the 7th when Posada hit a liner up the middle to drive in Brett Gardner.

The World Series is tied at one game a piece as the series heads to Philadelphia for games three, four and five. Lefties Andy Pettitte and Cole Hamels go for their respective teams in game three.

Yankees Lose ALCS Game 3 in 11 Innings

The ALCS may have shifted coasts but that didn’t stop the Yankees and Angels from going into extra innings for the second straight game. The Yankees hit four home runs, all solo shots, and lost the game 5-4 on a Jeff Mathis RBI double in the 11th.

The Angels were able to avoid a 3-0 deficit and make it a doable 2-1 series. The Yankees just couldn’t get things going on offense other than their four solo home runs. They weren’t able to string hits together and it cost them. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, A-Rod, and Jorge Posada each went deep for the Yankees. Posada’s home run came after pinch runner Brett Gardner was caught stealing on a pitchout. The Angels offense came from a solo home run by Howie Kendrick, a two-run homer by Vlad Guerrero, a sac fly, and the eventual game winning double by Mathis.

Alfredo Aceves, who gave up a run to the Angels in the 11th inning in game two, gave up the game winning run in the 11th inning of this one. With two outs in the 11th, Joe Girardi pulled David Robertson, who got the first two outs of the inning, for Aceves. Aceves gave up a single to Howie Kendrick and a game winning RBI double to Jeff Mathis. Just like that, the series is 2-1 in favor of the Yankees.

This should make Girardi think twice before bringing in Aceves again in this series. Joba Chamberlain also didn’t have a good outing, giving up a go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a sac-fly by Maicer Izturis. Girardi went to the ‘pen often again and this time, unlike most times this year, it backfired on him.

In 6.1 innings of work, Andy Pettitte gave up three runs on seven hits including a two-run homer to Vlad that tied the game at three in the 6th inning. Girardi didn’t handle his pitching staff too well in this game other than bringing in Mariano in the 10th after Phil Hughes gave up a leadoff double. Mo got out of the inning after he had runners on the corners with no outs. For the second straight game, Girardi used up his entire bullpen except for Chad Gaudin.

The Yankees go to Sabathia on short rest in game four. Scott Kazmir is slated to start for the Angels.

Yankees Sweep Twins

Bring on the Angels. The Yankees have swept the Minnesota Twins behind a huge series from Alex Rodriguez and solid starting pitching. A-Rod had another game tying home run followed by a Jorge Posada go-ahead home run and the Yankees added another two runs in the ninth to shut the door on the Twins in a 4-1 victory.

For such a fundamentally sound team, the Twins were anything but. Baserunning blunders and poor decisions hurt the Twins but it’s not like the Twins lost the series. The Yankees won it. They were better in all facets of the game. Timely hitting doesn’t hurt either. Whenever the Twins scored the Yankees answered right back. A-Rod had the best postseason series of his career.

Game one of the ALDS against the Angels takes place Friday at Yankees Stadium.