Tonight’s nerve-wracking and heart-attack-inducing game can be summed up by a description of the ninth inning, shamelessly stolen from my other blog:
After blowing a one-run lead in the eighth, the Yankees came to bat in the ninth inning against the Phillies’ enigmatic Brad Lidge. It went something like this:
Matsui: out
Jeter: out
Yankee fans on Twitter: GROAN. After all, Phil Coke is warming in the bullpen. As much as we might like Coke, it still makes us nervous…but then….
Johnny Damon: single.
Johnny Damon: Steals second, then goes to third when he sees no one covering–he simply outruns Feliz.
Mark Teixeira: Hit by pitch.
Alex “centaur” Rodriguez: Double to the gap. In the postgame, Rodriguez says, “well, I mean, Brad Lidge is a great competitor.” What he means is: “Brad Lidge threw me a freaking meatball”.
Yankee fans on Twitter: WOOOHOOO ALEX FREAKIN’ CENTAUR RODRIGUEZ.
Jorge Posada: Doubles off of Lidge, scores Teixeira and Rodriguez, and then, being Jorge Posada, runs himself into an out.
The Yankees go to the bottom of the ninth with a three run lead, and with the Sandman on the mound, the result was a win that has the Yankees up three games to one.
We keep talking about how important a bullpen is, and in tonight’s game, Philadelphia got burned by theirs.
Although Joba Chamberlain made one mistake pitch, the Yankees never trailed.
With every additional game this postseason, we realize a little more how important Mariano Rivera is to the team.
One would have to think that Jimmy Rollins is realizing it, too.
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9 Responses to Yankees push Phillies to the Brink
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TIQ IQ
At this point the only one who could challenge Mariano for WS MVP is Burnett if he gets the decision tomorrow and goes 7+ IP in the clinching game because he would have 2 wins in the WS and the first to tie the series at 1-1 and the last a win against CLiff Lee to win to whole thing! Other than that Mo has it!
I think if Damon has a big game tonight he’s in the running too.
I don’t see it, I guess maybe but he just hasn’t had a most valuable impact! We can easily win this world series without Damon! In fact Damon’s game winning run last night was only necessary because he let Howard score from 2nd on a ball hit in front of him… If he plays that ball well at all or has any arm that run is thrown out or never goes home!
Damon set up the two runs in the first with a double, had an RBI single, and set up the winning run. He also had the big hit in Game 3, doubling to the wall to turn a 3-3 tie into a 5-3 lead. If he has a big game tonight, he could have a major hand in 3 wins (but of course, it is a big if, especially with the lefty Lee on the mound).
Our bullpen has been a disappointment. Mo has been an absolutely godsend. Honestly, I don’t know where we would be without him. Every team we’ve faced knows that once Mo comes in, it’s basically over for them. I thought Chamberlain looked good except his one mistake. His slider was terrible though.
Marte has looked pretty dominant this series against the Philadelphia lefties, which has been a big asset for the Yankees.
Marte is a huge part of the pen right now! It really bodes well for him going into next year!
Put the bullpen in perspective, please: The Phillies pen has been FAR worse. Asked to keep the game close the past two nights, it has failed miserably.
They have no one! We have 2 players… Marte and Mariano…