In 1977, the Yankees took a 3-games-to-1 lead over the Dodgers in L.A., lost Game Five decisively, and then came back to the Bronx to win the Series in Game Six in a game in which Reggie Jackson hit 3 homeruns to become “Mr. October.” 

This is what we as Yankees fans hope will happen tonite.  Actually, I’m hoping for a 1985 Game Seven-style Royals-Cardinals 11-0 type victory.  In other words, an easy night at the ball park, where the Yanks “score ten runs in the first inning and then slowly pull away.” 

Given the high-drama nature of this 2009 postseason, however, this may not be a realistic request.  Starting with the Twins-Tigers one-game playoff, there have been more two-out come-from-behind victories, more blown saves and near-blown saves, and more walk-off game winning homeruns than I can remember there being in a long time.  The World Series has followed suit, with both teams’ bullpens providing late-inning drama even in games that in hindsight were really won earlier in the game. 

The net result – for me and for Phillies and Yankees fans I’ve talked to, at least – is that this has been an emotionally exhausting World Series to watch.  My Phillies-loving co-workers and I were in complete agreement yesterday that we were glad to have last night off.  These 8 p.m. start times with games that go past midnight (I don’t think Game Three ended until after 1 a.m.) – combined with the blog writing and occasional drive home after the game, all while still having to get up early for work the next day – have made the experience somewhat physically exhausting as well.  And while I realize all this drama is “good for the Game” and all, dammit, enough is enough!  Indeed, in my heart of hearts, I can’t think of anything that would be better for Baseball than a nice easy Yankee victory in Game Six (can you???).  It would certainly be a nice change of pace.  Like a good changeup that gets a batter for strike three after a flurry of fastballs and sliders. 

Whatever happens, and however it happens, I do think tonite is our night.  Most Yankee fans I’ve talked to didn’t think it would happen in Game Five.  The Phillies have too much pride; they had their best pitcher going at home; and, indeed, they are really too good a team to go down in five games.  That having been said, this Yankee team has too much heart and determination to simply blow a 3-games-to-1 lead and collapse into a miserable pile of rubble.  And while it has been Sabathia’s year, it would be more fitting, in my view, for the clincher to be tonite with Andy on the mound.  At age 37, this could be his last World Series (as indeed it could be for Rivera, who is 39).  It would be very sweet for Andy to go 6 innings strong, and then hand it to Joba and Hughes, with Rivera (who, if the Yanks do win, gets my vote for Series MVP) coming on to close it out in the 9^th. 

It has been a postseason to remember.  It would just be really nice if we could start “remembering” it – champagne and all – starting around midnight tonite.

My Girardi-loving sons have been responsible for recent posts on this site praising the efforts of the Yankee manager.  I shall now inject a note of rationality into their fantasy land.

Girardi is a lousy manager, and he proved it tonight.  Against all logic, he chose to start AJ Burnett on short rest.  And predictably, Burnett imploded, yielding 6 runs in 2+ innings and facilitating an easy Phillie victory.

Let’s review.  The Yankees were up 3 games to 1.  They were facing the Phillie’s ace, Cliff Lee, the one pitcher who has shut them down this postseason,  at the Phillies’ home park.  Burnett has no history of successfully pitching on 3 days rest.

Girardi could have gone with Chad Gaudin.   Perhaps Gaudin would have been bad (he has barely pitched this month).  Maybe he too would have given up 6 runs in two innings.

But then Girardi would have had Burnett at home, where he has had great success, on full rest, and against ancient Pedro Martinez.  Now Pedro has pitched well this post season, but he is not Cliff Lee.  Under that scenario, the Yankees would have had a big advantage.

Instead, they will now have Andy Pettitte for Game 6, again on only 3 days rest.  Andy is a gamer, but he has a history of not being able to pitch on three days rest.  At his age, a strong performance is unlikely.

Which may well bring the Yankees to Game 7 and CC Sabathia.  CC would appear to give the Yankees a big advantage, but CC too will be pitching on 3 days rest, his third outing in eight days.  He is certainly capable of handling this kind of load, but the past two years he has broken down in the playoffs because of overwork.  Against him the Phillies will throw Cole Hamels on full rests.  Now Hamels has been bad this year, but he has pitched the phils to a championship in the past, and he may use Game 7 to redeem himself.

The Yankees had a lock on this Series.  If they blow it, Girardi will be directly responsible.  Once again, he will have shown that he panics in the clutch.  We can only hope the Yankees will overcome their manager’s incompetence.

What do you get when you pit two teams with shaky bullpens but who won’t quit against each other?  Another nailbiter of a game which, fortunately for the Yankees, will qualify for Yankees Classics, as the Yanks took Game Four 7-4 with a clutch two-out, 3-run 9^th inning.

Joe Blanton did all that could be reasonably expected of him: he kept the game close, and gave his team a chance to win it.  When the Phils inched their way back to tie the game at 4-4 in the 8^th, the Phils had effectively neutralized the advantage the Yanks had by starting their ace, Sabathia, against the Phils’ #4 pitcher. 

In doing so, however, the stage for a showdown between the two teams’ bullpens had been set.  The Yanks have questionable middle relief, but the greatest closer in the history of the game in Mariano Rivera.  The Phils, by contrast, have fair-to-middling relief, and a fallen giant for a closer in Brad Lidge, who was so dominant in 2008, but has been such a liability in 2009. 

The Yanks’ bullpen faltered first in Game One, and then again last night when Joba gave up a game-tying homerun in the 8^th, despite striking out the side. 

But then with the game tied 4-4 and two outs in the top of the 9^th, it was the Phillies’ turn to have a bullpen nightmare.  In what looked at times like a surreal turn-of-events (particularly the part where Damon stole second and then third in the same play when he saw that nobody was covering it), the Yanks surged ahead 7-4, and yet another Lidge meltdown had plunged the Phillies into a 3 games to 1 hole. 

With no room left for error, and the dreaded Lidge meltdown still fresh in mind, it is possible that the Phils’ spirit is broken, and that they will go quietly tonite in Game Five, Cliff Lee notwithstanding.  But if their spirit is not broken, the Phils still have a helluva ball club; and every pitcher they face for the rest of the Series will be on 3-days’ rest. 

Still, with A.J. Burnett on the mound tonite and all the momentum going their way, the Yankees will be primed to end the Series in short order.  Like Blanton, all A.J. has to do is keep the game close.  And there’s nothing to say that A.J. just couldn’t outduel Lee; his stuff at times has been as good as anyone else’s in the game. 

With that in mind, I’ll make a bold prediction and say: expect the Yankees to jump out to an early lead.  I know Cliff Lee is pitching, and that he was great in Game One.  But baseball is a funny game, with momentum and inertia that is bigger than just one pitcher.  I expect that the Phils will put themselves into another hole tonite before they start digging their way out of it.  The key is for the Yanks to pounce and pounce hard, keep adding the runs, and never give the Phils a chance to get up.

Over the past few weeks Girardi has been repeatedly slammed for what has been described as chronic mismanagement, including but not limited to: consistently over-managing; misusing the bullpen; recklessly pinch-running for star players without any consideration for the consequences; and other crimes against humanity.  Indeed, a good amount of this criticism has come from this blog (though not from the authors of this post). 

But the last two games have shown instances of Girardi learning from his mistakes, and showing restraint where he has recently shown panic.  A prime example is the bullpen.  Girardi’s use of the bullpen in the first two rounds of the playoffs was riddled with pitching changes with his best relievers based on shortsighted individual pitching matchups – with many of these changes taking place mid-inning, and after the previous pitcher had obtained only one or two outs.   The result: when these close games went into extra innings, all the best relievers were already used and out of the game, after throwing only a handful of pitches each. 

Tonite’s performance, however, showed a more measured approach.  Andy Pettitte hurled 6 strong innings, handing the bullpen a 3-run lead.  Girardi went with Joba in the 7^th, and Marte in the 8^th, and did not pull either of these pitchers even when the pitching matchups may have favored such a change.  The only mid-inning pitching change he did make was in the 9^th, when Hughes, after getting a quick out, gave up a homerun to Ruiz.  But with slugger Matt Stairs due up next, Rollins on deck, and Utley and Howard lurking soon thereafter, it was important to close this game out before the Phils could amass any more momentum.  And there’s no better dose of Yankee reality than Mariano Rivera.  Girardi made the right move. 

Girardi is also pulling the proper levers with the position players.  For instance, starting Hairston in Game 2 for Swisher, in which Hairston got a key hit, allowed Swisher to take a break and clear his head.  All of this led to a dynamic performance by Swisher in Game 3, wherein he hit a key double, and a solo homerun, to help propel the Yankees to victory. 

In short, rather than repeating the mistakes of the last two series, Girardi is making adjustments in his management style, and appears to be finding a rhythm.  The Yankees, thanks in no small part to Girardi’s steady management in this Series, now find themselves up 2-1 in the Series with Sabathia slated to pitch in Game 4.

Game 3 started exactly the way the Phillies needed it to.  Cole Hamels set down the Yankees quickly through the first three innings, and the Phils jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Andy Pettitte, threatening in each of the first three innings.  The crowd was roaring, and the Yanks were in a real hole.

But then things started to deteriorate.  After a walk to Texeira with two outs in the 4^th inning, A-Rod hit a shot off a camera in right field which, upon further review, was ruled a homerun to cut the Phils’ lead to 3-2.  The Yanks then tied it in the 5^th with an RBI hit by Andy Pettitte (of all people), and then scored two more runs off a double by Johnny Damon to jump ahead 5-3, Hamels having been knocked out of the game after only 4 1/3 innings.  And then the Yanks continued to pick away at the Phils’ bullpen, tacking on an additional run in the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th innings to take an 8-5 victory in Game 3.

Needless to say, this was a huge victory for the Yankees.  With Sabathia slated to start in Game 4 against Joe Blanton, the Phils really needed to win Game 3 behind Cole Hamels, their recent ace, and last year’s World Series MVP.  A win in Game 3 would’ve put the Phils on track to maybe win the Series in five games and close it out in Philly like they did last year.  It would also shift the pressure to the Yankees to win Game 4 behind Sabathia on short rest.  And if for some reason the Yankees and Sabathia stumbled in Game 4 – a game they really should win given the pitching matchups – the Phils would have a rested Cliff Lee to close things out in Game 5.

Instead, the Yankees’ victory in Game 3 now puts Philadelphia in the hole.  For one, it means the Series will definitely go back to the Bronx – unless of course if the Yanks win the whole thing in five games.  It also means that the Phils now have to try to win tomorrow with their #4 starter against Sabathia.  Given how good Sabathia has been (even in his Game 1 loss to Cliff Lee), there is now an excellent chance that the Phils will find themselves down 3 games to 1 after tomorrow night. 

Clutch performances in Game 3 included Nick Swisher, who finally broke out of his slump with a rally-starting double in the 5^th, and then a solo homerun in the 6^th.  Welcome back, Swisher. 

Robinson Cano continues to suck, going 0 for 4 again.  What bothers us most about Cano is his apparent nonchalance about the whole thing.  It may be that he cares very much about not producing; but it sure doesn’t look like it to us. 

Finally, the Yankees’ bullpen put in a decent performance, with Joba and Marte putting in strong 1-2-3 innings in the 7^th and 8^th.  Phil Hughes, on the hand, continues to struggle, as Mariano had to come in for the last two outs in the 9^th.  Fortunately, Mariano only threw 4 pitches, and so will be fully available to pitch in Game 4. 

On the whole, an outstanding team effort that has knocked a very good Phillies team back on its heels.

The answer:  Probably not. 

Sure, there are certainly other ways the Yanks can win.  The Phils could fumble and collapse of their own accord (not likely).  The Yankees’ starters could all go 8 innings every start, with Mariano Rivera closing out the 9^th (tough, but can be done).  Or the Yankees’ offense could just knock the cover off the ball and win every game by a blowout, such that the performance of the Yankees’ bullpen becomes irrelevant (not likely, especially in light of Lee’s performance last night). 

But other than that, the Yanks really need the bullpen to pitch up to form – specifically, the middle relievers – or they will not win this Series.  The middle relievers have been mediocre at best; but for the most part, they’ve been lousy – and it’s primarily because Phil Hughes has not pitched as well as he has in the regular season.  Indeed, the only reason the ALCS went six games was because Hughes and the middle relievers gave Game 5 away after the offense rallied to go up 6-4 late in the game. 

They did it again last night, with Hughes opening the 8^th inning with 2 walks, and the rest of the middle relief following suit, giving up 4 runs in the last 2 innings to put the game out of reach.  True, when a pitcher like Cliff Lee has a dominant outing like he did last night, there’s not a lot a ball club can do, except wait until he shows a weakness and then pounce.  (And if that doesn’t happen, you tip your cap to the opposing team’s fine play, and you put that game behind you.)  But you have to be in it to win it – which the Yanks might have been if the score in the bottom of the 9^th with runners on first and second and no outs had been 2-0, instead of 6-0.  After the bullpen’s collapse, however, this was not to be.  And while this was a collective failure of the middle relievers, it is Hughes’ failings that have been the most significant. 

This is not to knock Hughes.  As we all know, back in April and May the Yankees were a 3^rd place team because they had a big gaping hole in the 7^th and 8^th inning between the point when the starter ran out of gas, and the point where Rivera got the ball.  The whole season turned around when Hughes went to the bullpen and became that reliable middle reliever that was missing.  Since then, Hughes has been the glue that has held the Yankee pitching together for 9 innings … and, apparently, he still is. 

But now that Hughes is not pitching up to form, are the Yankees not as vulnerable as they were back in April and May? 

It’s not clear why Hughes hasn’t pitched as well – whether it’s because he’s just had a bad couple outings; whether it’s the colder weather; or whether its because he’s now facing the best teams in baseball. 

The good news is that Hughes remains an extraordinary talent, and is the future of the franchise.  He’s got excellent stuff; and when he’s on, he’s the perfect complement to Rivera.  And, as previously discussed, great Yankees are born in the post-season.  So with that in mind, the next several games represent an enormous opportunity for Phil Hughes – a date with destiny, and one that he is no doubt worthy of.  He has had a break-out year, and so a break-out World Series for Hughes would seem only natural.  If Hughes gets back into a groove, the whole team will follow as it did last summer.  If he doesn’t, it may be a very short series for the Yanks.  We shall see.

A proud night indeed – long-awaited, and much-deserved.  Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and the New York Yankees finished off the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles tonite to win the franchise’s 40^th pennant, and advance to the World Series for the first time since 2003 to meet the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. 

While it’s hard to believe that it’s only been 6 years since the Yanks’ last trip to the Big Dance, it has felt like an eternity.  The dark days of 2004, and the ensuing chaos which followed (numerous Boston titles in various sports, a Yankees team that no longer knew how to win, the departure of Joe Torre) have loomed like a dark shadow over our hallowed franchise in a world clearly turned upside down.

But not anymore.  No matter what happens from here, this has been a season to be proud of.  The pride is back.  And victory and glory will soon be ours once again.

The Angels, for their part, went out of the ALCS the way they came in: with inexplicable defensive errors leading to crucial runs.  While these errors no doubt speeded the Angels’ demise, the Angels were nevertheless outclassed by a better team.  Honorable mention goes to the Angels’ formerly weak-hitting catcher, Jeff Mathis, who played brilliantly on defense and offense, powering 5 doubles and otherwise looking like the second coming of Johnny Bench. 

C.C. Sabathia was the ALCS MVP – a choice we agree with – though Mariano and A-Rod were close runners-up.  Since the All Star Break, the Yankees have been the indisputable best team in baseball with Sabathia on the mound.  They will have Sabathia against a very excellent Phillies team on Wednesday night in Game 1.  Given that both the Yanks and Phils have been playing like champions this post-season, while both having similar flaws in their armor, the World Series promises to be a classic matchup, which I believe will be determined simply by who wants it more.

Finally, and at the risk of being disowned by my father, I think it would be remiss not to acknowledge Girardi for his contribution.  The one thing I really like about Joe (aside from the fact that he was the catcher on the great 1998 team) is his commitment to being positive, and understanding how important that is for the team.  In a world where attitude tends to make all the difference, Joe’s commitment to focusing on what is going right for the team is a constant step in the right direction. 

Bottom line: 110 wins down; 4 to go.  Bring it home, boys!

The Yankees were predestined to lose tonite.  This was true because:

1. The Angels were at home.

2. The Angels had their best pitcher going.

3. The Angels had their backs to the wall.

So the series will return to New York, where Game 6 figures to be pivotal.  If Pettitte can’t close it out on Saturday, the Yankees will have to count on CC to win Game 7.  Either way, the Yankees will lose.

Obviously, if CC loses Sunday night, the Yankees will have collapsed, and the season will be over.  But even if he wins, the Yanks will be in trouble.  If CC pitches Sunday, he will not be available until Game 3 of the World Series.  That means Burnett will pitch Game 1 against Cliff Lee, a matchup that will favor the Phillies.  Andy will go in Game 2 against Cole Hamels.  Hamels has not done well in the playoffs so far, but he is still one of the better pitchers in the game.  If the good Hamels shows up, the Yankees could head to Philadelphia down 2-0.

So a lot is riding on Game 6.  If the Yankees want to win a world championship, they need to close out the Angels Saturday night.  A great deal will depend on the veteran left arm of Andy Pettitte.

My sons tell me I am too negative about Joe Girardi.  They point out that the Yankees are six wins from a World Championship, and that Girardi must receive some credit for this achievment.

I must respectfully continue to disagree.  If the Yankees win the World Series, it will be in spite of Girardi, not because of him.  Today’s disastrous loss to the Angels provided a showcase for Girardi’s incompetence.

The game was lost in the 6th innings.  Andy Pettitte had a 3-1 lead.  He did not have his best stuff, but he was handling the Angels’ punch and judy lineup.  With two out, Andy had a man on first and a 2-2 count on Vlad Guerrero.  For reasons passing understanding, Girardi found it necessary to come out to the mound IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AT BAT!   Remember, this is Andy Pettitte, the Yankees most experienced pitcher, a man who has been pitching in the post season since 1996.  What could possibly have been so important that Girardi felt it necessary to go to the mound and break his pitcher’s concentration???

Well, he succeeded.  Andy’s concentration was broken, and he served up a home run ON THE NEXT PITCH.  At that moment, the game was effectively lost.

But Girardi wasn’t done.  Instead of letting Joba Chamberlain start the 7th inning, he let Andy face one batter, then brought in Joba in mid-inning.  With a regular relief pitcher, this approach might have been acceptable, but Joba has been a starter most of the year.  After Girardi jerked him around the last two months of the season, it’s a wonder Joba knows what he is.  Anyway, Joba promptly fell apart and gave up the go ahead run.

In the bottom of the 8th, Matsui led off with a walk.  Girardi promptly pinch ran with Gardner.  Now at this point, the Yankees were losing 4-3, so there is a reasonable argument for putting in the faster runner.  But then Girardi ran Gardner on 0-1, the obvious place to do it.  So obvious that Mike Sciosia easily anticipated the move and pitched out.  Gardner was a dead duck.  Posada homered on the next pitch, tying the game instead of giving us a one run lead.

Worse, the Gardner move meant that there was no one in the five hole to protect Arod.  As a result, Sciosia was able to walk Arod intentionally with two out and nobody on in the ninth.

Finally, in the last inning, David Roberston got two quick outs.  For reasons unfathomable, Girardi abruptly pulled Robertson and brought in Aceves, another right hander.  Aceves had nothing, and immediately gave up two hits and the game.

What can we conclude from today’s debacle?  Two things.  First, Girardi personally threw away this game.  If the Yankees go on to lose this series, Girardi will bear direct responsibilbity for starting the team’s demise.

But second, Girardi cannot manage under pressure.  When things get tight, his insecurities kick in, and he feels compelled to try to control events.  Instead of trusting Pettitte in the 6th inning, he had to come out and meddle.  In the 8th inning, he had to substitute Gardner, with no thought of how it might affect Arod later in the game.  In the last inning, he had to tinker, even though Robertson was cruising.  Like Bobby Valentine, he always makes one move too many.

Girardi manages tight.  He can’t handle pressure.  He does not trust his players.  His bungling may cost the Yankees a chamionship.  If they do prevail, it will be in spite of Girardi and not because of him.

The Yankees hold a 2-0 lead over the Angels after winning in 13 innings last night.  Although the talking heads are hailing the game as a classic, it was actually a mess.  It was played in a downpour, which likely contributed to the sloppy play.  Robinson Cano booted two easy ground balls, and Derek Jeter – DEREK JETER! – of all people, kicked a sure double play ball late in the game.  AJ Burnett wild pitched in the tying run in the 6th inning.  The Yankees had thirteen hits, but their batting was largely negated by hitting into four double plays.  In many respects this was a game the Yankees should have lost.

But they found a way to win.  Arod has now officially exorcised his postseason demons.  The man who could not hit in the clutch poked yet another game tying home run.  With Teixeira and Cano mired in deep slumps, Arod is carrying the team.

And despite his erratic pitching style, Burnett has been the good AJ, the one who is largely unhittable.  If he continues to pitch this way, the Yankees have a one-two punch in Sabathia and Burnett that no one can match.

Derek Jeter had another home run.  Joe Buck publicly acknowledged that the numerous pundits who said Jeter was over the hill have been forced to eat their words.  The captain has the team totally focused.

Finally, the team continues to overcome Girardi’s incessant overmanaging.  Once again the peerless leader attempted to give the game away.  He emasculated the offense by prematurely removing Swisher and Matsui from the lineup.  He got a total of five outs from his three primary setup men (Coke, Joba, Hughes), then found himself squeezed and had to use Mo for 7 outs.  After Aceves gave up the lead run, he let him start the next inning, then inexpicably removed him so that Marte could face Morales.   Which would have been fine, except Morales is a switch hitter, who promptly turned around and batted right handed.  Marte got Morales, but then was inexplicably replaced by Robertson.  At that point, Girardi had only Gaudin left in the bullpen.  If the Yanks had not won in the 13th, Girardi would have been forced to use his last pitcher.  If Gaudin had proved ineffective, I guess he would have brought in Swisher, except Swish had already been removed.

But the Yankees survived him.  They continue to survive all adversity.  Perhaps they are a team of destiny.  They can prove it with six more wins.