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World Series Game 6 preview
The Defending World Champion Phillies aren’t giving up the throne easily. Faced with “win or go home” on Monday, they responded with eight runs to support Cliff Lee, who is now 4-0 in the post season, including both Phillies wins in this World Series. Lee’s series may not be over. With the Phils’ continued bullpen woes, he could appear in relief tonight or tomorrow.
With the Yankees in solid command of the series leading three games to one, manager Joe Girardi opened the door for Philadelphia to retain the crown, when he started A. J. Burnett on three days’ rest in game five. Starting Chad Gaudin and saving Burnett for game six was more prudent.
Burnett’s performance was the polar opposite of his masterful game two win, when he tossed seven innings of four-hit ball, striking out nine and allowing just a lone run. Monday night he was out after facing four batters in the third inning, none of which were retired. He didn’t show much command and especially could not locate his curve, the pitch that had been so effective in game two. The Yankees rallied for four runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but fell short, losing 8-6. Thus the series returns to New York to the house that $1.5 billion built for game six tonight.
Instead of Burnett on full rest, the Phils face 37 year-old Andy Pettitte, who like Burnett will be pitching on just three days’ rest. Pettitte has not started with less than four days between starts in more than two years. He has started 14 games in his career on three days’ rest, and his record is 4-6, with a 4.15 ERA. Pettitte’s record this post season is 3-0 in four starts, but those four starts plus the last four of the regular season came with more than four days rest. He will be trying to extend his record 17 playoff wins with tonight’s start.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel counters with old pro Pedro Martinez. Martinez was masterful in game two, but took a loss in the 3-1 Yankees’ win. That loss ran his career record against the Yankees to 8-5 in New York. However, he is just 1-3 in seven postseason starts against the Yankees.
If Philadelphia pushes the series to game seven, CC Sabathia stands in their way of the champs repeating, but Sabathia, like Burnett and Pettitte will be pitching on short rest. Make no mistake about it; the odds still heavily favor New York to win their 27 th World Championship. They play at home, and they need to win just one, not two games to clinch. They also get Hideki Matsui back in the lineup, as the DH will be utilized in the American League park. However, if the series gets to game seven, it’s anybody’s for the taking.
This series will be remembered for strikeouts. Through five games the teams have combined for 88 K’s. Leading the pack is Ryan Howard with 12. He is batting just .158 in the series, but his lack of production has been offset by Chase Utley, who is hitting .333 with a World Series record five home runs, three of which have been hit off Yankee ace CC Sabathia. It is doubtful that Utley will see a pitch in the same zip code as home plate in these last two games, so Howard is likely to be the key to the Phillies’ chances of winning the series.
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The powerful Yankee offense led the Majors in home runs and runs scored this season, so it was surprising when they tallied just four runs in the two Yankee Stadium games to open the series. They were fortunate to get a split in those two games. The offense returned to normal as they averaged seven runs per game in Philadelphia. They scored all these runs with little help from the middle of their batting order. Mark Teixeira is hitting .105 in the first five games with just a home run, two RBIs and seven strikeouts. His average in 58 post-season at-bats is just .172. Alex Rodriguez is hitting just .222 in the series, but has driven in six.
Unfortunately, this year’s playoffs have largely been void of drama. There have been for sure some outstanding games, but all but one of the six series that sent two teams to the World Series were decided with the losing team getting swept or winning a single game. Only the Angels won two games before bowing out in the A. L. LCS. With this series going to game six, it becomes the first series in six years to last more than five games. There is already plenty of drama, and if the Phillies win tonight, this could become one of the classic World Series in baseball history.
By Dic Humphrey
MLB Center Senior Staff Writer
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