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New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies
- The Yankees have never lost a World Series in which they held a 3-1 series lead, going 8-0. The last team to lose a World Series after leading 3-1 was the 1985 Cardinals (lost to Royals).
- New York was an MLB-best 13-4 (.765) during the regular season in games that were tied after the eighth inning. They are 2-1 in such games this postseason after last night's win.
- This is the third time that the Phillies have lost Games 2 through 4 of a World Series after winning Game 1 (also 1915 vs. Red Sox and 1983 vs. Orioles). In both previous cases, Philadelphia also lost Game 5.
- Prior to Game 3, the Phillies had won 11 of 12 home games over the last two postseasons, allowing less than three runs per game in those contests (2.75, 33/12). In losing Games 3 and 4, the Phillies allowed 7.5 runs per game.
- Chase Utley hit his third home run of the World Series last night, with all three coming off CC Sabathia. Only one other player in World Series history has three or more homers off a single pitcher: Yogi Berra, who homered three times off Don Newcombe (all in 1956 WS).
- Since Ryan Howard's RBI streak ended at eight games (NLCS Game 4), he is 3-for-19 (.158) with no home runs, one RBI, and 10 strikeouts (five games).
- Cliff Lee is 3-0 in four starts this postseason with a 0.54 ERA. In the LCS era (since 1969), only Kenny Rogers in 2006 has posted a lower ERA in single postseason (0.00; minimum 20 IP).
- Alex Rodriguez is batting .400 (8/20) in six road games this postseason, with four home runs and seven extra-base hits. In seven home games, Rodriguez is batting .308 (8/26) with two homers and two extra-base hits.
- Mark Teixeira's .071 (1/14) batting average in this World Series is the lowest by any New York or Philadelphia player with five or more at-bats.
- A.J. Burnett gave up six runs in 6.0 innings in his only previous road start this postseason (ALCS Game 5 at Angels). In his three home starts, he is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA.
MLB Headlines
- Strasburg hurts knee, won't need surgery
- Free agents face tough market
- White Sox close to deal with SS Vizquel
- Cubs, Grabow agree to 2-yr, $7.5M deal
- New-age stats shed light on Cy Youngs
- Nats name McLaren, Lett, Radison coaches
- Lincecum wins second straight Cy Young
- Selig: Some clubs lost money in 2009
- Tracy, Scioscia named managers of year
- Selig trying to tighten playoff schedule
Yankees-Phillies Preview
By KATE HEDLIN,
(AP) -- One year after failing to make the playoffs, the New York Yankees are on the verge of being crowned World Series champions.
The Yankees look to win their record 27th title and first in nine years Monday, while the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies try to force a return to the Bronx as they turn to a rested Cliff Lee for a must-win Game 5.
After 13 consecutive seasons of reaching the playoffs, New York fell short in 2008, with a third-place finish in the AL East. Determined to get back to the postseason, the Yankees spent $423.5 million in the offseason, adding CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. The additions paid off as New York won a league-best 103 games and its first division title since 2006.
Now, behind solid pitching and timely hitting, the Yankees are one win away from their first World Series title since 2000, following a 7-4 victory over the Phillies in Game 4 on Sunday.
Sabathia, pitching on short rest, left in the sixth inning with a one-run lead. After Joba Chamberlain allowed a game-tying home run to Pedro Feliz in the eighth, Alex Rodriguez put New York back ahead in the ninth with an RBI double off Phillies closer Brad Lidge. Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single to add insurance.
Rodriguez, a popular target for Yankees fans' frustrations because of his past postseason failures, was 0 for 8 with six strikeouts in Games 1 and 2, but hit a big home run in Game 3 and has driven in 15 runs in the 2009 postseason, tying a Yankees record shared by Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius.
"He's the reason why we're sitting here and we're in Philadelphia right now," said Johnny Damon, who went 3 for 5 and scored on Rodriguez's go-ahead hit after a advancing to third on a double steal. "I felt like without him, who knows where our road may have stopped at."
Rodriguez and the Yankees will look to close out the series Monday night against the Phillies, who hope to rally and become the first NL team to repeat as champions since Cincinnati in 1975-76. If Philadelphia succeeds Monday in extending the series, it will return to the Bronx for Game 6 on Wednesday.
"We've been down this road before and we have to stay very focused. Those guys are the world champs," Rodriguez said.
New York has good reason to feel confident. This is the ninth time the Yankees have led the World Series 3-1, and on all eight other occasions, they've gone on to win the title. Of the 42 teams overall to take a 3-1 lead, 36 went on to win the crown.
Philadelphia is trying to become the first club since the 1985 Kansas City Royals to overcome that deficit.
"I think we take a lot of pride on being resilient and the way we bounce back," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I've seen us go through it before. We've blown 22 games from the seventh inning on or something this year. That's got to tell you something about the resilience of our team."
Lidge, who blew 11 saves and went 0-8 with a 7.21 ERA in the regular season, hadn't allowed a run in five appearances this postseason prior to Sunday.
"We've got to get back to New York and keep going," he said. "Hopefully I get another chance to get out there and get a win or a save for our team."
If the Phillies lose this series, they may look back on their decision to keep Lee on regular rest as a mistake.
Manuel talked to Lee about pitching on short rest Sunday, but he said the two decided to keep him on his regular schedule. Lee, who has never pitched on shortened rest, said it was Manuel's choice to go with Joe Blanton, who gave up four runs in six innings.
"I just let him know I'd pitch whenever he wants me to pitch," Lee told the Phillies' official Web site. "I think I could do it, but he makes the calls."
The left-hander is 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA in the postseason. He defeated Sabathia in Game 1, giving up one unearned run and six hits in a complete game victory. He struck out 10 in the dominant performance, but Manuel was undeterred in his decision even after the Phillies went down 2-1 in the series Saturday.
"You're asking Cliff Lee to do something that he has never done before," he said. "But we're also asking him to do it in a very big, important place, and that's in the World Series. I didn't have to think very long at all about that."
The only Yankee batter to have any success against Lee last week was Derek Jeter, who had three hits including a double. Jeter is 7 for 17 in the World Series.
After getting success from Sabathia on three days' rest, the Yankees hope for the same from Burnett.
Burnett started Thursday's Game 2, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings of a 3-1 win. It was his first decision in the postseason, although New York has won three of his four playoff starts while he's posted a 3.55 ERA.
The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts on short rest, though he hasn't tried it this season.
"To be honest, it's a little different, obviously, in October," he said. "But I feel good right now. Otherwise, I wouldn't take the ball."
Burnett will try to keep Chase Utley in the park after the Philadelphia second baseman homered for the third time in this series Sunday.
Updated November 2, 2009
© 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
