Yankees Phillies World Series Game 3 Preview
Are the Yankees Gathering Momentum or Can Philly Use Home Advantage?
Oct 31, 2009
The 2009 World Series is knotted at one game each, thanks to a superb outing by A.J. Burnett. Here's a recap of Game 2 and some key issues to watch during the lefty vs. lefty matchup in Game 3:
Game 2 Recap: New York Yankees 3, Philadelphia Phillies 1
It was business time on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium as the home side showed they weren't going to roll over and play dead after dropping Game 1 and having a serious power outage. Burnett did a marvellous seven-inning job of shutting down the Phillies' Murderer's Row of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez, racking up nine strikeouts and giving a 2-inning save opportunity to future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. There had been speculation that Burnett might be vulnerable due to his reliance on the fastball, but he showed textbook form mixing the heaters -- and spotting them well -- with the junk.
For his part, Pedro Martinez pitched well, scattering six hits over six innings and striking out eight Yankees. The problem, of course, was the two hits that left the stadium. Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui each had solo shots in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively. Matsui's came with two out and had the unflappable Martinez miffed at himself. Once Rivera took the mound in the eighth inning, you could feel the confidence surging among the Yankees in the knowledge that they weren't going to drop both games at home.
Key to Game 3: Phillies Pitcher Cole Hamels
Hamels is another Phillie (like Brad Lidge) who was stellar last year, particularly in the playoffs, but who has been struggling this post-season. Hamels has a 6.75 ERA in three starts and hasn't looked anywhere near as dominating as when he won the Series MVP last year. In his last outing, Hamels surrendered four runs in five innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers and took the loss. The Game 3 start back at home will be critical to the Phillies success in the Series and it may ride on whether Hamels' four-seamer and curve are effective. Not many 25-year-olds have taken to the mound in their second World Series in as many years.
Ironically, Hamels will be throwing against one of his idols in Andy Pettitte. Hamels claims that it was Pettitte whom he emulated during his development into a big league pitcher. The veteran Pettitte has been rock solid in the playoffs this year, going 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA.
Key to Game 3: Yankee Manager Joe Girardi
Although he doesn't actually play in the game, the Yankee skipper will have to be as sharp as a tack, now that the Series switches to National League rules. Among other tough decisions that will surface during the course of the games in Philly, the no designated hitter rule will mean than Girardi has to decide whether or not to use Hideki Matsui. The Yankees would likely miss his powerful bat but they don't want to run any risks of him being a defensive liability.
Girardi is fully aware of Matsui's knee injuries, and the fact he hasn't played defensively for about a year and a half. The problem for Girardi is that Nick Swisher has been slumping of late. This issue is a classic dilemma caused by baseball's traditional rule difference.
When it comes to best-of-7 series in any sports playoff, Game 3 is vital in taking a true advantage. As the first of three home games for the Phillies, a gem from Hamels or an offensive explosion would put the National Leaguers in a great position to take the Series.
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