Yankees Phillies World Series Game 5 Preview
Up 3-1, the Yankees Look to Clinch 27th MLB Championship
Nov 2, 2009
All for nothing. That's the way Phillies fans must have felt after coming back late from a stubborn 4-2 lead, only to have their bullpen ace get pounded hard and lose in the ninth inning.
Game 4 Recap New York Yankees 7, Philadelphia Phillies 4
Despite the bats of Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz doing all they could do through that most dramatic of baseball events -- the home run -- the Phillies ultimately dropped Game 4 through some poor pitching in the ninth.
And then came Damon. What appeared to be a foul tip that should have been squeezed by Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was dropped, giving the Yankees left fielder another swing. Damon promptly slapped a bloop to left field and then took advantage of sloppy Phillies infielding by stealing two bases on the same play. In a remarkable play the like of which one rarely sees at the Big League level, Damon scampered to third base where no fielders were in sight. After Lidge hung one over the plate for A-Rod to smear into a double, Damon scored the game-winning run.
Finally, with Mark Texieira and Rodriguez on base, Jorge Posada cranked a long single to score two and ice the game. Mariano Rivera came in and threw eight pitches in the ninth and the game was over.
Key to Game 5 Phillies Pitcher Cliff Lee
This is an easy pick as a key to the game. Lee pitched masterfully in Game 1 (surrendering no runs) and has been the brightest spot in the Phillies roster this World Series. Since the Yankees bats have woken up, the fate of the Series could well rest on the quality of the start from Lee. The possibility existed that Lee could have been called to start Game 4 on short rest, but Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided that using Joe Blanton would be more prudent.
Since he's well-rested, Lee simply has to replicate his formula for success in Game 1 and for most of the season by spotting his pitches well. With the World Series hanging on this start, Lee will clearly be under the most pressure possible in the sport of baseball. It's highly unusual to strike out the Yankee lineup a total of 10 times as he did in Game 1, but time will tell if Lee is up to the task again.
Key to Game 5 Yankees Pitcher A.J. Burnett
It had been surmised that the powerful Phillies bats were going to feast on Burnett during Game 2, but the opposite actually occurred. Burnett showed that he doesn't need to rely solely on the fastball and confused the visitors with some good pitch selection. The question will be whether he can continue his torrid pace -- particularly on the road in Philadelphia -- or will the law of averages kick in such that he may get knocked around by the home side.
Key to Game 5 Phillies Second Baseman Chase Utley
Up and down. Such has been the World Series from an offensive point of view for Utley. A ball team doesn't often turn to a second baseman for power, but the Phillies sure hope Utley can keep tearing the ball as he did Sunday. Utley actually began the Series by smashing two home runs in Game 1. His bat fell quiet however, as he failed to get a hit in Games 2 and 3. In Game 4, however, Utley went yard once and socked a double, totalling two RBI. The Phillies are desperately seeking a return to such power in Game 5.
When this year's Fall Classic moved back to Philly with a 1-1 split, it seemed almost inconceivable that the Yankees could sweep three games on the road to win the championship. Now they have an excellent chance to do just that. It's probably more likely the Phillies will take Game 5 and send the Series back to New York, but even if they do, their backs are clearly to the wall.
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