This is the first World Series that's gone this far in six years, since 2003 -- also involving the Yankees, who lost to the Marlins in six games that year.
Joe Girardi, whose management of his pitching staff has come under justified criticism during the postseason, will roll the dice and have Andy Pettitte start on three days' rest tonight -- something Pettitte hasn't done since 2007, and that was a strange circumstance where he threw four innings in a start, pitched an inning of relief with two days' rest, then started again with one day off. (See Pettitte's 2007 game log for details; it happened in April.)
Pedro Martinez will go for the Phillies. Pedro pitched well enough to win in game two; that day, A. J. Burnett shut the Philly offense down. Meanwhile, the Phillies hit Pettitte pretty hard in game three on Saturday; Jayson Werth homered off him twice and Pettitte also issued three walks in six innings, throwing 104 pitches, a Zambrano-like outing. If the Phillies are patient tonight, I believe we'll see one last 2009 game tomorrow, and Girardi will have to go with yet another pitcher on three days' rest, CC Sabathia, going on three days' rest for the second time in this series after having not done that all season. Sabathia is approaching 270 innings pitched this season; that might be too many even for a "horse" like him.
It'd be nice to see a seven-game World Series, no matter who wins. We don't get to see enough winner-take-all games in baseball; in the last ten seasons, going back to 2000, there have been only 13 such games in all the playoff rounds, out of 70 postseason series.
Phillies at Yankees, 6:57 pm CDT. Yankees lead series 3-2. TV: Fox. Announcers: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
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Discuss amongst yourselves.