Alex Rodriguez delivered the go-ahead run-
scoring double with two outs in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees
moved within one victory from their 27th World Series title as they beat
Philadelphia, 7-4, in Game 4 of the Fall Classic.
Philadelphia's Pedro Feliz lined a full-count fastball from Joba Chamberlain
(1-0) over the wall in left field with two outs in the eighth to tie the game,
but the Yankees rallied in the ninth off Brad Lidge to grab a 3-1 lead in the
best-of-seven series.
Jorge Posada drove in three runs, including a two-run single to cap the top of
the ninth.
Mariano Rivera set the side down in order in the bottom of the ninth for the
save and broke the World Series record with his 23rd appearance, passing ex-
Yankee Whitey Ford. It was his 39th career postseason save and the latest one
provided a near-knockout blow for the defending World Series champions. It
also put the Yankees a victory away from their first title since 2000.
"It feels good, but again, we've been down this road before, and we have to
stay very focused," said Rodriguez. "Those guys are the world champs. They're
going to come out fighting, and so are we, so just staying in the moment."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Sunday afternoon that he's decided to
start A.J. Burnett on three days' rest for Monday's Game 5 at Citizens Bank
Park. The Phillies will start lefty Cliff Lee, who has sparkled with a 3-0
mark and a 0.54 ERA (two earned runs, 33 1/3 innings) this postseason. Lee
threw a complete game to win Game 1, while Burnett threw seven solid innings
in a 3-1 Game 2 triumph.
"I've waited a long time for it, and I'm going to take it full stride," said
Burnett. "I'm going to go out there with everything I've got, and you take
nothing for granted. I've seen some crazy things this postseason, and I guess
that's why they call it post-season baseball, because anything can happen."
Lidge (0-1) retired the first two batters of the inning on a pop-up from
pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui and a strikeout from Derek Jeter. On a nine-pitch
at-bat, Johnny Damon then singled to left-center field.
The Phillies then put an infield shift toward the right side of the diamond
with Mark Teixeira at the plate, but the move backfired. Damon stole second
with third baseman Feliz taking the throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz. Nobody
covered third, and Damon raced all the way to the base.
"I felt like being on third base, it possibly takes away a slider, a tough
slider in the dirt that I may be able to score on," said Damon. "Alex got two
fastballs. It did work out for us."
Teixeira was hit by a pitch before Rodriguez, a three-time AL MVP going after
his first World Series ring, clubbed an 0-1 offering to left field to give New
York a 5-4 edge. Posada lined a single left-center for the three-run cushion
and was thrown out trying to go to second.
"I have never had a bigger hit," said Rodriguez. "But again, if you look at
what Mark Teixeira and I have done in this World Series is not much, and it
just tells you what a great balanced team we've had all year, and we're
getting contributions from all our guys."
Rodriguez has 15 RBI this postseason, tying Bernie Williams (1996) and Scott
Brosius (1998) for the most RBI by a Yankee in a single playoff year. Of those
15 RBI, seven have been game-tying or of the go-ahead variety.
"It is important to stay calm," said Rodriguez. "For me making an adjustment
after Game 1 and 2 was very easy because what I was doing was just being a
little overanxious. One thing about postseason, if you want to hit, you've got
to swing at strikes, and if you don't swing at strikes, you're going to expose
your weakness. That's all I've been trying to do."
CC Sabathia, going on three days' rest, pitched into the seventh inning for
New York, but was lifted after Chase Utley homered off the southpaw for the
third time in this series.
Phillies starter Joe Blanton was taken out after six innings for a pinch-
hitter. The righty gave up five hits and four runs, walked two and fanned
seven.
The Phillies, aiming to become the first National League repeat winner since
Cincinnati in 1975-76, have a big task to overcome. This is the ninth time
that the Yankees have held a 3-1 lead in a World Series. They have gone on to
win the world championship on each of the previous eight occasions. Also, the
last team to overcome such a deficit to win the title was Kansas City in 1985.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said the mistake on the shift in the ninth
inning proved costly, which factored into the team being down 3-1.
"It's catcher or pitcher, got to be heads up," Manuel said. "We've got a
shift on like that, Feliz was covering second base, and evidently there was
some miscommunication there, when he stole him. That's the first time we've
had it happen to us this year, but at the same time, somebody has got to be
covering third base. Usually it's the catcher who tries to get down there."
The Yankees parlayed a pair of hits for two first-inning runs. Coming off an
8-5 victory Saturday night, the Yankees jumped out early on Blanton as Jeter
legged out an infield single and Damon doubled to right field. Teixeira
followed with an RBI groundout to first. Rodriguez was then hit by a pitch for
the third time in two nights, this time in the back. Home plate umpire Mike
Everitt warned both benches, and Posada followed with a sacrifice fly to left
field.
Sabathia gave up back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the first to Shane
Victorino and Utley.
The Phillies tied the game in the fourth, thanks in part to a blown call from
Everitt. Ryan Howard singled and stole second before Feliz laced a one-out
single to left field. Damon's throw home was on target, but the ball eluded
Posada. Replays showed Howard never touched home as his right leg dragged
above it instead of making contact with the plate.
Blanton retired 11 straight hitters until trouble found the right-hander in
the fifth. Nick Swisher walked on four pitches and Melky Cabrera legged out an
infield single up the middle. After Sabathia struck out, Jeter hit a bouncer
under the glove of a diving Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, giving New York a 3-2
edge. Damon followed with an RBI hit to right field.
Sabathia wiggled out of a two-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the fifth, but
surrendered Utley's homer to right with two down in the seventh.
Game Notes
Lidge had worked 12 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in his previous 13
playoff appearance before issuing three runs Sunday night. He is 0-3 in six
career World Series appearances. That matches the most career losses in relief
in World Series history with George Frazier and Eddie Watt...The Yankees have
been hit by five pitches in this series, one shy of the World Series record
for a series of any length shared by Pittsburgh in 1909 and Arizona in
2001...Rivera has a 1.04 ERA in the World Series...Cabrera left the game in
the sixth inning with a slight strain of his left hamstring.
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