What We Learned: Champs Unyielding Against Bombers
Bill Eichenberger - SportingNews.com
Oct 29, 2009
Sporting News' Bill Eichenberger analyzes Game 1 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees:
Phillies won't make it easy
Unlike the Twins and Angels in the first two rounds of the AL playoffs, the Phillies played smart, fundamentally sound baseball against the Yankees. The only mistake was a throwing error by Jimmy Rollins in the ninth inning that spoiled Cliff Lee's bid for a shutout. An example of the Phillies' heads-up play: In the fifth, Rollins deked baserunner Hideki Matsui by making a shoestring catch of an infield pop by Robinson Cano. Rollins then threw to Ryan Howard, who tagged a confused Matsui as the Yankees' DH stood between first and second.
Chasing an immortal
By hitting two home runs off CC Sabathia, Chase Utley joined Babe Ruth as the only left-handed hitters in World Series history to hit two homers off a left-handed pitcher in one game. Said Utley, whose solo shots in the third and sixth were the only runs off Sabathia: "The approach I had was to try to lay off the slider because that is a tough pitch to hit on the barrel, and try to hit a fastball, and I was able to do that." Said Yankee manager Joe Girardi: "CC got some balls in the middle of the plate to Utley, and Utley made him pay."
Yankee power outage
Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters in the Yankee lineup, picked a bad time to vanish, going a combined 0-for-8. A-Rod looked particularly inept, striking out three times after hitting .429 with five homers and 12 RBIs in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Teixeira was not much better, striking out twice. "I think Tex is going to be fine." Rodriguez said. "You take tonight out of it. I don't think you worry about it too much."
No tomorrow today
It is not time to panic, but several Yankees admitted that tonight's Game 2 is a must win. Most discouraging about Wednesday's loss was the implosion by the middle relief corps. Phil Hughes continued his postseason struggles, walking the only two batters he faced in the eighth. He was one of five New York relievers who combined to surrender four runs in the final two innings. The Yankees now turn to an inconsistent A.J. Burnett to outduel Pedro Martinez. How will the Yankee Stadium crowd react to Martinez's start? "I'm sure they will be energetic," Derek Jeter said. "I think that is the best way to put it."
This story appears in Oct. 29's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.
Bill Eichenberger is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at beichenberger@sportingnews.com.
----
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion
Copyright 2012 by SportingNews.com
