World Series Matchup: Yankees vs. Phillies
Stan McNeal - SportingNews.com
Oct 27, 2009
Intriguing matchups are everywhere: CC Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee, A-Rod vs. Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins vs. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera vs. Brad Lidge. Both clubs are stocked with power, and both rotations have a legitimate ace and their share of questions. The Yankees had the best home record in the majors this season, and no team had a better road record than the Phillies. Something has to give, but this could take a while.
What to watch
Pedro on the spot
Phillies righthander Pedro Martinez is about to get another postseason start against the team he has faced more than any other in his career. Martinez stunned just about everyone when he shut out the Dodgers for seven innings in Game 2 of the NLCS. This will be different. It won't be 93 degrees at game time. He won't be working in spacious Dodger Stadium. He won't be able to paint the corners again. Or will he? Watching the future Hall of Famer rely on his heart and guts against the mighty Yankees shapes up as the most fascinating matchup of the series.
Who are these guys?
Every time a Phillies pitcher looks up, it likely will seem like Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter is on deck. Ditto for Yankees with Ryan Howard or Shane Victorino. But in a series stocked with big names, watch out for the no-names. Expect Yankees reliever David Robertson to handle a key at-bat. Wait for the Phillies' Ben Francisco, who will start in left field in New York, to come up in a big spot. Look for Chad Durbin to pitch to A-Rod in the sixth inning of a tight game. Such matchups might not get the hype, but they will prove just as important as the ninth-inning duels between the likes of Rivera and Howard.
Mounting pressure
Getting to the World Series isn't enough: Joe Girardi is expected to win it.When Joe Girardi was on the victory stand shortly after the Yankees clinched their World Series berth, he looked as relieved as happy. Well, the burden of expectations remains. Girardi made that clear when he quickly pointed out that his team has one more step to make. If the Yankees don't win the World Series, many will consider the season a disappointment. Under such weight, the Yankees will be challenged to keep up their newfound carefree demeanor if they fall behind in the series. The Phillies, on the other hand, are in almost a no-lose situation. After winning just the second championship in franchise history last year, Philadelphians might not know how to handle the success of repeating.
The hex of the Bronx
Maybe the bright stage leads to jitters. Perhaps the pressure of the postseason proves a little much. Maybe that David Ortiz jersey buried during construction of new Yankee Stadium actually created some kind of curse on Yankees opponents. Whatever the reason, the Twins and Angels made far too many unforced errors in New York. The Twins failed on the bases. The Angels botched plays that Little Leaguers make routinely. Will the Phillies succumb, too? The Yankees certainly don't need the extra help.
Projected Game 1 lineups
Phillies
SS Jimmy Rollins: 4-for-6 in 9th innings; 5-for-31 in innings 1-8.
CF Shane Victorino: Leads Philly with .361 AVG in postseason.
2B Chase Utley: Hitting .303, but only 1 extra-base hit, 2 RBIs.
1B Ryan Howard: Hitting .355 with 14 RBIs in 9 games.
RF Jayson Werth: Tied with A-Rod for most HRs (5), runs (10) in postseason.
DH Raul Ibanez: Hitting .226, but averaging an RBI a game.
LF Ben Francisco: 0-for-4 in postseason; starting for defense.
3B Pedro Feliz: Only Philly regular really struggling (.161 AVG).
C Carlos Ruiz: Mr. October? Hitting .346 with 7 walks.
SP Cliff Lee: 0.74 ERA, no HRS allowed in 3 starts.
Yankees
SS Derek Jeter: 3 HRs are second on club in postseason.
LF Johnny Damon: 1-for-12 in ALDS; reached base every ALCS game.
1B Mark Teixeira: Started ALCS 2-for-19 before heating up.
3B Alex Rodriguez: .548 OBP, 1.517 OPS in playoffs.
C Jorge Posada: 4-for-20 with 5 walks in ALCS.
DH Hideki Matsui: .233 BA but has .395 OBP in playoffs.
2B Robinson Cano: 2 of 8 postseason hits have been triples.
RF Nick Swisher: 4-for-32 with 11 K's in postseason.
CF Melky Cabrera: .314 BA second to A-Rod among regulars.
SP CC Sabathia: One ER allowed in each of 3 starts.
Tale of the tape
Season series: Phillies won, 2-1
Offense: The way Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez are slugging, the top halves of the two lineups are even. But with Carlos Ruiz hitting like Joe Mauer, the bottom part of the Phillies' lineup has produced more than the bottom part of the Yankees'. Edge: Phillies.
Pitching: CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee have dominated in three playoff starts, but both teams have questions after their aces. The biggest difference is in the bullpens. Hello, Mr. Rivera. Edge: Yankees.
Defense: Mark Teixeira is the equalizer in the infields, but with Ben Francisco in left, the Phillies have the better defender at each outfield spot. You won't see Charlie Manuel removing one of his guys in mid-inning because of a lollypop arm. Edge: Phillies.
Bench: The Phillies have experience with Matt Stairs, Miguel Cairo and Greg Dobbs. The Yankees didn't use much of that $206.8 million payroll on subs. Edge: Phillies.
Prediction: Yankees in six New York can start lefties in five of seven games, if needed, to neutralize Howard and Utley. They also own the ninth inning.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
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