Sunday, November 1, 2009
Yankees.com: Johnny lately: Yanks’ 9th makes it a 3-1 Series
PHILADELPHIA—Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez stunned Brad Lidge and the Citizens Bank Park crowd with a memorable rally in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday, stealing a 7-4 victory in Game 4 of the World Series and taking a commanding 3-1 advantage.
After Pedro Feliz put the Phillies back in the game with a game-tying home run off Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning, Damon rose to the occasion by working a nine-pitch at-bat off Lidge before reaching with a two-out single.
In the span of three outs, this game went from awesome to crappy to super awesome.
CC Sabathia pitched pretty well on three days rest again, although his night ended when he gave up a HR to Chase Utley that cut the Yankee lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh. With Phil Hughes’s playoff struggles, Joe Girardi went with Joba Chamberlain to try and hold the 4-3 lead, and after Joba struck out Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez swinging with 97 mph fastballs, it sure seemed smart. Then Feliz took a 97 mph fastball out for a game tying HR. So instead of being three outs away from taking a commanding 3 games to 1 lead, the possibility of Philadelphia tying the series and heading into a Game 5 with their best pitcher going was very real, and very scary.
Brad Lidge was incredibly good last year, and this year he’s been incredibly bad. Of course he’s probably neither as good as he was in 2008 or as bad as he was in 2009. Lidge was able to retire Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter in the top of the ninth, which brought up Damon with two outs and none on. Damon singled on the ninth pitch of the AB, bringing up Mark Teixeira.
The Phillies, like most teams, play a defensive shift when Teixeira is hitting lefty, like he was against the righty Lidge. So when Damon attempted a steal of second base and slid in, the third baseman Feliz was the one who received the throw from Carlos Ruiz in the attempt to catch Damon. As Damon slid into 3B, he noticed this and also noticed that Lidge was not covering 3B so he took off for third in a foot race with Feliz that he won handily.
With two outs, that didn’t mean that Damon would be able to score on an out, but it did mean he could score on a passed ball or a wild pitch. Whether that changed Lidge’s approach or not, we don’t really know, but it was a smart, heads-up play.
Lidge followed up by hitting Teixeira, which brought up Mr. October, Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez smacked an RBI double, and the Yankees were back on top. Jorge Posada followed with a 2 run single to expand the lead to three, and then Mariano Rivera sliced through the Phillies on eight pitches to close out the win.
As Yankee fans, we know that no lead in a seven game series is insurmountable, but now the Yankees are set up about as well as they could hope to be. All they have to do is win one of three games, two of which would be at home, behind one of A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, or CC Sabathia.
You’ve got to like their chances of pulling that off, right?
Comments
oh, happy day.
What’s Charlie saying?
That game was infinitely sweeter for ripping the heart out of the Philly fans first. It should have been a 9-3 rout against that Blanton, but three runs with two outs? Classic. That was the type of game that some little kid in the stands will remember (and seek therapy for) for the rest of his days.
WOE dies Monday, and takes Clay Bellinger with it.
Clay Bellinger will rear his nondescript head before this is all over.
Would Girardi really have gone to Coke in the 9th if they hadn’t scored?
Love Mo ripping through three batters with frightening efficiency. As if to say, “Don’t even think about it.”
Ha, posted 5 before reading 4. Best game of the postseason, or is that still Alex vs. Fuentes?
Yay win!
About that Damon play.
I remember Jeter stealing second and then taking third on more than one occasion when Giambi was at the plate and the infield was shifted to the right side. Doing it more than once, and threatening to do it pretty much every time he stole with Giambi up. Not that Jeter invented the idea of taking third when the third baseman is covering second, but I do speculate that the repetition helped pave the way for Damon being alert to the possibility.
[6] Got to go with tonight, if only because of the heartache of Chamberlain’s blown hold, the orgiastic glee of the two out rally, and the stage.
Why does Bobby Valentine’s head keep moving around like a bobblehead?
Great win. Just great.
Haha. On NY1, for CC’s press thing, his cellphone keeps ringing. Probably some relative bugging him that he’s on TV.
Kate Hudson: Great actor, or the greatest actor?
Bobby Valentine is entertaining as hell.
Yeah, there was something about the emotional swing in the span of about 15 minutes that made this one extremely satisfying.
In terms of impact on the series too, this game was huge. The difference between facing Cliff Lee tomorrow with the series knotted at two versus where they are now just feels massive.
It’s been a great postseason, huh? I forgot how much fun it was to win games in the postseason.
Wheeeeeeeee Doggies ! No complaining tonite, boys !
hey, was that a “waste” of Mo? 3 run lead in the 9th, he should have used Hughes, right?
CharMan has nothing to complain about, whatever the stats say about Blanton, it worked good enough. Going to Lidge didn’t work.
Yay win. Yay you folks.
Who spit in your beer, yup? Enjoy the win. Sheesh.
[16] Gotta be sarcastic.. but if not, I’m in total agreement with the ‘Go for the jugular when you can’ philosophy. When you’re up, you step on their necks and get the win.
[16] Right! 
hey, was that a “waste” of Mo? 3 run lead in the 9th, he should have used Hughes, right?
Screw confidence, get the win.
Mo is an awesome neckstepper.
[16] Nope. Robertson.
yah, it was a joke. how could anyone not think that was a joke?
ok, someone tell me where to watch the game tomm in the nyc area.
Sorry, my bad. But if I’m not mistaken it’s a joke directed at someone. If I’m wrong, sorry again.
Wait, I forgot I’m not supposed to apologize. Crap.
[24] We’re not used to sarcastic comments around here.
[24] Because we’re in serious mode, that’s why. 
The only thing I heard Manuel complain about was getting asked about Lee on short rest for the eleventy-billionth time. Can’t blame him for that.
yah, it was a joke. how could anyone not think that was a joke?
Stop that, only Alex can horse around.
Did anyone notice just how close Feliz was to Damon when he took off for third? He was only about a few feet away.
Damon has some coconuts.
yay win. I’ve been channeling my inner jonathan and drinking my way to three yankee wins.
no one specific, just the general hand wringing that took place across yankee universe last night. read it all over the internet. Joe Buck questioned it. the Yahoo! recap said Girardi “raised eyebrows”, yada yada.
just messin’ around b/c i am too amped up to sleep.
this team is amazing.
cc on 18 hrs rest tomorrow
ok, someone tell me where to watch the game tomm in the nyc area.
The Stadium? Are they still letting people in to watch games on the jumbotron?
Did anyone notice just how close Feliz was to Damon when he took off for third? He was only about a few feet away.
Damon is not a baseclogger but a speedy base stealing type player, only slowed by the other base cloggers that the Yankee FO throws money at, which weighs down their pocket to clog base more.
Oh what a sweet game. I go now to dream of XXVII.
[31] +1 on Damon’s marbles. Feliz’s proximity to Damon was part of what made watching the play so confusing when it happened.
[31] Girardi talking about it in the post game presser. Talked about Damon’s super instincts, which is code for saying Damon makes better decisions when he doesn’t try to use his brain in the process.
Page 1 is the rally page.
Page 2 is the tack on runs page.
We’ll save page 3 for somethin’ else.
[31] Yeah, Damon had to see that nobody was running to cover third, and he also had to realize that Feliz’ momentum was still carrying him away from the bag. For a guy who comes across as pretty much a total goof most of the time, that’s some damned efficient information processing right there.
[35] They had 6000 tonite.
i am not schooled enough on a play like that to say that Lidge “definitely” should have been covering 3B, but man, he seems to have screwed the pooch.
do you think CC has a portrait of Chase Utley as a centaur over his bed?
man, talk about ownage.
luckily no one else can really do anything.
the damon play freaked me out to no end. i thought he thought the ball’d gone into the outfield. so badass.
Yeah, how am I supposed to sleep now? Even with this damn daylight savings business.
[43] Isn’t that more the LF’ers job, what with the shift on?
I thought Damon had thought it’d gone to the outfield. I was jumping up and down doing my best Darth Vader “Noooooooooooo!”
Lidge followed up by hitting Teixeira, which brought up Mr. October, Alex Rodriguez
Ahem… Mr. November. I know Jeter had the title for a while, but thanks to the WBC, Jetes has to (gladly) share it.
I just want everyone to know that I made a deal with the powers that be that I will gladly trade some football Giants’ losses for a World Series title.
Thanks, Eli!!
Damon looked at how Pedro caught the ball and saw it pulled him off.
(that’s what he just said)
Has Ryan Howard touched the plate yet?
[43] According to their manager, “Pitcher or catcher has to be heads up.” But it’s really on the pitcher. He’s a lot closer, and if the catcher does have to run to cover third, then the pitcher damned well better wake up by that point and cover home.
[45] I totally didn’t realize they had the shift on - I thought it was mostly something you only do with no baserunners, for tonite’s very reason.
So yeah, I thought he was killing us on the bases again.
I just want everyone to know that I made a deal with the powers that be that I will gladly trade some football Giants’ losses for a World Series title.
i will trade an 0fer the rest of the season for one more yankee win…
[44] man, CC just made some really bad pitches to Utley, that’s all. A really good player should do exactly what Utley did.
That second HR in NY in game 1, CC shook off Posado, who called for low change first, then he shook off a FB up and away. I was beside myself, hoping Jorge would go out there and talk to him, but we all saw what happened.
Jeez, Damon’s sounding like someone who really thinks things through in his press availability.
[49] Done and done.
Is it safe?
I was waiting for the soft toss to third to nail Damon. Not sure if it totally changed the inning, but if they, playing NL the right way, were giving away bases, take it.
[55] are you a Giants fan? cuz its meaningless to say that if you want the Giants to lose anyway. If you are a NYG fan, I have no argument there… I would take that, too!
@4 - Good call, don. after we take down the timer maybe we can invite clay to NYS and make amends like the boston fans did with buckner last year.
[47] Lidge is 50 feet from 3B; Ibanez is at least 150 feet away. With a pull/power hitter at the plate, maybe more than 200.
WOOHOO!!!
[62] let’s not count any chickens…
grrr
[61] yeah, Giants’ fan. just trying to make deals with the devil here.
so as soon as i get off the phone with Joe Buck, i’ll let you know what we worked out.
we can also exorcise axe girl and whatever that annoying song was we listened to in ‘07.
Please tell him that I hate him.
just sayin, if, a big if.
I never had a problem with axe girl. Am I forgetting something?
[67] But we’re never getting rid of the Heinecken commercial, right ?
The Yankees still have a -100% chance to win it all, so I’m not sure what you’re all getting excited about.
I was all set to say maybe HR had a good point on MLB Network about the advantages of pulling Burnett back tomorrow with an injured Melky maybe meaning Gardner, Molina and Burnett having to hit. But then Mitch Williams agreed with him and I assume pitching AJ makes more sense.
[66] ok then!
BTW, I am all smiles!!
http://pictureisunrelated.com/2009/11/01/over-exposure-for-everyone/#comments
Yay!
“The Yankees are nine innings away from returning to a place Derek Jeter and others firmly believe a season is a failure if they don’t.” Leave it to the Post to cap a spectacular game with one of the worst lead off sentences in a decade.
One for the thumb for Jeter, Mo and Posada.
Andy as well.
that hurts my brain
The Phillie Phanatic looms.
I have to say I agree with Reynolds and Mitch. I also have to say that I love this team.
[73] maybe Girardi goes with Posada? i kindof doubt it after AJ’s game 2 heroics, but it’s possible.
How is it that I missed that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys played before game 2?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRVZvxjBrw8
The look on Jeter’s face is worth the watch.
Sorry if you all had this conversation already.
WSC looming
MVP frontrunner? gotta be Mo, right?
[65] Relax, nothing can stop this train. Especially not remarks posted by fans.
[84] Who else could it possibly be? I guess maybe Jeter?
Commenters on thegoodphight already planning for next year. Didn’t they live through 2004? Or was that all a nightmare?
I too thought Damon was committing a huge blunder at the moment. I was thrilled to see a vacated 3B. Went quickly from OH NO to OH YES! 
I’m torn about whether to use Burnett or Gaudin tomorrow. Glad I’m not making the decisions.
[85] we can’t change the outcome? i’ve wasted my life…
I kind of feel bad for Lidge. He’s now been pwned by two of the best players of this generation.
Did anyone catch Buck mentioning that “Cliff Lee looms”?
Holy moly what a game. I was watching on DVR and catching up to real-time when I got a text from a phillies fan. I knew something happened at 11:21, but didn’t know what. I was glad it was only a game-tying homer, although still pissed off that it happened.. Didn’t get any further texts, so I was hopeful. And then Lidge happened. Wow.
[89] Gotta keep up the throatstepping.
[89] We? Who is this “we”?
Only those from the future can do that. 
[84 & 86] AJ depending on how he pitches tonight. 8 shutout innings w/ 10K’s, and if there is no save opportunity for Mo (whether he pitches or not) and I think he’s got a solid shot at it.
Did anyone catch Buck mentioning that “Cliff Lee looms”?
Are you saying one of us is actually Buck in disguise ?
Does this count as Jonathan doing it again? I think he was confident that NY would score eight runs tonight…
Unbelievable win. No way they should have BEEN in that position, given the starting-pitcher match-up, but the way they strode OUT of that position - MAGNIFICENT!
Nice that with Lidge’s implosion last night, Mo is the only big-name closer in the playoffs who hasn’t cost his team a game this postseason
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