New York gets to Lidge in ninth with Damon's daring base-running, Rodriguez double
PHILADELPHIA -- Joe Girardi could have picked any uniform number when the New York Yankees hired him as manager two years ago.
Well, save for all the retired, single-digit numbers and the ones his millionaires wear.
Girardi chose No. 27 because it represented a specific goal.
And with a win tonight the Yankees, the most storied franchise in pro sports, can win their 27th World Series.
CC Sabathia, despite being put in a hole by Alex Rodriguez before even taking the mound, pitched 62/3 innings, and Rodriguez doubled home the eventual winning run off Brad Lidge with two out in the ninth as the Yanks scored a 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before 46,145 fans last night.
The Yanks, with A.J. Burnett on the mound, try to wrap up the Series tonight against lefty Cliff Lee.
"We're down, but we're still breathing," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, whose team trails the Yanks 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Lidge, the Phillies' failed in-season closer, had two out and none on in the ninth when Johnny Damon hit the 10th pitch of his at-bat softly into left for a single. With the shift on for batter Mark Teixeira, Damon stole second and then sprinted to an unprotected third base.
"Play like that, it's either the catcher or the pitcher's responsibility," Phils manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's the first time that ever happened to us."
Third baseman Pedro Feliz took the throw at second base.
"That was instinct," Girardi said. "If he's going, he'd better be sure with the hitters we had due up."
K.C. SPEED
Said Damon: "I knew the throw drug Pedro off to the second-base side, I was hoping I still had some of my legs from my Kansas City days."
The fact that Damon was on third took away Lidge's slider, and after Lidge hit Teixeira with a pitch, Rodriguez ripped an 0-1 fastball into the corner, scoring the winner.
"Did he lose his focus? I don't know, he was ahead of Damon 1-2, he started off fine," Manuel said of Lidge.
For Rodriguez, it was his 15th RBI of the post-season, tying Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius, a club post-season record.
Is he a true Yankee now?
"Cole Hamels had been breezing and Alex got us going in Game 3 with his homer," Girardi said. "All I think now is playing a good game (today)."
Mariano Rivera slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth.
Blanton hit Rodriguez with his first pitch in the first inning. Rodriguez, hit for the third time in the Series, whirled, placed his hands on his hips and stared at the Yanks dugout. Roughly half the players jumped off the bench and began screaming at Blanton.
What would have happened had Rodriguez simply headed to first base? Nothing.
Since he didn't and players were hooting, plate ump Mike Everitt, crew chief Jerry Davis and Joe West huddled. Warnings were issued: Next pitcher who throws at anyone gets ejected. Girardi was upset as Sabathia had yet to reach the mound.
"I don't think it was intentional, but Alex has been hit three times, Tex has been hit twice," Girardi said. "We don't like that.
"The umps told us to tell your guy he can pitch inside, we'll make a judgement. We just don't want things to escalate. I don't think it took anything away from CC."
Giradi didn't want to use Rivera three days in a row for more than an inning, so the eighth belonged to Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain whiffed the first two hitters before Feliz homered to left tying the score.
Chase Utley's solo homer to right in the seventh chased Sabtahia and made Utley 4-for-6 off the lefty, with three homers and 0-for-9 against everyone else in the Series.
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