Dashing Damon’s Daring Decision

Closer Brad Lidge melted like a cheese stake and the Yankee bats delivered a delicious rally in the top of the ninth to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series. Johnny Damon singled and swiped two bases before scoring the go-ahead run in New York’s last trip to the dish. Damon darted to second on Lidge’s first pitch to Mark Teixeira, sliding in safely in front of third baseman, Pedro Feliz’s tag. Feliz was covering second because the Phillies employed the shift with Teixeira at the plate. Damon instinctively pulled off the double steal when he realized third base was unoccupied. Lidge, the only post-season closer who hadn’t allowed a run before last night, plunked Teixeira to put two on with Alex Rodriguez on deck. Rodriguez smacked a double to left field to drive in Damon. Jorge Posada completed Lidge’s collapse by recording his third RBI. In doing so, the backstop gave New York a 7-4 heading into the bottom of the frame. Mariano Rivera took care of business from there. Rivera, in his record 23rd World Series appearance for pitchers, quickly got three outs for his 11th Fall Classic save. The Yankees are now 27 outs from the 27th World Championship in franchise history.
Damon’s at-bat was a memorable one before his even more remarkable base running in the ninth. He out-battled Lidge with two strikes by fouling off sliders to keep the bat alive. The nine-pitch at-bat went to a full count before Damon tagged a 94 mph offering. His heads-up play on the bases was a pivotal moment for New York. Throughout the game, the Yankees seized control and never surrendered the lead. The smugness stood until the final out. Damon hammered a fastball, Teixeira was drilled by a pitch, and Arod nailed one to the outfield for the winner. The Phillies sawed away at New York’s lead by bruising Sabathia, but were unable to ever outscore the Bombers. Damon’s risk resulted in reward. He does possess decent speed, but with two outs, the Yankees had no room for error. Damon knew this, and still chose to plunge forward. His teammates in pinstripes can’t be disappointed in that success. What they can complain about is the lousy officiating. Another poor call was made by an umpire this post-season when MVP Ryan Howard was ruled safe sliding into home. Replays revealed Howard never touched the plate and was tagged out. The Phillies showed resolve by battling back from a two-run deficit. The difference last night was the situational hitting. Philadelphia pitcher, Joe Blanton, turned in a gallant effort. He allowed five hits and four runs. The Yankees were able to hit, and didn’t equivocate in getting runners home. The Phillies came up empty in clutch hitting. New York’s hefty hurler had plenty to do with setting down the meat of Philadelphia’s order.
C.C. Sabathia started for New York, on three days’ rest. The left-handed ace went 6 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits. He gave up three runs, including a bases empty homerun by Chase Utley in the seventh. It was the second baseman’s third tater off the southpaw in the series. Utley and third baseman, Pedro Feliz, were the only Philadelphia hitters to register RBIs. Feliz rocked reliever Joba Chamerlain with a two-out solo shot to tie the game in the eighth. The Phillies slugger tied the score at two in the fourth inning when he singled off Sabathia. The Bombers responded with a vibrant fifth inning that time. Derek Jeter provided the go-ahead tally. Damon added to the corroboration the Yankees are a relentless bunch with a single to right field that gave the Yankees a two run cushion.
Rodriguez was smoldering from an earlier at bat in which he was hit by a pitch. ARod got the best kind or revenge by besting Lidge in the ninth. His grotesque World Series numbers don’t mean much because the All-Star third baseman has come through in the clutch. Damon’s aggressive and assertive base-running coupled with Rodriguez and Posada’s sizzling sticks were the difference for New York last night. Philly relievers did their part in minimizing Bomber runs by throwing two scoreless innings. But it was Lidge who couldn’t nail down the final out that would have sent the game into extra innings. One thing is certain in this World Series. Lidge can be beaten. Damon sliced the ninth pitch of Lidge’s sequence into left field. Arod and Posada knocked in runs with hard hits. Unlike last season, the Philly closer is vulnerable in his second consecutive Fall Classic. Another outlandish statistic- All seven Yankee runs came off the bats of their first five hitters. The bottom of the Bomber order did very little against Philadelphia pitching in game four. Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano represented the two hits from the six through nine batters. But now is not the time to nitpick. The Yankees are the ones with the advantage, even though they will face Cliff Lee tonight in game five. New York has a two game lead. It’s the Phillies with their backs against the Citizen Bank Park wall. Tonight in Philadelphia, it will be baseball at its best and most intense.

Parting Points: Pathetic performances from both New York football teams yesterday. Both teams have major, but correctable, problems. The Giants do get a pass because they have a beat-up and injured secondary. They are not great in coverage and teams are throwing all over them. I was pleased with Ted Ginn, Jr’s historical day. Hey, it’s hard to stop rooting for any former Buckeye once they reach pros.
Song of the day- “Shiny Happy People” by REM