Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees runs towards Alex Rodriguez and his teammates as they celebrate after their 7-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
NEW YORK The Yankees are in 27th heaven.
Wednesday night they finally were able to party like it was 2000, capturing their first championship in nine years by beating the Phillies, 7-3, in Game 6 of the World Series in front of 50,315 at the Stadium, which showcased a championship in its first season.
The Yankees, in winning title No. 27 the number Joe Girardi slapped on his back two years ago when he took over as manager got a World Series record-tying six RBI from World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and another grind-it-out effort by Andy Pettitte, who won his record 18th postseason game.
Matsui, a free agent after the season and likely playing his last game as a Yankee, went 3-for-4, including a two-run homer, and tied Bobby Richardson's 1960 record for RBI in a Series game.
Pettitte's comment Tuesday that he "felt terrible" in his Game 3 start in Philadelphia caused some consternation given that he was returning on three days' rest. But he was sharp enough over 52/3 innings. He allowed three runs and three hits, including a two-run homer, before turning things over to Joba Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless inning. Lefthander Damaso Marte got a key strikeout of Yankee killer Chase Utley to end the seventh and struck out Ryan Howard to start the eighth.
Leaving nothing to chance with a 7-3 lead, Girardi decided it was time to "Enter Sandman," calling for Mariano Rivera, three weeks shy of his 40th birthday, to get the final five outs.
It was eight years to the night he gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to the Diamondbacks to lose Game 7 of the 2001 Series. Rivera allowed a two-out double to Raul Ibanez in the eighth but got Pedro Feliz to foul out.
In the ninth, Rivera retired pinch hitter Matt Stairs on a liner to Jeter. He walked Carlos Ruiz and Jimmy Rollins flew out to the warning track in right. Shane Victorino grounded out 4-3, and the celebration began.
Pettitte, 37, faced Pedro Martinez, who on Tuesday called the duel a battle of "old goats." It was Martinez, 38, who looked far older. He was hit hard after a 1-2-3 first inning and gone after giving up four runs in four.
Alex Rodriguez walked to start the second and Matsui, whose outstanding postseason .308, three homers, seven RBIs coming in had been overshadowed a bit, engaged Martinez in a Johnny Damon-like battle. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Matsui clubbed an 87-mph fastball halfway up the second deck in right for his third homer of the Series and a 2-0 lead.
The Yankees scored no more in the inning but did make Martinez throw 24 pitches.
Ben Francisco grounded out to start the third and Ruiz tripled off the wall in right-center. Rollins' sacrifice fly made it 2-1.
The Yankees came right back in the bottom of the third, with Derek Jeter starting it with a one-out single, the first of his three hits. It gave him at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 postseason games, including 12 of his last 13 in the World Series.
The Yankees loaded the bases with one out after Martinez hit Mark Teixeira, who fell to 2-for-20 after flying out in the first. Pedro got A-Rod looking at a slider, but Matsui lined a two-run single to center, making him 7-for-11 in the Series to that point, increasing the lead to 4-1.
Damon chugged hard around third to score and strained his right calf. Jerry Hairston Jr. took his place in leftfield in the fourth.
The Yankees blew it open in their three-run fifth, taking a 7-1 lead when Matsui doubled to the gap in right-center. Preceding it was an RBI single by Teixeira.
Howard broke out of a horrendous slump by hitting an opposite-field, two-run homer to left in the sixth to pull the Phillies within 7-3.
"I think anytime you get a chance to close it out in front of your own fans, it's special," Girardi said before the game. "Especially being the first year at the Stadium and what it would mean to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization and all the people of New York.
"I've been on championship teams where we've won it at home and where we've won it on the road. It seems to be a little bit louder and crazier when you do it at home."
A pretty fair description of Wednesday night at the Stadium.
Wednesday night they finally were able to party like it was 2000, capturing their first championship in nine years by beating the Phillies, 7-3, in Game 6 of the World Series in front of 50,315 at the Stadium, which showcased a championship in its first season.
The Yankees, in winning title No. 27 the number Joe Girardi slapped on his back two years ago when he took over as manager got a World Series record-tying six RBI from World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and another grind-it-out effort by Andy Pettitte, who won his record 18th postseason game.
Matsui, a free agent after the season and likely playing his last game as a Yankee, went 3-for-4, including a two-run homer, and tied Bobby Richardson's 1960 record for RBI in a Series game.
Pettitte's comment Tuesday that he "felt terrible" in his Game 3 start in Philadelphia caused some consternation given that he was returning on three days' rest. But he was sharp enough over 52/3 innings. He allowed three runs and three hits, including a two-run homer, before turning things over to Joba Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless inning. Lefthander Damaso Marte got a key strikeout of Yankee killer Chase Utley to end the seventh and struck out Ryan Howard to start the eighth.
Leaving nothing to chance with a 7-3 lead, Girardi decided it was time to "Enter Sandman," calling for Mariano Rivera, three weeks shy of his 40th birthday, to get the final five outs.
It was eight years to the night he gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to the Diamondbacks to lose Game 7 of the 2001 Series. Rivera allowed a two-out double to Raul Ibanez in the eighth but got Pedro Feliz to foul out.
In the ninth, Rivera retired pinch hitter Matt Stairs on a liner to Jeter. He walked Carlos Ruiz and Jimmy Rollins flew out to the warning track in right. Shane Victorino grounded out 4-3, and the celebration began.
Pettitte, 37, faced Pedro Martinez, who on Tuesday called the duel a battle of "old goats." It was Martinez, 38, who looked far older. He was hit hard after a 1-2-3 first inning and gone after giving up four runs in four.
Alex Rodriguez walked to start the second and Matsui, whose outstanding postseason .308, three homers, seven RBIs coming in had been overshadowed a bit, engaged Martinez in a Johnny Damon-like battle. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Matsui clubbed an 87-mph fastball halfway up the second deck in right for his third homer of the Series and a 2-0 lead.
The Yankees scored no more in the inning but did make Martinez throw 24 pitches.
Ben Francisco grounded out to start the third and Ruiz tripled off the wall in right-center. Rollins' sacrifice fly made it 2-1.
The Yankees came right back in the bottom of the third, with Derek Jeter starting it with a one-out single, the first of his three hits. It gave him at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 postseason games, including 12 of his last 13 in the World Series.
The Yankees loaded the bases with one out after Martinez hit Mark Teixeira, who fell to 2-for-20 after flying out in the first. Pedro got A-Rod looking at a slider, but Matsui lined a two-run single to center, making him 7-for-11 in the Series to that point, increasing the lead to 4-1.
Damon chugged hard around third to score and strained his right calf. Jerry Hairston Jr. took his place in leftfield in the fourth.
The Yankees blew it open in their three-run fifth, taking a 7-1 lead when Matsui doubled to the gap in right-center. Preceding it was an RBI single by Teixeira.
Howard broke out of a horrendous slump by hitting an opposite-field, two-run homer to left in the sixth to pull the Phillies within 7-3.
"I think anytime you get a chance to close it out in front of your own fans, it's special," Girardi said before the game. "Especially being the first year at the Stadium and what it would mean to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization and all the people of New York.
"I've been on championship teams where we've won it at home and where we've won it on the road. It seems to be a little bit louder and crazier when you do it at home."
A pretty fair description of Wednesday night at the Stadium.
