Major League Baseball

Phillies-Yankees: A capsule look at World Series

Published Oct. 26, 2009 5:09 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

A look at the best-of-seven World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees: Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Wednesday, at New York (7:57 p.m.); Game 2, Thursday, at New York (7:57 p.m.); Game 3, Saturday, Oct. 31, at Philadelphia (7:57 p.m.); Game 4, Sunday, Nov. 1, at Philadelphia (8:20 p.m.); x-Game 5, Monday, Nov. 2, at Philadelphia (7:57 p.m.); x-Game 6, Wednesday, Nov. 4, at New York (7:57 p.m.); x-Game 7, Thursday, Nov. 5, at New York (7:57 p.m.). (All games on FOX). x-if necessary. --- Season Series: Philadelphia won 2-1. --- Projected Lineups Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins (.250, 21 HRs, 77 RBIs, 100 runs, 31 SBs), CF Shane Victorino (.292, 10, 62, 102 runs, 25 SBs), 2B Chase Utley (.282, 31, 93, 112 runs, 23 for 23 SBs), 1B Ryan Howard (.279, 45, 141, 105 runs), RF Jayson Werth (.268, 36, 99, 20 SBs), DH Raul Ibanez (.272, 34, 93), 3B Pedro Feliz (.266, 12, 82), LF Ben Francisco (.278, 5, 13 in 37 games after trade from Cleveland; .257, 15, 46 overall), C Carlos Ruiz (.255, 9, 43). Yankees: SS Derek Jeter (.334, 18, 66, 107 runs, 30 SBs, 212 hits), LF Johnny Damon (.282, 24, 82, 107 runs), 1B Mark Teixeira (.292, 39, 122, 103 runs, 43 2Bs), 3B Alex Rodriguez (.286, 30, 100), C Jorge Posada (.285, 22, 81), DH Hideki Matsui (.274, 28, 90), 2B Robinson Cano (.320, 25, 85, 103 runs, 48 2Bs, 204 hits), RF Nick Swisher (.249, 29, 82), CF Melky Cabrera (.274, 13, 68). --- Projected Rotations Phillies: LH Cliff Lee (7-4, 3.39 in 12 starts with Phillies after trade from Cleveland; 14-13, 3.22 overall), RH Pedro Martinez (5-1, 3.63 in 9 starts), LH Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32), RH Joe Blanton (12-8, 4.05) or LH J.A. Happ (12-4, 2.93). Yankees: LH CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.37, 230 IP), RH A.J. Burnett (13-9, 4.04), LH Andy Pettitte (14-8, 4.16), RH Chad Gaudin (2-0, 3.43, 11 games, 6 starts with Yankees after trade from San Diego; 6-10, 4.64 overall) or RH Joba Chamberlain (9-6, 4.75, 31 starts, 1 relief appearance). --- Relievers Phillies: RH Brad Lidge (0-8, 7.21, 31/42 saves), RH Ryan Madson (5-5, 3.26, 10/16 saves), LH Scott Eyre (2-1, 1.50), RH Chad Durbin (2-2, 4.39), RH Chan Ho Park (3-3, 4.43 in 45 games, 7 starts), LH Antonio Bastardo (2-3, 6.46 in 6 games, 5 starts), RH Brett Myers (4-3, 4.84 in 18 games, 8 relief appearances). Yankees: RH Mariano Rivera (3-3, 1.76, 44/46 saves, 72 Ks, 12 BBs, 66 1-3 IP), RH Phil Hughes (8-3, 3.03, 3 saves, 51 games, 7 starts, 96 Ks, 28 BBs, 86 IP), RH Alfredo Aceves (10-1, 3.54, 1 save), LH Phil Coke (4-3, 4.50, 2 saves, 72 games), RH David Robertson (2-1, 3.30, 1 save, 63 Ks, 43 2-3 IP), LH Damaso Marte (1-3, 9.45, 21 games). --- Matchups Philadelphia won two of three at Yankee Stadium from May 22-24 even though Lidge blew a pair of save chances, including a tying homer by Rodriguez. Phillies pitchers had 21 strikeouts and two walks during the series. ... After beating Tampa Bay in five games last year, the Phillies are trying to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000 - and the first NL squad to do it since Cincinnati's Big Red Machine in 1975-76. ... Once considered the laughingstock of the National League, the Phillies are the franchise of 10,000 losses. The Yankees are the most successful club in sports, with 26 championships and 40 pennants. ... The teams met in the 1950 World Series, when Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and the Yankees swept Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn and the "Whiz Kids" in four games. New York won the first three by one run. It was the second of its five straight World Series titles under Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel. ... This is the Phillies' seventh trip to the World Series in 127 years. They are looking for their third championship. ... Game 1 will match Lee against Sabathia, former teammates in Cleveland and the past two AL Cy Young Award winners. Lee and the Indians won 10-2 in the opener at the new Yankee Stadium this year, a game Sabathia started for New York. ... Sabathia is 1-2 with a 5.55 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies, including a loss with Milwaukee in Game 2 of last year's NL division series. He was tagged for five runs over 3 2-3 innings in that one. ... Lee is 4-4 with a 5.02 ERA in nine career starts against New York. ... The series could be a slugfest in two homer-friendly ballparks. The Yankees led the majors with 915 runs this season. Philadelphia topped the NL with 820. ... The Phillies won the NLCS last Wednesday, giving them six days off before the start of the World Series - the same amount they had last year. Will they look rested or rusty? New York gets two days off after winning the ALCS on Sunday night. ... Four days after his 38th birthday, Martinez could pitch Game 2 in New York, where he spent the past four seasons with the Mets. The three-time Cy Young Award winner, signed by Philadelphia in mid-July, had plenty of memorable moments at the previous Yankee Stadium with Boston. He pitched seven scoreless innings in Philadelphia's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NL championship series. ... Pettitte is 16-9 in 38 playoff starts, passing John Smoltz for the most postseason wins in major league history with his victory Sunday night. ... Light-hitting backup Jose Molina caught Burnett in the first two rounds, and Posada came off the bench in those games. ... A mediocre starter all season, Chamberlain was back in the bullpen during the AL playoffs with mixed results. His role in the World Series will be interesting. Chamberlain, of course, was a dominant setup man with a blistering fastball as a rookie in 2007. ... New York won 31 of its last 39 regular-season home games and finished with the best home record in the majors at 57-24. Then, the Yankees went 5-0 at home in the playoffs. --- Big Picture Phillies: Coming off their third straight NL East title, the Phillies (93-69) beat wild-card Colorado 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs and downed the Dodgers 4-1 in the NLCS for the second consecutive year. Charlie Manuel's team didn't have to play catch-up this season, leading the division since May 30. ... Lee was 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA in three outstanding playoff starts that totaled 24 1-3 innings. Howard, the NLCS MVP, batted .355 with two homers, 14 RBIs, four doubles and seven walks in the first two rounds. Victorino hit .361 with three homers and seven RBIs. Werth had five homers and 10 RBIs, batting .281. Ruiz hit .346 with seven RBIs, and Utley .303 with eight walks. ... After a tough start at home this season, the Phillies were 32-14 at Citizens Bank Park from July 1 on. ... Philadelphia was 48-33 on the road this season, tied for the best mark in the majors. Then, the Phillies went 3-1 away from home in the playoffs. They are 18-5 overall in the past two postseasons, including 16-4 in the last 20 games. That's the best record over a 20-game span by an NL team in postseason history. ... The Phillies hit a club-record 224 homers and became the 12th team in major league history to have four players with 30. ... The bullpen, a major strength during last year's championship run, was decimated by injuries and inconsistency. But Lidge, who had 11 blown saves during the season, has been sharp of late. ... Happ, the team's most consistent starter all season, made one brief start and four relief appearances during the playoffs. He compiled a 7.36 ERA. The rookie's versatility is important to the Phillies because they're short on left-handed relievers. ... A potent lineup boasts power and speed. No other NL team had 200 homers and 100 steals. ... Fans flocked to the ballpark in Philadelphia, selling it out 73 times during the regular season and setting a club attendance record. Yankees: Back in the postseason after a one-year hiatus, the Yankees (103-59) earned home-field advantage throughout. They won the AL East by eight games over wild-card Boston, their first division title since 2006. It was their 14th playoff berth in 15 years - but the first as a manager for Joe Girardi, in his second season at the helm in New York. The Yankees swept Minnesota 3-0 in the first round and then dispatched the Los Angeles Angels, a longtime nemesis, 4-2 in the ALCS. Now, the pressure increases. Looking for that elusive 27th championship, the Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since 2003. They haven't won it all since 2000. They spent $423.5 million last winter on Teixeira, Sabathia and Burnett, and they all delivered. This is when it counts the most, though, because even a $201 million payroll on opening day can't buy the 11 postseason wins needed for a ring. New York knows that all too well, having been eliminated in the first round three straight times from 2005-07. In fact, the Yankees had lost four straight playoff series before beating the Twins and Angels this year. Now, New York tries to fully regain its October swagger. ... Newcomers such as Burnett and Swisher have lightened the mood in a corporate clubhouse. Girardi emphasized camaraderie and the Yankees have pulled together all season, playing team baseball and having fun in the process. They led the majors with 51 comeback victories and 15 walk-off wins. They came from behind in all three victories against the Twins, including a game-ending homer by Teixeira. They added a walk-off win against Los Angeles, too. In a now-familiar ritual that fans have grown to adore, Burnett punctuates the walk-off victories with a whipped cream pie to the face of the game's star as he's interviewed on television from the field. ... The entire team celebrated milestones for two longtime stars, after Jeter passed Lou Gehrig for the franchise hits record and Rivera notched his 500th save. ... New York took off on a tear when Rodriguez returned to the lineup after missing the first 28 games following hip surgery. The Yankees grabbed sole possession of first place on July 21 and assumed control of the race with a four-game sweep of Boston at home Aug. 6-9. The team's new $1.5 billion ballpark played like a bandbox for much of the season, yielding 237 homers in 81 games. That suited the Yankees, who set a franchise record with 244 home runs - marking the first time they led the majors outright since 1961. ... A key move was converting Hughes from starter to reliever during the season. He was outstanding as Rivera's eighth-inning setup man, previously a glaring hole for this team. Hughes struggled in the AL playoffs, however. ... Loaded with power, talent and experience, the Yankees have every reason to believe they can win it all. The starting pitching must hold up, but it mostly flourished in the playoffs. --- Watch For -All Eyes on A-Rod. Often at the center of the storm, Rodriguez put past October failures behind him with a huge performance in the playoffs. He hit one clutch homer after another and thrived under late-inning pressure. Now, he's in the World Series for the first time in his 16-year career. Will he keep coming through with big hits? Will the Phillies pitch around him whenever possible? Still slowed afoot following March hip surgery, the three-time MVP seems more relaxed and focused this year after a tense spring training news conference to admit steroids use from 2001-03 with Texas. -Closing Time. It looks as though a healthy Lidge has that nasty slider back. He did not allow a run during the playoffs, going 1-0 with three saves in five appearances covering four innings. Can he stay perfect against the relentless Yankees, who have such a penchant for late comebacks? Lidge was 48 for 48 on save chances last year, including the postseason, but struggled through 2009 - until October. -Expensive Arms. Sabathia and Burnett, newcomers to the Yankees, could be the key to their World Series success. Sabathia has been a dominant ace this October, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in three starts. He has struck out 20 and walked three in 22 2-3 innings. Before this year, he was 2-3 with a 7.92 ERA in five playoff starts with Cleveland and Milwaukee. The hard-throwing Burnett is yet to receive a decision in three postseason starts. He has been erratic at times, effective at others. -Hollywood Hamels. The left-hander dominated last October, living up to his nickname and earning NLCS and World Series MVP honors. But he couldn't carry that success into this season, and he went 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three playoff starts spanning only 14 2-3 innings. If Hamels can find his unflappable form again when the stakes are highest, the Phillies have a good chance to repeat.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball