Major League Baseball

Yanks a win away after A-Rod delivers in 9th

Published Nov. 2, 2009 6:47 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Alex Rodriguez waited all game long for this hit. Heck, he waited his whole life.

The New York Yankees have been waiting, too.

Rodriguez delivered a go-ahead, two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge and the Yankees took advantage of Johnny Damon's daring dash to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Sunday night for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.


downlevel descriptionThis video requires the Adobe Flash Player. Download a free version of the player.



"There's no question - I've never had a bigger hit," Rodriguez said.

Derek Jeter came through again and Mariano Rivera finished it off as the Yankees moved within one win of that elusive 27th championship and first since 2000.

Rodriguez applauded his own hit, for good reason. Seething since the first inning after again being nailed by a pitch, the highest-paid player in the majors struck back with his potent black bat.

Overanxious at the start of his first World Series, Rodriguez struck out six times in the first two games. He homered in Game 3, yet it was another kind of thwack that him going.

"The one time I got hit in yesterday's game, my first at-bat, kind of woke me up a little bit and just reminded me, 'Hey, this is the World Series, let's get it going a little bit,"' he said.

Now in his sixth season with the Yankees, he'll try to help them close out the defending champions Monday night when A.J. Burnett faces October ace Cliff Lee.

Of the 42 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 36 went on to win the crown. The last club to overcome such a deficit was Kansas City in 1985.

share

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

in this topic

Major League Baseball