Yankees are One Away

The Yankees’ millions may not have been able to buy them reliable middle relief. But they have the vastly superior closer, and it was enough to put them on the brink of their 27th championship with a 7-4 victory last night in Game 4 of the World Series.

After Joba Chamberlain flushed a win for C.C. Sabathia in the bottom of the eighth, Johnny Damon worked out a two-out single in the top of the ninth after a lengthy at-bat against Brad Lidge, who had blown away the first two hitters of the inning. Damon stole second, then alertly took third when Jimmy Rollins tried to bait him to run when Lidge wasn’t covering third base. Damon then scored two batters later when Alex Rodriguez doubled to left. Jorge Posada tacked on two more insurance runs with a base hit, and Rivera needed only 8 pitches in the bottom of the ninth to get the save.

It will be up to Cliff Lee, so dominant this postseason, to keep the Phillies alive in Game 5 tomorrow night. But even if he does so, the Phillies are toast. Game 6 would be a rematch between Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte (albeit with the latter on short rest) and Game 7 would be Sabathia against either the struggling Cole Hamels (who said following Game 3 that he can’t wait for the season to end) or J.A. Happ, who has started once in the last month.

It’s just a matter of time until the Yankees parade down the Canyon of Heroes and A-Rod never has to hear about his postseason failures again.

Advertisements