Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Yankees

A year ago, the New York Yankees ended their streak of making it to the playoffs at 13 straight years. One year later they are on the verge of capturing their 27th World Series title.

With a revamped roster, with $423.5 million worth of additions, the Yankees soared through the regular season, winning 103 games and winning their division by eight games. They rolled into the playoffs and steamrolled the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels in the American League playoffs and can defeat the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night to win their first World Series title since 2000.

One of those 400 million dollar men pitched the Yankees won step closer. Once again pitching on three-days rest, C.C. Sabathia made amends for his first loss of the postseason in Game 1, by pitching five plus solid innings, leaving the game with a 4-3 lead.

The Philadelphia Phillies tied the game but the Yankees battled back with clutch hitting from Alex Rodriguez pushed New York to the verge with a 7-4 victory in Game 4 at Philadelphia.

Rodriguez has had the best postseason of his career, but hit a snag in the first two games in the Bronx when he was 0 for 8 with six strikeouts. He has had just two hits in the entire series, in Games 3 and 4, but made them count with a big home run in Game 3 and an RBI in Game 4 that put New York ahead to stay.

The Yankees have never lost a 3-1 lead in the World Series in the eight previous times they have faced the scenario and no team since the 1985 Kansas City Royals, over the St. Louis Cardinals, have overcome that deficit in the Fall Classic.

While New York has raised eyebrows by going with a three-man rotation, at the expense of Joba Chamberlain, who allowed the game-tying run on Sunday after Sabathia left, Philadelphia may have raised eyebrows by not going with a three-man rotation and starting Cliff Lee in Game 4.

Lee was dominant in Game 1, shutting out New York through eight innings and allowed one unearned run in the ninth to win the game 6-1. While manager Jerry Manual toyed with the idea, he decided to go with Joe Blanton, who allowed four runs in six innings, over Lee, who has never started on short rest in his short career.

Instead, Lee will go Monday night and put his 3-0 record and 0.54 ERA in the playoffs on the line.

He will be faced by A.J. Burnett, who will also be starting on short rest and allowed a run on four hits in seven innings of a sparkling effort in the 3-1 win in Thursday’s Game 2.

Philadelphia has dropped the first two games in their home ballpark and now face a do-or-die situation. If they won on Monday, the series shifts back to Yankee Stadium for Game 6 on Wednesday and, if necessary, Game 7 on Thursday.

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