World Series Game 3: Pettitte Gutty in Yankees Win
Andy didn’t have his best stuff. He kept getting behind hitters. He gave up three runs early. He told the media he felt “gassed.” But he turned in a gutty performance over six innings, and the Yanks beat the Phillies 8-5. It was his major league-leading 17th postseason win, which is nothing to sneeze at. He even drove in a run in the fifth. Gassed or not, he was a double threat tonight.
What an odd game and so appropriate for Halloween. Hamels was unhittable in the first three innings – literally – and made me wonder if he’d come to the ballpark dressed in a Cliff Lee costume. But he walked Tex in the fourth and A-Rod hit a double homer, and he fell apart for good in the fifth, departing after Damon’s two-RBI double put the Yanks up 5-3. Maybe he should have worn a scarier red costume.
Swisher’s benching seemed to have snapped him out of his slump. That homer was sweet, as was his little somersault after scoring on Andy’s hit.
When his playing days are over, I can easily see him moving into this arena.
It was great to watch Matsui enter the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth and take Myers deep, giving the Yankees an 8-4 cushion. Joba and Marte were excellent in relief, but then there was Huuuuuughes. When he served up that fat pitch to Ruiz in the ninth and was pulled after yet another disappointing outing, I felt sorry for him. He’s got to be pretty depressed right now.
Mo got a couple of quick outs (I guess Rollins hasn’t “figured him out” just yet), and that was the ball game. Part of me worries about Mo. How many innings can he throw in this series without becoming fatigued? On the other hand, he can rest all winter. It’s now or never. He says he’s OK and he looks fine, so I believe him.
The Yanks go up 2-1 in the series, and while Andy was the Player of the Game, I must also give credit to the lucky pizza. It worked its magic once again.
I’ll be having another pie tomorrow night, hoping for the best. But Yankees? If you care about me at all and don’t want my arteries to fill with clogging, cheesy plaque, I suggest you win this thing in 5. Thanks.
Confessions of a She-Fan 
Jane, you think your pizza and former turkey sandwich are strange in-game habits? check out what i did tonight in my nervous game-time viewing..
i was depressed, because the Yankees were down 0-3 after the second inning; so i then started watching youtube (my computer is near my tv); i turned the sound off of the tv and turned the sound on for youtube; let’s just say i ended up watching a music video for a Disney pop star (don’t ask.. really, don’t ask); and that’s when ARod pulled into second base (which of course became a homerun after review) i found that almost every time i watched this music video with the sound off on the tv, the Yankees either scored or got out of an inning when the Phillies were threatening.. i watched that music video probably about 20-25 times tonight! i’ll just chalk it up as coincidence however 🙂
This has got to be the sweetest victory of the season – coming from behind on the road with A-Rod and Swish and the bull pen coming alive and Andy contributing with the bat. They are playing easy and free. I feel bad for Hughes too. Is he done, or will Joe try and get him another situation with a chance to succeed?
A couple things about the broadcast (like levelboss, I can’t listen to the TV when I am nervous), what the heck was Charlie Manuel fiddling with at the end of the game on the screen? And Joe Buck’s close was horrible. He couldn’t say anything about the Yankees – he just wanted to know if McCarver was happy they spent Halloween together. Unbelievable.
What a great game! I loved that our bats came alive (and how awesome was Andy’s RBI single?). Joba and Marte (and Mo of course) were great as well! Now if only Hughes could get it together…
I too, was nervous in the early innings and have my little quirks. I was wearing the same pjs that I had for the last win and when they were losing I got up and changed my outfit. I also have to at some point in time on game day hear on the radio “I Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. I will search obsessively for it, listening to the radio while making dinner, during the pregame, etc. until I find it.
Let’s hope CC and the Yankee bats do their thing tonight as I would really love for Mo to have the night off!
~D
PS I totally agree with the previous posts…Buck and McCarver make me want to reach through the tv and put tape over their mouths…and that’s putting it lightly.
Who’s the frontrunner for MVP (since the series is’t over I’ll look at both teams) in the World Series? Is it Werth? Lee? Matsui, maybe (my vote’s for Matsui!).
Fun game to watch, great comeback.
I finally sat down and watched a WS game this year. Running out of candy for trick-or-treaters does that for you. I must say a few things here…
When did we allow Ozzie Guillen to analyze a game on TV? I mean…him? What was FOX thinking?!? (I could say the same of TNT hiring Kevin McHale as an analyst opposite Charles Barkley – but I digress!)
An old friend from Reseda (now in Sherman Oaks) declared the series “Boring” on his Facebook. Really? After A-Rod’s “after further review” homer off the FOX camera in the right field corner?
I’m with the last commenter: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver should be quiet. Oh, and bad coloring job, Joe!
Thanks to the delay, I can say how much I don’t like “The Cleveland Show” and, despite the opinions of the vast majority of people whom I consider friendly with, “Glee.” Sorry, I need to ask the Commissioner’s Office to reconsider their television contracts…and stat!
We’ll see if I make it through Game 4 after the Vikings-Packers game…
http://heirloom.mlblogs.com
I have to say that it did not look good for NY the way Cole was dealing. Andy giving up that HR to Werth unsettled him and he gaffed the Hamels bunt. It looked like it might be a Philly route. Credit Andy for the guttyness(?) (yikes on your image : )
Buz – http://buzblog.mlblogs.com/
For some reason, I had confidence this whole game. I just knew they were going to win. Andy did a great job and I know the whole team got a kick out of his RBI. Watching him try to drop the bat as he got out of the box had me laughing out loud.
I’m so glad Swisher is back among us. I thought Hughes looked more aggressive and a little better. Giving up a solo homer is almost always excusable in my book, because it’s only one pitch.
And what can you say about Mariano? 5 pitches to get two outs. Unbelievable.
Nice article about these Yankees in the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/weekinreview/01nocera.html
Melissa
Oh, one other thing that was funny. Every time McCarver said something, the next pitch/play would prove him wrong. (“He never comes inside to left-handed batters” Inside pitch.)
Melissa
Levelboss, your in-game superstition reminds me of a friend’s. He puts in a DVD of a movie. Whenever the Yankees are batting, he watches the game. As soon as the opposition bats, he switches to the DVD. And he does that for the entire game! Oh, we’re all so crazy but I guess we can’t help ourselves. LOL. More pizza for me tonight. (GAG)
It certainly was the most satisfying win to date, Laurie, although AJ’s masterful win was great. But this one was pure emotional drama. The game felt lost at first. Hamels looked so tough and I really didn’t know if we could come back against him, even though I should know by now that this team comes back! Poor Hughes. His confidence must be shattered right now. I’d love to see him get another chance if we had a nice cushion, but it just might be that he works himself out during the off-season and we see him in Tampa ready to go in the spring. Buck always sounds like he’s attending a funeral when the Yankees win.
So glad you’re as obsessive as the rest of us, wirishrose! Get rid of those pjs if they’re not working. Absolutely! I was ecstatic when Andy got that hit, but it was A-Rod’s homer that seemed to take the burden off and make a new ball game of it. And, of course, Matsui came up big for us again. I agree about Mo getting a night off. We’ve still got Aceves and Robertson out there, plus Coke and Joba again.
Too hard to say at this point, letsgoyankees. So much more baseball to be played. As of right now? I’d say AJ. He saved us from going to Philly 0-2. That game was huge.
So glad you got to see the game, Randy. We didn’t have a single trick or treater up here in the hills. I think the kids are too scared to come (we get critters like coyotes and even the occasional bobcat). So you don’t care for Ozzie as an “analyst?” I need subtitles when he talks because I can’t understand him! He’s very exuberant though. If your friend thinks the series is boring, he must not be a baseball fan. These are two really good teams duking it out!
That bunt was big trouble, Buz – a total communication breakdown by Pettitte and Posada. But Andy never had a meltdown and GUTTED it out. Great job by him.
I loved it when Andy dropped the bat to run, Melissa. LOL! And how funny was it when Jeter was right on his tail on the bases. And then how Jeet told the ump he’d never hear the end of it from Pettitte. Priceless. Under normal circumstances, the solo shot off Hughes wouldn’t bother me. But he’s been struggling and this was no time to fool around. Got to go to Mo! Unbelievable is right. I saw that Times article and really enjoyed it. And I, too, noticed McCarver’s anti-predictions. He and Buck are taking so much abuse from both sides.
Aside from not sending Dave Eiland out to give Pettitte a break in the second, Girardi managed a very good game last night. People are still picking on the guy, though. It’s a fest. Unfairly.
http://www.paullebowitz.com/
http://princeofny.blogspot.com/
“People” were picking on Torre too, Paul. All the time. It’s part of the deal you make in NY, especially with the Yankees, don’t you think?
Great game, Jane. I agree with Melissa; 5 pitches for Mariano should be no stress for the next two games. I’m very concerned about Cano not hitting – maybe its time for him to produce tonight.
I am neither overly nervous or overly confident about tonight’s game. I’m conscious and focus – but I have no early feelings about what is going to happen tonight. You have to love C.C. and he’s shown good results on little rest but if we need to go to the bullpen I’m not sure what to think — and of course our hitting has to come through again like they did yesterday.
Going out now to the local library – one of the original performers in Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is going to be performing. I know Dave will be jealous again.
GO YANKEES!!!
Hey Jane, been wanting to comment on so much of your stuff … just been crazy around here on so many levels. Last night was the best though. When I left to take the kids Trick or Treating (Karissa was Jojo The Clown) Andy had just walked in run number 2 … big bummer! But, I had an absolute blast with the kids, not thinking about the game at all. Then, when we returned two hours later, I turned on the DVR and was soon jumping up and down, but not making a sound since the kids were asleep! It was the best Trick or Treat I could have ever asked for.
Now, let’s go get victory #3 tonight and end it in NY!!!!
On a side note, it’s so hard to believe that with all the WS the Yanks have been in since 1964 that Andy’s RBI was the first by a Yankee pitcher since Jim Bouton’s against the Cards.
Swisher earned a new fan last night. He came back with a vengance and had fun doing it.
http://pittpeas.mlblogs.com
I think it’s kind of funny that Andy Pettitte now has as many RBI in this series as Ryan Howard. That’s no way to win a championship, Philly! I’m starting to think that Fox should let the local broacasters do the commentary. I would much rather listen to Michael Kay and whoever does the Phillies broadcast now than Buck and McCarver.-Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.blogspot.com
What a nice surprise it must have been to come home from trick or treating and discovering the Yankees won, Mark! Actually, if the Yankees won tonight, they’d still have to play another game i Philly on Monday. I expect the series will end up back in NY, but you never know with this team. I agree about Pettitte’s RBI – a head-scratching stat given all the WS opportunities. But here’s what we really need: more video of Karissa. Put her in front of a video cam and have her do a Yankees cheer and I’ll post it. She’s such a great mascot!
Diane, I was thinking that Girardi should give Cano the Swisher treatment: bench him for a game and let him come back with a vengeance. But we need his defense too much for that. So he’s just going to have to start hitting. I wouldn’t mind seeing Tex get some timely hits too. I’m not worried about the bullpen. If CC falters, I’d be comfortable with Aceves, Gaudin, Robertson, Coke, Marte, even Joba again. I know there have been problems lately, but they’ve been good all year. It’s Hughes I worry about. And hopefully Melissa is right about Mo and he’ll continue to be effective. Enjoy the concert!
Swisher did look like he was having a great time out there, mattpeas. He said after the game that he appreciated the faith his manager had in him and he was determined to come back and do well – and he succeeded. So I give credit to him. It’s not easy failing on such a public stage and then redeeming yourself.
That’s a worrisome stat for the Phillies, Erin. There’s been so much attention on A-Rod and whether he’s hitting or not hitting. How about Howard? I’m sure he’ll break out though. He’s too good not to. It’s unlikely the Yanks can contain him forever. The situation with the TV broadcasts is so easy to fix. They should just have one guy from each team’s local broadcast join the booth instead of relying solely on Buck/McCarver. And it should have been that way throughout the playoffs. But what do I know?
Jane,
Maybe your pizza should have a few special “Yankee” inspired ingredients tonight.
Soft shell crab for Matk Teixeira’s hometown of Baltimore.
Spicy meats like Chorizo for A Rod getting his groove this post season.
Some exotcis cheeses like Monterey Jack or Colby to symbolize how Jeter is pulling it all together.
There can be a million other varitations, and that might be a nice blog topic in the future…construct the perfect Yankee pizza.
And you know it has to be thin crust, because nothing else is NY-style.
Enjoy the pizza tonight!
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com
HAHAHA. A Yankees pizza. Great idea, Renegade. Your comment made me hungry. But because I’m superstitious, I have to order exactly the same pizza that was lucky for Games 2 and 3. No variation! And yes, it’s thin crust because that’s the NY way.
just took a nap in preparation for tonight’s game. the happy, tired today was fun and energizing today but three nights in a row of games seemed challenging to go to work. i was so nervous last night i thought about giving up on the game when we were down 3-0. i thought alex’s home run with the drama of it turned things around. andy’s rbi was lovely. him gutting it through without his stuff was great but makes me worry how he could pitch on three days rest later in the series if he was gassed as he said.
i love hearing all the superstitions because i’ve had a history of my own although i keep reminding myself it doesn’t matter what i wear, do or say, i have no control over the situation.
i was talking to my dad through most of the game–i came home and left my phillie in laws to watch on their own–and he kept saying why is swisher in there, he’s doing nothing. i kept saying he’s going to come through for us. and he did!
marte and joba were great and i wanted to give hughes one more batter before mo in case we could give him the night off–although 5 pitches is close to a night off.
i went to the gym today and high fived the worker who is a rare yankee fan. in boston that is was a special greeting. we connected once when she complimented me on my key chain. i thought she was joking but it turns out she really want to hear it play a jeter walk off homerun.
hoping for cc to be CC and the offense to continue. Barbara
Yanks up 3-1 after tonight go back to New York and win Game 6 after Lee beats us in Game 5. Although I agree with you lets win it in 5. Think the Yankee bats will smoke Blanton tonight.
http://denveryanksfan.mlblogs.com
One problem with the end of daylight savings time – we have a whole extra hour to wait for the game!
Melissa
Barbara, I love that you found a fellow Yankee fan at the gym today. Somehow it makes the waiting easier. Last night was so exciting when the bats woke up after A-Rod’s homer and Pettitte’s single. And I felt great for Swisher that he was able to bounce back. Superstitions don’t work??? Now you tell me. I already bought the pizza for tonight’s game!
I’m not so sure Lee will repeat his performance of Game 1 in Game 5, denveryanksfan. He’s been lights out, no question, but maybe the Yankees will have better at bats against him this time. We can hope anyway. But first we need to win tonight. GO CC!
I was thinking the exact same thing, Melissa. An extra hour means more time to sit around thinking about this game. Let’s get on with the show already! About an hour until the first pitch.
Keep up with the pizza, snadwiches and whatever you need to eat in order to support the Yankees! Just like Mo has all winter to never pitch, you have all winter to never-even-think-about-another-pizza-so-help-you-god, so dont quit just yet!
-YHH
http://yankeehubajuba.mlblogs.com/
You make an excellent point, YHH. I’m sitting here thinking how sick my stomach feels at the idea of another pizza tomorrow, but I have all winter to rest it. HAHAH.