Lee Ut-er-ley Dominate

Billed as a pending pitcher's duel, Cliff Lee did not disappoint. Scattering 6 hits over a complete nine inning game, Lee cruised through a dangerous Yankee line up seemingly with ease. A-rod and Teixeira were cut down at the knees, striking out time and time again on either a nasty cutter, fastball or change. The tell tale sign of how completely in control Cliff Lee was had to be the non-chalant pop up catch he made in the sixth on Damon. Yankee Stadium, World Series, biggest stage, could not have looked cooler.

Sabathia struggled slightly in the first, loading the bases with two outs but escaped unscathed and showed the approach Yankee fans have gotten used to over the past couple months. He pounded through the bottom of the order and save for a fast ball in, that was not in to Utley, cruised for the majority of the game. Credit to Joe Buck for pointing out the obvious. Utley is known for crowding the plate, he lead the league in hit by pitches (well getting hit). Sabathia, like so many others, missed over the plate, not inside because of the HBP risk...twice...and well Utley matched something only Babe Ruth has done. He became the second left handed hitter in history to hit two home runs off a left handed pitcher in the World Series. Baseball and its historical statistical database. I've read a number of articles that Sabathia let down the Yankees. Let's look at it, 7 IP, 4 hits, 3 walks, 2 solo home runs. That's a solid outing, especially if you have the League's best offense, playing at home, behind you.

Thursday night will be the most important game of AJ Burnett's life. Save for an elimination game, going down two and heading into Philly would be devastating for this Yankee squad. Burnett has been hot and cold (in the same games actually) this post season and needs to step up. This has to be one of the best games of his Yankee career, think Friday night, August match up against the Sox and one up it. Enter Pedro back into the Bronx and a nervous yet blood thirsty Bombers crowd chanting "Who's your daddy" from the new Cathedral's roof top. It will truly be a zoo mentality in this must win situation. Fans will know early as both Burnett and Martinez will show in inning's one and two how this will play out.

Two articles into a World Series Blog, and I've yet to discuss in any depth the Yankee hitters. No wonder the Bombers are down 1-0.

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Todd Price