After further Review

Game three did not start out as I had envisioned. Cole Hamels came out tossing darts and Pettitte looked from the get go to be struggling with control. Second Inning, 50 some pitches in, we'd seen a Jayson Werth home run, a walk to Jimmy "I've got too much to say" Rollins and the Yanks were in a three run hole. My twitter and facebook page were taking in some hits and my only thought was, well at least it's early. Last night I wrote this about Pettitte, "Pettitte though in my eyes gets the greatest of all compliments, he is a gamer, the bigger the stage, the better he pitches. He saves his best showing for when it counts the most and he maximizes his skills to do whatever it takes to get it done." This morning I'm reading tonnes of references to Pettitte surviving, getting it done, grinding it out. Cole Hamels, well...he's not Andy Pettitte now is he.

Top of the fourth, three run lead, and while Hamels does not walk the lead off guy, he grants a free pass to Teixeira, putting one on with Alex Rodriguez strolling to the plate. The media have been all over A-rod the past two days, an 0-8 with 6K's start to the World Series will do that. This year, this year's different though. A-rod has shrugged it off and after being plunked in the second, he's digging in, second at bat of the game, three runs down and his body language is dripping with the same emotion it has been all post season - Confidence. Phillie pitching has been pound Alex inside all series, Hamels, left one up and out over the plate. Memories of Bird and Jordan doing those McDonald's commercials in the early 90's where they are calling their bank shots came flooding back as A-rod pounded one off the right field camera. It was, "drive to right, off the camera's lens, back onto the field, home run." The umpiring crew took all of 20 seconds to conclude what the rest of New York already knew, 3-2 game.

Now, back to Pettitte, who grinded out the end of the second without further damage and posted a one-two-three third. It is 3-2 with Swisher (who spent the night regaining Yankee fans, and Girardi's confidence. Apparantly he put on a clinic in batting practice) standing on second base. Hamels comes in with yet another hanging curve and Pettitte bloops (I'm sure he'd say lashes) a single into left centre. Swisher slides in under the tag and that 3-0 lead has evaporated. Jeter even commented to the Umpire that they'd never hear the end of Andy's bragging. Couple batters later, its 5-3 Yankees, Hamels is done and Pettitte's in line for a 17th post season win.

Pettitte eventually handed it off to Joba and Marte who turned in a perfect seventh and eighth (with some monster strike outs) as the Yankees continued to add to their lead. Phil Hughes pitched quite possibly to his last batter of the season. His playoff struggles have been well documented and are the antithesis of what he did for the Yankees this season. Hughes was a big reason why the Yankees pen was amoung the best in ball from May onward. While it is tough to watch this young right hander struggle yet again, having Joba and Marte turn in a couple perfect innings has to have Girardi feeling better. Mo came in for five pitches in the ninth and should still be strong tonight.

Game three was about perseverance, it was about not giving in and it was about grinding out, one inning at a time to let your offence bring the game back to you. Andy Pettitte is the ultimate gamer, big stage, big game, big win. Game three was also about big flies as Rodriguez, Swisher and Matsui went deep for the Yanks, Ruiz and a pair of monster shots from Werth for the Phillies. After all is said and done though, Pettitte survived and Hamels did not.

Game four looms.

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Todd Price