Yankees’ Pettitte will face Phillies’ Martinez
NEW YORK – Andy Pettitte leaned forward in his chair and recounted a recent chat he had with Derek Jeter as soon as they realized what was next in this World Series.
Pettitte vs. old foe Pedro Martinez, with the Yankees one win from ecstasy.
Still chasing that elusive 27th championship, New York turns to Pettitte again in Game 6 tonight, hoping he can pitch his team past the Philadelphia Phillies on only three days’ rest.
“Me and Derek were talking about it in the clubhouse last night. Just, how strange is this?” Pettitte said Tuesday. “I think everybody knew it was going to be a great Series. I think everybody knew it was going to be a tough Series. And it looks like it’s living up to that.”
After wasting a chance to wrap things up in Game 5 at Philadelphia, the Yankees set their sights on clinching at home. They’d love to christen their $1.5 billion ballpark with a World Series crown in its first season and give a seventh title to 79-year-old owner George Steinbrenner.
They have two chances to do it. Game 7 would be Thursday night in the Bronx, if necessary, with ace CC Sabathia pitching for New York – also on short rest.
“People expect us to be great all the time. We just need to be great tomorrow night,” Johnny Damon said.
Coming off an 8-6 victory Monday night that trimmed their Series deficit to 3-2, the defending champion Phillies took the train to New York Tuesday afternoon, a ride that takes a little more than an hour. They chose not to work out at Yankee Stadium, but their opponents did.
Martinez and Manuel showed up at the ballpark for news conferences. Manuel was uncertain whether All-Star center fielder Shane Victorino would be able to play in Game 6 after getting hit in the right hand with A.J. Burnett’s 95 mph fastball Monday night.
If Victorino can’t go, Ben Francisco would likely start in center.
Riding Chase Utley’s homers, the Phillies are trying to become the first team to rally from a 3-1 World Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals – and the first N.L. club to win consecutive championships since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.
To do it, Philadelphia might need Ryan Howard to break out of his untimely slump. The slugger is batting .158 (3 for 19) with 12 strikeouts, tying the Series record set by Kansas City’s Willie Wilson in 1980.
Utley, however, is doing more than his share. His five home runs matched the mark set by Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson in 1977.
On the other side, second-year New York manager Joe Girardi confirmed that he won’t hesitate to use a well-rested Mariano Rivera for multiple innings today to try and close it out.
“The only thing I focus on is Game 6. I don’t focus on legacy, because I’m not worried about my legacy,” said Girardi, trying to guide New York to its first title in nine years. “People are always going to have perceptions of you, and some of them are going to be true, and probably most of them are going to be false.”
Pettitte and Martinez first squared off on the mound 11 years ago, but they’ve never done so in the postseason. Both pitchers are 3-3 in six matchups, all games between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox from 1998-2003. The visitor has won each time and Martinez has a 3.86 ERA to Pettitte’s 5.88, according to STATS LLC.
With so much on the line this time, it’s a delicious matchup of gritty pros in their late 30s, long past their primes.
“Two old goats out there doing the best they can and having fun with it,” Martinez said. “I don’t have enough words to describe how excited I am about being here. This is just a great gift to me.”
The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-40s at game time, with no rain.