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Yankees beat Phillies to secure World Series lead
2009-11-01
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit to claim an 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Yankees starter Andy Pettitte settled down after yielding three runs in the second inning of a game delayed 80 minutes by rain to extend his postseason record for wins to 17. He gave up four runs on five hits over six innings, including two solo home runs by Jayson Werth. "We put a three-spot on him and then he shut us down," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told reporters. "He basically closed down our left-handed hitters." Philadelphia left-handed hitters went 1-for-10 with six strikeouts against the 37-year-old Pettitte. The Phillies treated the sell-out Halloween crowd at Citizens Bank Park to an early lead, launched by Werth's lead-off homer to left. One out later Pedro Feliz belted a double high off the wall in right and Carlos Ruiz followed with a walk. Pitcher Cole Hamels's attempted sacrifice toward third base was perfectly placed and went for a bunt single that loaded the bases. Jimmy Rollins walked to force in a run and Shane Victorino hit a long sacrifice fly to plate the third run of the inning. Starter Hamels was rolling along, shutting the Yanks down without a hit through three innings before New York struck back with three Yankees bursting out of World Series slumps to fuel the attack. Alex Rodriguez, who had been 0-for-8, hit a two-run homer off Hamels in the fourth, ruled by video replay to have hit a TV camera atop the right-field fence. "I think it was a big hit," said Rodriguez. "It woke our offense up a little bit. Two big runs for us early on." Pettitte helped his own cause with an RBI-single in New York's three-run rally in the fifth inning, and Johnny Damon, batting .100, cracked a two-run double. Nick Swisher, benched for Game Two, homered and doubled in the game. Werth's second homer cut New York's lead to 6-4 in the sixth but Jorge Posada delivered an RBI single in the seventh to restore the Yankees' advantage. Hideki Matsui, out of the starting lineup with the absence of the designated hitter, added a pinch-hit homer in the eighth for New York, and Pedro Feliz homered in the bottom of the ninth for Philadelphia off reliever Phil Hughes before closer Mariano Rivera came in to finish the game. Game Four of the best-of-seven Fall Classic will be played in Philadelphia on Sunday with southpaw CC Sabathia taking the mound for New York against Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton. (Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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