World Series Game 3 Thoughts

Some thoughts on Game 3, compiled while watching the Giants clash with the Eagles in the first half of an epic Philadelphia/New York Sunday doubleheader:

- I’m thrilled for Nick Swisher, who, despite struggling horrendously throughout this postseason and taking some abuse in the media, continued to say all the right things and was finally able to contribute in Game 3.  On the face of it, his benching in Game 2 seemed bizarre and maybe even a little panicky.  Sure, Swish had looked awful for some time, but Jerry Hairston should never be mistaken for a corner outfielder, and Girardi was sacrificing not only offense but defense as well in making that switch.  Swisher was back in the lineup last night, and his leadoff double in the 5th inning sparked a 3-run rally that gave the Yankees their first lead of the evening.  Then, his long homer off J.A. Happ the following inning padded the lead even further to 6-3 and was ultimately the game-winning RBI.  After the game, Swish filmed his own postgame press conference and seemed genuinely overjoyed.  Hopefully this game is the start of something for Swish, as the Yankees look to lengthen their lineup without a DH in a National League park.

- The key hit of the game – was it Swisher’s double?  Alex Rodriguez’s camera-smashing 2-run homer in the 4th?  Damon’s 2-run double in the 5th?  In my mind, it’s Andy Pettitte’s bloop single in that same inning that scored Swisher from 2nd base and tied the game.  The situation: the Yankees trailed 3-2 heading to the 5th.  Swisher doubled to lead things off, bringing Melky Cabrera to the plate.  In the right situation in an NL park, a leadoff double is fairly easy to work around, and this was one of those situations, especially after Cabrera struck out.  Up came Pettitte, and it appeared nothing short of a 2-out hit from Jeter would score the tying run.  Instead, Pettitte looped a Hamels curveball into center field, chasing Swisher home and making the possibility of a multi-run inning very real.  Jeter would single, Damon would double home 2 runs, and the Yankees never really looked back.  Who can say how the inning would have shaken out had Pettitte not come through in the most unlikely of ways?

- Speaking of Pettitte, he was far from great, but he was good enough – 6IP, 4ER, 7Ks, 104 pitches.  In a postgame interview, he blamed a good bit of his inconsistency on the 1hr 20min rain delay that preceded the first pitch, saying he was ready and feeling great before being shut down and never seemed to find it again.  Because of Girardi’s (understandable) reluctance to turn to Chad Gaudin to start a World Series game, it seems probable that Pettitte’s next start would be on 3 days rest at home in Game 6 – unless the Yankees run the table in Philly.  I thought before the Series started that the only way Gaudin got a start was if the Yankees won the first 3 games – well, Cliff Lee’s Game 1 masterpiece immediately scrapped that plan, and now we’re looking at every remaining Yankee start occurring on short rest.  If you’re one of those fans looking for something to worry about, well, there it is.

- Damaso Marte pitched a perfect 8th inning, throwing 13 of his 15 pitches for strikes and fanning Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, who had already homered twice.  It was a really impressive performance from Marte, and it appears to me that he’s leapfrogged Phil Coke as Girardi’s left-handed specialist of choice.  MicroJoe was even wise enough to let Marte face Werth with a 4-run lead.  Based on this performance, I have to say that in a big spot with Utley and Howard due up, I’d rather see Marte than Coke.  He’s always had electric stuff and he has a ton more experience in games like these than the rookie Coke.

Meanwhile, Phil Hughes again struggled in the 9th, retiring Pedro Feliz before allowing the light-hitting Carlos Ruiz to homer, cutting the Yankee lead to 8-5.  This prompted Girardi to call for Mariano Rivera and the game was essentially over at this point.  Mo dispatched the next two hitters with just 5 pitches, ending the game.  There are a lot of people that will disagree with Girardi involving Rivera in a non-save situation in a game that seemed all but over.  I’m not one of those people.  Game 3 was absolutely pivotal – a victory ensured the Yanks the luxury of needing to win just 1 of these 2 remaining games in Philly in order to return to the Bronx with a 3-2 series lead.  Of course the Phillies are more than capable of winning 2 games at Yankee Stadium, but it certainly isn’t likely, particularly with Charlie Manuel’s reluctance to start Cliff Lee on short rest.  At this point, Cole Hamels is penciled in for a Game 7 start (or Blanton on short rest), and given the way he was beaten around last night, I don’t think that’s inspiring much confidence in the Phillies or their fans.  And given Hughes’ prolonged struggles, this move was necessary to put the foot on the collective throats of the NL champs.

- Finally, Hideki Matsui proved that he has very real value to the Yankees in these NL games, even if he isn’t starting.  Girardi was apparently kicking around the idea of starting Matsui in left field – it’s a good thing he didn’t.  Damon had a pivotal hit and Matsui came through with a pinch hit home run off Brett Myers that all but put the game away.  It’s not entirely clear how much worse Matsui could be in left field than Damon is, but what’s perfectly clear is that there’s no need to find that out in a World Series game.  In games Matsui did not start this season, he hit .381/.536/.619 with a home run.  There’s enormous value in having that kind of bat available to hit for a pitcher late in the game.