Yankees Now One Win Away From 27th Championship

YANKEES 5
PHILLIES 4

Game four was a microcosm of the entire season.

In a year that has been full of wild twists and turns, game four of the 2009 World Series was no different, as the Yankees avoided potential disaster to grab yet another game from the Philadelphia Phillies to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

With the score tied at two in the fifth, the Yankees appeared to take full control of this game, when Derek Jeter A.K.A. Captain Clutch, drilled an RBI single past short stop to drive home Nick Swisher to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Later, Johnny Damon laced a single to right to drive home cabrera to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead.

C.C. Sabathia wasn't great tonight. He didn't have a lot of good control. In six and two thirds innings, Sabathia gave up seven hits and walked three. He was putting men on in every inning, and some how, pulled a Houdini act every time, getting out of it.

However, in the seventh inning, Chase Utley, who killed Sabathia in game one with two home runs, went yard again, a solo shot to trim the Yankee lead to 4-3. Joe Girardi, knowing that his ace was struggling took Sabathia out of the game.

Turned out that going to the pen was not going to make things any better for the Bronx Bombers. Joba Chamberlain gave up a solo home run to Pedro Feliz in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game, and all but cost the Yankees any momentum in the ball game.

In the top of the ninth, facing Phillies closer Brad Lidge, things didn't look too good early for the Yankees. Lidge was able to Hideki Matsui to pop out, and Jeter to ground out. With two out, it looked really bleak for New York.

Then Johnny Damon stepped to the plate. Damon hit a harmless single. Then on a base hit by Mark Tiexeria, the Phillies totally botched up the play. Pedro Feliez, who is the Phillies third baseman was covering second on teh steal, since the Phils were in a defensive shift on Tiexeria. When Damon stepped on second, he noticed that Lidge was not covering third, and went ahead and stole third base as well. A terrific example of heads up baseball.

With two on and two out, it was time for Alex Rodriguez to answer the $300 million question: can he deliver a game winning hit in a World Series game? The answer is...YES! Rodriguez drilled a double off the left field wall to drive him Damon to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Jorge Posada followed with a two RBI single to make it 7-4 Bombers - putting the kabash on the Phillies night.

Mariano Rivera settled things down easily in the bottom of the ninth to save the game for the Yankees. Box score.

The Yankees are now up 3-1 on the Phillies, who have found one way after another to cough up two games at home. They had a 3-0 lead on New York in game three and blew it, and, had a chance to steal one from the Yankees with Sabathia on the mound.

The Yankees can close out title number 27 Monday night, when A.J. Burnett squares off against Cliff Lee.