Yesterday, I wrote about Joe Girardi’s statement regarding Mariano Rivera, in which he proclaimed that Rivera would be available for “multiple innings” in Game 6. This was obviously interesting information although it was somewhat ambiguous. Today, we’re hearing a bit more about that remark, via Bryan Hoch (MLB). According to Hoch, Girardi further explained his remark saying that Rivera will, indeed, be available for two innings and “maybe a little more.”

Now, using common sense, by “a little more,” I think it’s safe to say that Girardi is referring to individual outs rather than full innings. With that said, could we could see Mariano Rivera come in for a rare 3-inning save tonight? What if the Yankees lead the Phillies by a single run after the 6th? It’s undoubtedly an unlikely move and a risky one, particularly if Philly manages to win against Rivera and force a Game 7, however, given the circumstances, I definitely wouldn’t argue with the decision if Girardi went that route. In high leverage situations, which a Game 6 most certainly is, you go with your best, right?

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

CC Sabathia serves as an organic counter-argument to the notion that a three-man rotation, reliant upon four possible short-rest performances from its three starters, does not work in the World Series. In Game 1 against the Phillies, Sabathia pitched well and, in Game 4, to everyone’s surprise (well, not really), he also pitched well. Basically, despite performing on short-rest, Sabathia pitched as he normally does, rewarding Joe Girardi’s confidence in an abbreviated rotation.

However, thanks to A.J. Burnett’s memorable Game 5 implosion (6 ER over 2 IP), the three-man rotation, which seemed like a good idea after Sabathia’s outing, has suddenly become a bleak proposition. Pitchers are often billed as creatures of habit, therefore, to break that habit’s particulars and start a pitcher on short-rest seems like an outwardly destructive decision. Yet, I ask, in the end, isn’t effective pitching the simple result, not necessarily of an extra day’s rest, but of individual execution, as CC Sabathia demonstrated in Game 4 (and, as he had done during the ALCS)? If all starters are doomed to fail on short-rest, then how, exactly, did Sabathia buck a fixed trend and perform so admirably?

Those who disagree with the three-man plan will argue that Sabathia is an altogether different animal. With a massive 290 lb. frame, he is, according to them, built for extra work on short-rest. He is nothing like the unpredictable arm of A.J. Burnett or the aged and often fatigued arm of Andy Pettitte. To the dejected detractors of the three-man rotation, Sabathia’s body is an outlier that explains everything. However, when you truly reflect upon that notion, that Sabathia’s buxom body is somehow behind his short-rested success, you quickly come to the realization that such an argument is entirely nonsensical. Sabathia pushes the 300 lb. envelope. In essence, he defies the logic of physicality with his remarkable endurance. He shouldn’t be as good as he is on short-rest (both Burnett and Pettitte appear to be in better shape), however, he is and will likely be that good in a potential Game 7. Now, why is that the case?

In one word—execution, plain and simple. Pitchers either execute or they don’t. A.J. Burnett simply failed to execute in Game 5. It was something we have seen him do (or not do) throughout the year. He wasn’t the unfortunate victim of rest deprivation. If Andy Pettitte pitches well tonight, or if he pulls a Kevin Brown, it will be because of pitch execution. Ultimately, an extra day of rest will have little do with it.

Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Can you take the pressure?

Call me crazy, call it Yankee fandom blasphemy, but is anyone else secretly hoping for a nerve wracking Game 7? The kind of game where you hang on every pitch, and remember for the rest of your life?

Think about it. A Yanks-Phillies rivalry would be instantly born, one that could be repeated over and over in the next few years in the Fall Classic. The game would be a nail biter on every pitch. That’s great World Series Baseball, and is the type of sports drama that lives on not only in the hearts of that team’s fans, but in sports lore forever. People still talk about the 1990 Super Bowl, nobody ever talks about 1986. Why? One game went down to the last second, the other was a blowout. The 1996 Yankees are remembered most fondly by Torre, many of his players and fans. They appeared to be dead in the water, down 6-0 in Game 4 after being completely blown out in Game 1 and outclassed in Game 2. Then a rally capped off by the Leyritz 3-run HR launched them into Baseball immortality, but not before another nerve wracking 1-0 Game 5 featuring the great Smoltz-Pettitte face off, a game that is still talked about to this day.

Given the match up, it’s fitting that this series should go down to the wire. They’re two great yet flawed teams, it would be a slugfest championship boxing match of two very similar fighters. Like Hagler-Hearns, both get in the ring with the similar skills and the same idea, which is to knock the other guy’s head off. Both teams have great lineups, decent starters and a shaky bridge to the closer. 7 game series typically shift from advantage-Pitcher to advantage-Hitters sometime around the middle of the set. The hitters just saw the starter a few days ago, so it’s more difficult to fool them the second time around. We saw that on Monday night, where AJ Burnett went from great to garbage in the span of just one start. As dominating as Cliff Lee was for the entire month October, even he gave up 5 Runs in Game 5 facing the tough Yankee lineup. It’s tough enough for a pitcher to go 3 times through a lineup, much less face that very same lineup just a few days later. As crafty as Pedro is and as battle tested as Andy is, it’s difficult to see either one faring any better tomorrow night. Andy is 37 and working on short rest, Pedro used every trick in the book to get Yankee hitters out. Most long time Baseball observers expect a slug fest tonight, and having seen both bullpens fail in this series it’s anyone’s guess who will prevail. The Yanks have Mo, but you have to get there with a lead.

Maybe I don’t mind because I’ve seen the Yanks win in 1977-78-96-98-99 and 2000. A younger fan might want to experience a few titles before getting to a point where he/she could appreciate the ups and down along the road to victory. Or maybe it’s because I’d still like our chances. If it did go to a tension-filled Game 7, I’m very confident that the Yanks would prevail. I’ll take my chances with CC Sabathia facing Hamels/Happ/Myers and the Philly bullpen at home. I think the Yanks would win, but they would dance on the edge of the cliff before getting there. You would be convinced the season is over in the 4th inning and planning the parade in the 5th, and keep going back and forth with each out. That’s the kind of drama that only a great World Series match up can give you, and we are on the verge of seeing it happen.

I say bring it on.

It is officially confirmed. Tomorrow, at Yankee Stadium, Andy Pettitte will start Game 6 on short-rest. In his career, Pettitte has started 14 games on 3 days of rest, winning only 4 of those starts (6 losses). During those 86 2/3 innings, which is a fairly “substantial” sample, Pettitte had a 4.15 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He held opponents to a .266/.345/.387 line, striking out 69 while walking 38.

Pettitte last started on 3 days of rest in 2006, when he was 35-years old. However, Ed Price (FanHouse) reminds us that Pettitte has not started on 3 days of rest after throwing 100 or more pitches since July 19, 2001, when he was 29. He gave up 7 ER over 4 innings in that start against Detroit. One wonders if any of these numbers actually mean anything, though, given the unpredictable nature of this particular situation (as compared to the others).

Thus far, what has been a memorable postseason, to say the least, has not been kind to Yankees slugger, Mark Teixeira. Though he has often dazzled with his golden glove, causing the always insightful Tim McCarver to continuously refer to him as a Hoover—like the vacuum, Teixeira has struggled mightily to produce offensively, as his bat has languished. For whatever reason, whether it be the persistent pressure intrinsically connected to Teixeira’s pinstriped jersey or a simple slump at the worst possible time, the man that had assaulted AL pitching in 2009, hitting 39 home runs and plating 122, appears to be stuck in a seemingly endless state of offensive ineffectiveness.

In the ALDS, against the Twins, a team that Teixeira normally enjoys facing—his career line against Minnesota is .371/.415/.670, he hit a feeble .167/.231/.417, and looked more like Robinson Cano with runners in scoring position than the player that led the league in RBI. He walked once and drove in 1 lone run on a solo home run (it was a big home run, but the lack of general production is obviously evident). It was merely a poor series, we all thought, upon reflection. It was preposterous to assume that such a miserable postseason performance could continue into the ALCS. Thinking that Mark Teixeira, who hit .292/.383/.565 during the regular season, would hit under .200 against the Angels was absurd, it seemed. No way would he fold—not Big Tex. The ALDS was nothing more than a sour fluke.

Of course, those who quietly feared that Teixeira would continue to struggle against his former SoCal brethren had their fears confirmed in each grueling ALCS game, as Teixeira hit a remarkably poor .222/.290/.259 during the series (hey, at least he stayed above .200 this time). He drove in 4 runs and struck out 8 times over 6 games. Though the Yankees managed to escape the ALCS winners, one wonders what would have occurred had the Yankees lost. Would Teixeira have been blamed for the early exit? It was, of course, very likely, as the much maligned Alex Rodriguez did more than his part to pave a path to playoff glory, a path that ended and began with the World Series.

However, hypotheticals aside, the Yankees did not lose, as they are, indeed, in the World Series and continue to battle the Phillies for baseball’s bedazzled crown and impressive throne. Sadly though, for the Bombers, Mark Teixeira’s frustratingly flaccid bat has followed him into the fray. He has been but a shell of his regular season self, hitting a paltry .105 through the first 5 games. He has 2 RBI, a number that is simply unacceptable given his position above A-Rod in the Yankees batting order. Normally a patient hitter, Teixeira has walked only twice during the series while striking out 7 times. One of his more cited strike outs can be found in last night’s ballgame, when Teixeira swung at a pair of Ryan Madson changeups that were well out of the zone, ending the game with Hideki Matsui standing at second base (Teixeira was, himself, the tying run) and Alex Rodriguez stranded in the on-deck circle. If only, if only…

Following his prominent game-ending strike out, Teixeira seemed impervious to his offensive listlessness. “I think I’ve done a lot, this postseason, to help this team win,” he chirped. “That’s what I’m going to try and do [Wednesday].” Please, allow me to stage an intervention—Mark, with your limp Louisville, you have done little to help the team this postseason. Remember, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. The Yankees have 2 possible games left this season and, in order to defeat a strong Philly lineup, the team needs Mark Teixeira to produce with both his bat and his mitt. As of right now, the mitt is present (UZR be damned), but the bat is nowhere to be found.

Photo by AP

A rough start by AJ Burnett on 3-days rest put the Yankees in a 6-2 hole that they were ultimately unable to recover from.  The enigmatic righty lasted just 2+ innings, giving up 6 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks.  After Alfredo Aceves and Dave Robertson combined for 4 innings of effective relief,  2 solo shots off of Phil Coke put the Phillies ahead 8-2, and the game appeared to be over.

Despite the deficit, the Yankees refused to go down quietly.  A 2-run double by Alex Rodriguez and a sac fly by Robinson Canó in the 8th cut the lead to 8-5, and suddenly, the Phillies had to take the game seriously.  In the 9th against Ryan Madson, who has been Charlie Manuel’s best relief option in this series, the Yankees continued to battle.  A leadoff double by Jorge Posada and a single by pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui (intelligently saved for a crucial situation by Joe Girardi) put runners on first and third with no outs, and the tying run was at the plate in the form of Derek Jeter.  Unfortunately, Captain Clutch was not so tonight, grounding into a rally-killing double play which scored a run but emptied the bases.  Johnny Damon gave the Yankees a chance by scratching a single after falling behind 0-2, but Mark Teixeira, representing the tying run, continued to struggle, and waved feebly at a Madson changeup.

It was a tough but not entirely unpredictable loss, but there are plenty of positives going forward:

• The Yankees are going back to their home park, where they will have the support of the home crowd, the comforts of home, et cetera.
• The return to Yankee Stadium also entails a return to the use of the DH, which greatly benefits the Bombers.  Hideki Matsui is hitting .556 in the series, so getting his bat in the lineup full-time represents a huge upgrade, more so than the insertion of Matt Stairs would do for the Phillies.
• Jorge Posada will be the Yankee catcher for games 6 and 7, which represents a significant offensive upgrade over Jose Molina.
• The Philly bullpen looks vulnerable, and the Yankees have shown that they are capable of getting to the closer and setup men in crucial situations.  No lead will be safe.  The late-inning rally, while ultimately unsuccessful, should give the Yankees confidence going forward that they can score off the Philly bullpen.
• While both are starting on 3-days rest, the Yankees have to feel confident in having the winningest playoff pitcher of all time going for them in Game 6 in Andy Pettitte, and their ace CC Sabathia in Game 7.  While the crafty Pedro Martinez could present a challenge to the Yankee lineup, the potential Game 7 matchup of Sabathia vs. either Cole Hamels or JA Happ greatly favors the boys from the Bronx.  The fact that Pettitte and Sabathia are both lefties should help to shut down the lefty hitters in the Philly lineup (except for Utley, who is singlehandedly carrying the team).
• The Yankees did not use several of their most important relievers tonight, which will ensure that they will be ready and able to go multiple innings.  These include Mariano Rivera (who should be able to get a 6-out save if called upon) as well as Damaso Marte (who has been death to the Philly lefties), and Joba Chamberlain, who, Feliz homer aside, has looked much improved in this series.
• And, lest I forget to mention it, the Yankees are up in the series 3-2.  All they need is one.

It’s going to be a long off-day.  Am I being too optimistic?  Perhaps.  But I have faith that they can close it out at home.

Due to Melky Cabrera’s hamstring injury, Brett Gardner will be in center for the Yankees in Game 5. Melky is not expected to return for the rest of the series, therefore, the Yankees will replace his roster spot with Ramiro Pena (the MLB has approved of the change).

GO JOHNNY, GO! GO! JOHNNY BE GOOD!

-That Johnny Damon play will go down in World Series history as one of the great, heads up plays in Yankee playoff history and will be trivia question (what Yankee stole two bases on 1 pitch in the 2009 world Series?) forever. Don’t forget the situation at the time. The Yanks were tied and there were 2 outs in the 9th inning when it happened. Had he stumbled, or Feliz dives and tags him out, the game moves to the bottom of the 9th with Phil Coke on the hill and Johnny is the goat instead of the hero. There’s an old Baseball axiom ‘Never make the last out of the inning at 3rd base’ since you were already safely in scoring position at 2nd base in order to do so. Making the last out at 3rd base with Teixeira at the plate would only compound the felony further. Gutsy, aggressive play when it works, horrendously stupid when it doesn’t. Like most Yankee fans I was stunned and confused when he took off, guessing that Johnny was deeked into thinking the throw got away, which it clearly didn’t. But then I was relieved when I saw nobody was covering 3rd. Then I remembered the guy chasing him was actually the Philly 3rd baseman, and it all made sense.

-Tim McCarver noted ad nauseum (shock!) about how Damon being on 3rd base affected how Lidge was able to pitch to Alex, so I won’t go through that again. But the Yanks have now beaten Lidge twice this season. The one victory the Yanks had against the Phillies in the 3 game series back in May was a tying homer by Alex and walkoff by Melky off  of Philly closer Brad Lidge. I will be surprised if Manuel goes back to Lidge in a save situation if Alex is due up in the inning. I suspect he’ll give Madsen a try, who looked good last night and struck out Alex in the 8th.

-Despite the HR to Feliz, Joba looked outstanding last night. Maybe the best I’ve seen him all year. He was pumping 97 MPH fastballs and had a vicious break on his slider. He blew away Werth and Ibanez on fastballs, fell behind 3-2 on Feliz after two nasty sliders out of the zone,  then came back in with a fastball that got too much of the plate. I had no problem with his pitch selection or stuff last night, he just made one mistake and paid for it. It was nice to see Jorge Posada give him a hug when he returned to the dugout after he scored, because Joba was clearly down after giving up the lead. I go right back to Joba in the 8th inning tomorrow if I’m Girardi. I liked what I saw much more than what I’ve seen out of Hughes lately.

–The Phillies must feel demoralized after losing their first two games at home on the heels of getting the split they hoped for at Yankee Stadium. But this series isn’t over, not by a long shot. Philly’s not the type of team that will pack it in, and they have their Ace in Cliff Lee going tonight. Let me draw up a very plausible (and even likely) scenario where this thing still goes 7. Tonight, Cliff Lee (on full rest) out-pitches AJ Burnett on short rest. On Wednesday night, Pedro tosses another gem and Pettitte is shaky on short rest, giving up 4-5 runs in 5 or 6 innings pitched. Manuel gets 8 innings out of Lee, patches together an inning or two out of his bullpen with Pedro and closes out both games with Madsen. All of a sudden, it’s Game 7 and the Yanks are the team facing elimination with Philly having all the momentum on their side. Girardi’s getting killed in the NY papers for pitching his guys on short rest. Yankee fans will be biting their nails heading into Thursday night. The good news is that even if this does go 7, the Phillies will be throwing Cole (“I wish 2009 was over”) Hamels in hostile Yankee Stadium facing CC Sabathia, which is a game Yankee fans have to feel confident about. But just don’t count these Phillies out yet. Manuel said in last nights press conference that they’ve come back from many (15?) blown saves this year. They’ve battled back from late, back breaking losses all year. They’re not dead yet.

Via Marc Carig (Star-Ledger), we learn that A.J. Burnett will be the Yankees starter for Game 5 (on short-rest). During his career, Burnett has started 4 games on 3 days rest and has won all 4 of them. In those 4 starts, he has a 2.33 ERA over 27 innings and a 2.40 K/BB ratio. That’s awfully impressive. Hopefully, in Game 5, that’s the A.J. we’ll see (it’s the same guy who started Game 2).

From Ken Rosenthal (FOX Sports):

For Alex Rodriguez, the adjustment was simple — swing at strikes, the way he did in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

For Nick Swisher, the change was far more dramatic — stunning, in fact, considering that it came in the middle of the World Series.

Swisher, benched in Game 2, completely overhauled his stance for Game 3, spreading his legs far apart in the batter’s box.

So much for his 4-for-35 slump in the postseason.

Swisher went 2-for-4 in the Yankees’ 8-5 victory, hitting a double to start a three-run rally in the fifth inning and a solo home run in the sixth.

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said that Swisher’s new stance is the first step of a major overhaul that will continue in the offseason.

Swisher, a switch-hitter, had tried the stance in the batting cage and in batting practice in recent days, taking approximately 300 swings from each side.

The idea, Long said, is “to eliminate movement, put yourself in better position to react to the baseball.

“Everyone knows he is a great fastball hitter,” Long continued. “They’ve been trying to off-speed him to death. When you have a lot of motion — he has a toe tap and also a long stride — pitches are tough to see, tough to react to.”

Here’s Swisher’s old stance, seen just a few days ago, in Game 1 of the World Series:

Now, here’s Swisher’s revamped stance, which made its debut last night, in Game 2, against Cole Hamels.

I really don’t think that Rosenthal described the change well in his article. Swisher had an extremely wide stance prior to the change, however, his stance was noticeably more open. In his “new” stance, Swisher continues keeping his legs far apart, yet now he’s much more closed off at the plate (the Yankees made a similar change to Robinson Cano’s stance over the winter). I watched a few videos and the toe tap timing mechanism is still there, except it’s not nearly as pronounced. Plus, Swisher has adopted a Gary Sheffield like bat waggle with the closed off stance, which he may have to work on eliminating over the off-season. As Kevin Long says, it’s a work-in-progress and, based on the way in which the new stance looks, I think the change could help Swisher hit for a higher average in 2010.