Yankees Still Pedro's “Daddy”

Series tied after Yankees win 3-1

The Yankees showed Pedro Martinez once again “who’s daddy” as they beat the Phillies 3-1 in World Series Game 2.

Pedro was bad but he also wasn’t great while giving up three runs over six-plus innings.

Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui shook the New York Yankees from their lumber slumber and sent the World Series back to Philadelphia all tied up.

Teixeira and Matsui hit solo homers off familiar foe Pedro Martinez, backing a sharp performance by A.J. Burnett and giving the Yankees the win Thursday night.

A night after getting stopped by Cliff Lee in the opener 6-1, the Yanks bounced back from an early deficit and won in the Series for the first time since taking a 2-1 lead against Florida in 2003.

“Every game in the World Series is a must win,” Teixeira said. “After yesterday, getting a win today was big.”

The Phillies hoped for more than a split but were content.

“I guess I'll have to be,” manager Charlie Manuel said.

2008 postseason folk hero Matt Stairs was in the starting line up as the designated hitter. He put the Phillies on top with an RBI single in the second after Raul Ibanez hit a two-out double.

That run was all the Phils would get. Burnett then used a biting curveball to keep the Phightins from advancing another runner past second base.

Burnett got his first win following three postseason no-decisions for the Yankees, allowing four hits in seven innings and retiring his last eight batters. He struck out nine -- including Ryan Howard three times -- and started his first 11 hitters with strikes, nine of them looking. Burnett kept his control, walking two, one of them intentional.

“The fact I was aggressive getting first-pitch strikes was huge,” Burnett said.

Burnett gave way to closer Mariano Rivera. Yankees Manager Joe Girardi called on the “Hammer of God” to get the final six outs.

Rivera responded with his 10th World Series save but it didn’t come without controversy. After the Phillies put two on with one out in the eighth, Game 1 star Chase Utley grounded into an inning-ending double play. It appeared that Utley beat the throw to first but umpire Brian Gorman called him out.

The missed call was the second of the game for the beleaguered Gorman who, with two on and one out in the seventh, ruled that Howard reached down, caught Johnny Damon's liner and turned a double play. A slow-motion replay appeared to show the first baseman gloved the ball on a short hop.

The Phillies also had a chance to get to Rivera in the ninth but Howard earned the “Golden Sombrero” by striking out for the fourth time and Jayson Werth followed with a lineout before Stairs fanned to end that game.

The always-entertaining Martinez, pitching four days past his 38th birthday, was nearly as effective as the 32-year-old Burnett, fooling the Yankees with breaking pitches of 70-75 mph. In his first Series start since winning Game 3 for Boston five years ago, he allowed three runs and six hits in six-plus innings, striking out eight and walking two.

There were a few muted chants of “Who's Your Daddy?” but nothing like the booming taunts that serenaded Martinez when he came to New York in his final weeks with Boston in 2004. That was after he famously said, “I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy” following a loss at Fenway Park.

The scoring was capped in the seventh when Jorge Posada pinch hit for Jose Molina and singled up the middle off Chan Ho Park for a 3-1 lead.

The highlight play in the field came when Ibanez made a diving catch on Robinson Cano with a runner at first in the second to prevent a possible RBI double.

After a day off, Game 3 will be at Philadelphia on Saturday night.

When the Series resumes, Cole Hamels will face off against fellow lefty against Andy Pettitte. Both teams will be making the trip through New Jersey by train.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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