Andy Pettitte won another post season game for the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez hit his first World Series homerun in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. The home run for Rodriguez got the Yankees up into the scorer’s column after the Phillies rushed out to a 3 – 0 advantage on the heels of Jason Werth’s first solo home run of the evening. The Yankees added runs in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th to blast past Philadelphia 8 – 5, and take their first lead in the series, 2 – 1.
Werth got the Phillies up on the board first with a drive over the left field wall after climbing out ahead in the count, 3 – 0. The home run in the 2nd inning was Werth’s first of the night. He would add another moon shot over the left field wall that nailed the Geico sign 4 innings later. Each of Werth’s 2 home runs came with nobody on base though and the Yankees hit 3 home runs of their own.
The first Yankee round tripper was Rodriguez’s first hit of the World Series and it found the camera directly. He hit Phillies starter, Cole Hamels’ offering down the line in right field off a camera just overlooking right field that was initially ruled a double when the ball bounced back into play. Yankee Manager, Joe Girardi urged the umpiring crew to take a closer look at that landing spot because the ball caromed back into play rather peculiarly. The closer look revealed that the laser off of Rodriguez’s bat did in fact climb over the wall and hit the television camera perched just above the field. It was 3 – 2 Phillies instantaneously. The 3 – 0 lead that Philadelphia built was now just a run.
Philadelphia built that early 3 – 0 lead on the heels of Werth’s 2nd inning shot by piling on 2 more in the inning. Third baseman, Pedro Feliz doubled off the wall in right field and catcher, Carlos Ruiz walked. The runners were on first and second for Hamels. The pitcher deadened a bunt straight into the grass for a sacrifice but reached first base anyway and all of a sudden, the bases were loaded. Pettitte got too fine with Phillies shortstop, Jimmy Rollins and issued Rollins 1 of 3 passes to first on the night. The walk scored another run and then center fielder, Shane Victorino drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. The Phillies were patient at the plate and the ball was bouncing their way. They went up 3 – 0.
Philadelphia didn’t score much the rest of the night. They tallied only 6 hits total. Runs in the 6th and 9th innings came on solo home runs. Werth crushed his second of the ball game and Ruiz gave the home crowd something to cheer for in the bottom of the 9th when New York was comfortably ahead. Pettitte yielded 4 runs in 6 innings but only allowed 8 base runners. The Yankee South Paw struck out 7 including 2 in the 2nd inning after Philadelphia jumped on the board.
After Rodriguez put the Yankees on the board for the first time in the 4th inning, New York would score 3 in the 5th, and 1 each in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings consecutively. Right fielder, Nick Swisher would hit 1 of his 2 extra base hits into the bleachers in right center field and Hideki Matsui’s pinch hit home run in the 8th inning gave the Yankees a comfortable 4-run cushion, 8 – 4. Matsui is hitting .571 so far in the series.
There was a powerful exhibition on display tonight. Rain postponed the start time of Game 3 by 1 hour and 20 minutes. The game’s all time leader in post season victories added another to his total. Six home runs flew off the bat of teams ranking 1 and 3 in total home runs this season. The Yankees rocked the Phillies to sleep in the end. The Phillies put 2 runs on the board in the final 7 innings. New York’s bullpen allowed 1 run in 3 innings of relief while Philadelphia’s yielded 3 runs in 4 2/3. Hamels got sent to the showers early and Pettitte threw 104 pitches for the 16th win in his post season career. He is now 3 – 0 in the post season this year.
