Yankees Take Series Lead

Sports News - November 1st, 2009 - Written by John

Alex Rodriguez finally snapped his World Series slump and another unlikely Yankee atoned for his mistakes with a key hit as the New York Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, breaking his hitless streak in the championship series in which he struck out six times in two games and the Yankees won 8-5. His homer provided the first-ever implementation of umpire review in World Series history and appeared to wake up the Yankee bats that had been dormant for the first half of the game.

"I think it woke our offense up a little bit," Rodriguez said.

His homer was the sixth this postseason, tying Bernie Williams' team record.

Andy Pettitte even got in the act, tying the game with a single for his first-ever postseason RBI. He flared a Cole Hamels offering to center, scoring Nick Swisher. It was more than enough to erase the memory of a disastrous second inning in which the lefty allowed a home run by Jayson Werth, and walked in a run. The Yankees fell behind 3-0 in the inning and Philadelphia fans began rocking Citizen's Bank Park.

They quieted considerably after A-Rod's short home run that caromed off a television camera hanging just over the fence down the right-field line. After it was originally ruled a double, umpires huddled around the review booth and decided it was a homer. The league decided before the game that any ball that struck the camera would be ruled a home run.

It is the first time the Phillies have lost two games in any series this year and is the first time they've trailed in the series in their back-to-back appearances.

The Yankees will try to put Philadelphia in a choke hold Sunday night when they bring C.C. Sabathia back to the mound to pitch in Game Four. Sabathia was the starter in the first game and is coming on three days rest. In the opener, he pitched well, striking out six in seven innings, but eventually fell to Cliff Lee's complete-game masterpiece.

Werth had two homers to pace his club. But it wasn't enough to outduel New York, which hit three taters all together. Hideki Matsui connected with a long ball in a pinch-hitting appearance and Swisher, who was benched for Game Two, came through with his first homer of the series.

"This was my first time coming to this ballpark. It just seems like you're going to have a slugfest a lot," Swisher said. "It was a great day for us."

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