Yankees Win World Series In Six Games

Hideki Matsui lifts his 2009 World Series MVP trophy after driving in six runs in the 7-3 win by the Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night as they won their 27th World Series championship.

My prediction before the World Series started was that the Yankees would win in six games. I wasn’t too sure of the prediction since the Phillies seemed to have enough power to repeat as World Series champions. After their 7-3 defeat of the Yankees they seem poised to win again in 2010.

The Phillies weren’t counting on Ryan Howard not hitting a home run till the sixth inning of Game 6 with only one run batted in before the two run homer that barely cleared the left field wall.

Matsui Drive In Six Runs

Hideki Matsui the World Series MVP only batted 13 times in the World Series but still hit three homers and drove in eight runs with six of the RBI’s coming in Game 6.  Derek Jeter with 11 hits led all players in hits but batted 27 times while Matsui had eight hits in only 13 at bats.

Matsui tied for the lead in runs batted in with Chase Utley with eight each. He led all players in all four percentage numbers:

Batting Average: .615

On Base Percentage: .643

Slugging Percentage: 1.385

On Base Plus Slugging: 2.027

Whether his performance was good enough for the Yankees to bring him back for a fifth season remains to be seen. The Yankees paid him $13 million in each of the last four seasons.

Howard Homers In Sixth

Ryan Howard hit a two run homer in the sixth inning to make the score 7-3 in favor of the Yankees but neither team scored again the rest of the game.

Andy Pettitte is 5-4 in World Series play after playing in his eighth World Series. He is 18-9 in the postseason with three more postseason wins than any other pitcher in postseason history.

Martinez Struggled With 6.30 ERA

Pedro Martinez was 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA this year in the World Series. He struck out 13 in 10 innings in the World Series but also gave up three home runs.

The Phillies did outhomer the Yankees 11-6 but their 5.37 ERA made it easy for the Yankees to take the 7-3 win that gave the Yankees their 27th World Series championship.

First Yankee World Series Win Since 2000

The Yankees last won a World Series when they defeated the Mets in 2000 but then they lost to the Diamondbacks in 2001 and to the Marlins in 2003.

C.C. Sabathia had the lowest ERA of the Yankee starters with a 3.29 mark but Andy Pettitte with a 2-0 record and 5.40 ERA and A.J. Burnett with a 1-1 record and 7.00 allowed a lot of runs but still won three of the four games the Yankees needed to win the World Series.

Five Yankee Relievers Allowed One Run

The Yankee bullpen had five pitchers pitch extremely well with Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte, Alfredo Aceves, David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain allowing only one run in 15 innings. Chamberlain allowed his only run when he blew a save but then won Game 4 when the Yankees scored three time in the ninth inning.

Phil Hughes, Phil Coke and Brian Bruney on the other hand performed terribly when called into games. The three combined to give up seven runs, eight hits and three home runs in three innings on the mound.

World Series Diamond Notes

Alex Rodriguez hit only .250 in the World Series but homered once and drove in six runs. He hit six homers in the postseason and drove in six runs in the ALDS, ALCS and World Series giving him a total of 18 for the 2009 postseason.

He had driven in only one run over the last three postseasons while having seven hits in 44 at bats but this year he had 19 hits in 52 at bats.

Teixeira Hits .136

Mark Teixeira hit an anemic .136 in the World Series with 3 hits in 22 trips to the plate.

Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez led the Phillies offense with Utley hitting .333 and Ibanez hitting .304….Ryan Howard