Sure it hasn’t happened yet but looking at the way things are set up tomorrow night you have to think that there really isn’t a whole lot in the Phillies’ favor. Let’s go back in time, shall we…
It’s 2003, Yankee Stadium, October 16th to be exact. You know the rest. Grady Little leaves Pedro in there, Pedro gets rocked by Matsui and Posada in the bottom of the eighth and the Sox go on to lose the ALCS. Fine by us now since the Sox won two World Series Championships since, but I guess Charlie Manuel didn’t bother to look at the footage.
Why else would you possible pitch Pedro in game two ahead of Cole Hammels? Sure Pedro had a better line than Hammels but you could have had Pedro in a National League park against a lineup that wouldn’t have Matsui in it if you waited and pitched in him game three. Who did Pedro give up the eventual game winning home run to in game 2, Hideki Matsui, coincidentally the Yankees DH that night.
So tomorrow night the Phillies will pitch Pedro against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Andy Pettitte on the hill for the pinstripes. I really don’t see the Phillies forcing a game seven. Pedro just doesn’t do well against the Yankees anymore. In 2004 he didn’t have a win in that monster come back series against the Yankees.
Would I like to see Pedro come out and deliver a classic Pedro performance and force a game seven? Sure. Who wouldn’t want to see the Yankees lose, besides Tony Maz?
If it does get to a seventh game, I hope that Manuel has more Terry Francona in him than Grady Little and has all his pitchers at the ready. Especially Cliff Lee who is the only winning pitcher thus far in the Phillies stable (get it, a horse joke). If not get ready for six months of Yankees fans…I think I just threw up in my mouth.
