So This is What Happens When Arod Doesn't Get On Base Five Times

OK boys, Rodriguez and the opposition's well-timed spasms have carried you far enough.  Anyone besides Jeter bring their stick? 

No crime to lose a game to Cliff Lee, but the alleged best offense in baseball should have been able to do to him what the Phils did to CC - make him look just remotely human and hope you can get a whiff of their bullpen.  Especially since it's the Yanks that have actually seen live pitching a few times in the past week.  I'm going to go ahead and assume the Phillies are not going to spontaneously start running the bases like their minds are on picking up their laundry from the cleaners, so it will actually take a little offense to win this thing. 

The requisite spastic baserunning play in this game was the double play cooked up by Matsui and Cano.  It's a tough read for Matsui to see that the bloop was caught on a fly, but if Cano hustles out of the box then Rollins catches the ball in the air rather than an inch above the dirt and Matsui would then know to hold first base.  If Cano doesn't want to run hard in a 2-0 World Series game, then when does he?  Should we release Mothra to chase after him every time he makes contact?

Backbreakers

Oh, all those two out RBI hits by the Phillies.  When trying to chip away to get to an unsteady bullpen, keeping the score 2-0 would have been peachy.  Maybe some time this October it'll be the Yanks who rack up a few 2 out run-scoring hits.  The only string that jumps to mind was that one game against the Angels in Anaheim in a losing effort.  Then it was back to their new version of normal.

Two Hands, Meat

Buck and McCarver may have enjoyed Cliff Lee's casual catch of Damon's pop-up, but that's just plum not smart.  If the Phils want to be that relaxed the rest of the series, they are cordially invited.  Maybe they'll start to look as sloppy as the Twins and Angels.

Game Six Backfire?

You would never want to send up a sacrificial lamb to go out and lose to Cliff Lee, but CC being spared of pitching a game 7 against the Angels may have backfired in that the Yanks lost what would have been a matchup of their big guy against a pitcher who does not make the Yanks look like a AA team.  Sabathia held it together, but seeing him labor makes you question if he has it in him to pitch three games of this series.  Watching the Yank bats, I don't think he has it in him to defeat Lee once, let alone thrice, should that match-up repeat itself.  Obviously sending someone like Gaudin up to face Cliff Lee is a recipe for disaster.  But I'm just rappin' about the baseball fates here.

We Haven't Forgotten About You, Tex

It's easy to say the Yanks shouldn't be swinging at the first pitch when down by six, but seeing Teixeira hack at his first offering in the 9th up at his eyebrows kind of encapsulates the team's offensive woes this post-season.  Teixeira's walk-off against Minnesota has served as a nice camouflage for his lack of punch this post-season, so if the Yanks don't pull this thing off, he might just play the role of scapegoat.  Too early?

Sartorially Speaking