When the Yankees carried three catchers for the first two rounds of the playoffs, manager Joe Girardi mulled using Jorge Posada as the designated hitter when Jose Molina caught A.J. Burnett.
Now, with Francisco Cervelli dropped in favor of reliever Brian Bruney for the World Series, Girardi has two catchers and is not high on using Posada as the DH when Molina catches Burnett, something that is expected to happen in tonight’s Game 2 of the World Series.
Though Girardi didn’t officially announce it before or after last night’s 6-1 loss in Game 1 to the Phillies, he is likely to pair Molina and Burnett tonight. Molina has caught all three of Burnett’s postseason starts and he is 0-0 with a 4.42 ERA.
“It’s probably something we won’t do,” Girardi said of DHing Posada. “I mean, we have done it during the course of the season. And when you take your DH out of the game and put him behind the plate then your pitcher is in a spot to hit. When it’s time to hit for him, we have some pinch-hitters.”
As for Molina with Burnett, Girardi said, “It’s worked pretty well. I am comfortable using Molina and maybe pinch-hitting Jorge.”
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Phillies manager Charlie Manuel still isn’t tipping his hand as to who his Game 4 starter will be. The Phillies could bring Cliff Lee, who threw a complete game, giving up one run, back on three days’ rest or go with Joe Blanton.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Manuel said. “I mean, we’ll just see where we’re at. We’ve got time.”
Pedro Martinez and Cole Hamels will start the next two games for the Phillies.
Manuel said he was tempted to take Lee out of the game in the ninth but decided to leave his starter out there.
“He was absolutely still good,” Manuel said. “But at the same time there would have been a time when he would have got up into a pitch count where I would have had to take him [out]. But that didn’t happen.”
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Girardi was looking forward to seeing George Steinbrenner, but The Boss never appeared in the Yankees’ clubhouse before the game. Instead, the vehicle he arrived in drove past the clubhouse on the way to the elevator.
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Girardi wasn’t ready to announce his Game 4 starter on the eve of Game 1. Nevertheless, he didn’t believe weather will be an issue.
“We just go day by day,” said Girardi, who hasn’t ruled out using CC Sabathia, last night’s starter in Games 4 and 7 on three days’ rest. “When we decide to make the decision we will make it. There is no rush.”
AUDIO: YANKEES BOMBED BY PHILLIES (Joe Girardi)
Sabathia, who gave up two runs in seven innings last night and was the loser, said he is ready for anything.
“I will be ready to pitch whenever they need me,” said Sabathia, who fired 113 pitches.
AUDIO: CC’S FIRST POSTSEASON LOSS
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Girardi didn’t use Chad Gaudin as a long reliever last night because the right-hander threw a simulated game Tuesday. He is a possible Game 4 or 5 starter.
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Lee’s 10 strikeouts were the most by a pitcher in a World Series game since Josh Beckett fanned 10 for the Marlins in Game 3 against the Yankees in 2003.
It was the 51st time that a pitcher has fanned at least 10 batters in a Series game but just the third time that someone did it without issuing a walk. The other two were Pittsburgh’s Deacon Phillippe in 193 against Boston and Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 1949 Series.
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Left-handed hitting infielder/outfielder Eric Hinske was on the ALDS roster and off the ALCS roster. He is on the World Series roster to serve as a pinch-hitter.
“When we get to the National League city, pinch-hitters are going to be important,'” Girardi said of activating Hinske and dropping pinch-running specialist Freddy Guzman. “By adding Hinske we felt we added another pinch-hitter. Another thing is, in the National League sometimes there’s more pitching changes because you have to hit for them so we thought it as important to add another pitcher.”
That is Bruney, who was inactive for the first two rounds and hadn’t pitched in a game before last night since throwing an inning on Oct. 2 in the 160th game of the season.
“We asked him to stay in shape and he threw [Tuesday] against hitters and looked good,” Girardi said of his Opening Day setup man, who battled arm problems and was on the disabled list twice. We expect him to do his job.”
With Joba Chamberlain being planned for use in the seventh inning of games, Phil Hughes in the eighth, lefties Damaso Marte and Phil Coke for situations and Alfredo Aceves able to provide multiple innings, Bruney entered last night’s game in the ninth inning with the Yankees trailing, 4-0. He gave up three singles and the two runners he left Coke scored.
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Girardi mentioned Tuesday he could use Hideki Matsui in the outfield as part of a double switch when the Series shifts to Philly, where the DH won’t be used in Games 3,4 and 5. Yesterday, he downplayed playing Matsui in the field, somewhere he hasn’t been all season because of two cranky knees.
“It’s not something I anticipating doing but you never know the situation,” Girardi said. “During the season it’s not much risk for one game . . . it’s different now.”
Nor does Girardi have plans to start Matsui in the outfield in Philadelphia.
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Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was in the Yankees’ clubhouse late yesterday afternoon signing a wall where autographs are mounting.
The Phillies won Game 1 of the World Series on the road for the second straight year. It is the fifth time in the last eight World Series that the road team has won. The Phillies have won their last four World Series games.