When it comes to possessing a thirst for winning World Series, the apple didn’t fall far from the Steinbrenner tree. Instead, it hugged the bark on the way down.
Not long after Derek Jeter poured a river of Chandon champagne over him and sister Jennifer, Hal Steinbrenner showed while he might not have the bluster his pop had, the son has similar needs.
“We expect to win a championship,’’ Hal said after the Yankees punched their ticket to the World Series against the Phillies that opens Wednesday in The Bronx by handing the bumbling Angels a 5-2 loss in Game 6 of the ALCS last night at Yankee Stadium.
So, with their eyes stinging and the heads on the way to a monster hangover, the Yankees were presented with the final challenge of what so far has been a magical 2009 season.
The champagne flowed freely and reminded Hal and Jennifer of the days when Jeter would soak The Boss in the bubbly.
“He used to do this to my Dad, I guess it’s my turn,’’ Hal said as he reached for a towel.
After six seasons outside the World Series, the Yankees are back. Armed with a superior rotation, bullpen, having four of the possible seven games slated for Yankee Stadium and a smoking Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees will be favored to cop their 27th World Championship.
They spent an ocean of money on younger wings but Andy Pettitte, who had to swallow a colossal pay cut, lifted the Yankees past the Angels.
CC Sabathia was named the ALCS MVP thanks to a 2-0 record in two starts.
When the Yankees put Pettitte’s plaque in Monument Park the inscription will read: “He pitched and won a lot of big games.’’
The Yankees begged the 37-year-old lefty to beat the Angels for two reasons.
One, a win would send the Yankees to the World Series. Two, by avoiding a Game 7, the Yankees could set up their rotation against the Phillies in the Series and would have ace CC Sabathia ready to hurl the opener.
Carve two more notches in Pettitte’s impressive pinstriped belt after the veteran lefty delivered.
Pettitte, whose 38 starts are a post-season record, passed John Smoltz for the all-time lead in wins with 16. His seven LCS victories are second to Dave Stewart’s record of eight.
In 6 1/3 innings Pettitte, who will participate in his eighth World Series (seventh as a Yankee), allowed a run and seven hits.
“He did what he has done his whole career,’’ Jeter said of Pettitte.
Joba Chamberlain replaced Pettitte after Juan Rivera dumped a soft, one-out single into right field in the seventh. Chamberlain stranded the runner by inducing two ground balls and preserved a 3-1 lead.
With the two-run cushion Joe Girardi summoned Mariano Rivera for a six-out save and the top of the Angels’ lineup due up.
Rivera gave up a run in the eighth on Vladimir Guerrero’s two-out, RBI single and posted his post-season record 37th save by getting the final three outs.
“I didn’t think anything of it,’’ Rivera said of being asked for two innings. “I just wanted to get them out as quickly as I could.’’
The Angels made it easier for Rivera by committing two errors on sacrifice bunts in the eighth that fueled a two-run run rally and included a sacrifice fly by Mark Teixeira.
It was the first postseason earned run at home allowed by Rivera since Oct. 22, 2000 (26 games) in Game 2 of the World Series against the Mets.
“We left a lot of guys (12) on base,’’ said Johnny Damon, whose two-run single highlighted a three-run fourth inning that erased a 1-0 lead. “But we came through.’’
And now stand four wins away from feeding the same beast in Hal Steinbrenner that lives inside his father.