MLB

Yankees silence chatty Rollins

In the end, Jimmy Rollins’ bat couldn’t keep up with his big mouth.

The Phillies’ veteran shortstop, so lippy when the World Series began, was awfully quiet while the Yankees were crushing Philadelphia’s dream of a repeat.

Last night’s series-deciding 7-3 loss to the Bombers in Game 6 in The Bronx was yet another example of Rollins coming up small as the former MVP went 0-for-4 and stranded three runners to drop his Fall Classic average to .217.

That’s pitiful, especially for the player who had gone on “The Jay Leno Show” on the eve of the series to predict the Phillies would take the Yankees in five games, maybe six “if we’re nice.”

Rollins had the number right, just not the team.

“They got the hits and we didn’t,” a subdued Rollins said afterward. “It’s that simple. There’s no science to it other than that.”

Not only was Rollins wrong with his prediction, but his mocking of the Game 1 crowd at Yankee Stadium for not being as loud as the old stadium also rang hollow last night as the new place rocked with each Hideki Matsui hit and Mariano Rivera pitch.

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The World Series had started so promisingly for Rollins, too, as the former MVP backed up his words in Game 1 with a hit, a steal and two runs in the Phillies’ 6-1 win.

But Rollins wasn’t a factor over the next three games, especially when the series moved to Philadelphia starting with Game 3. He went 2-for-11 in that span with no extra-base hits, just one RBI and a lone steal while the Yankees took a 3-1 series lead. “There’s really no glory at the end of the season when you don’t win it all,” he said. “We know we’re a better team than the one that showed up, and I’m a better player than that.”

Rollins’ World Series flameout — while not nearly as spectacular as that of teammate Ryan Howard and his record 13 strikeouts — was no doubt enjoyable to Mets fans, too.

True to form, though, Rollins was defiant as he looked ahead and noted the core of the Phillies should be intact for years to come.

“We still have a good group of guys that are going to be here, and that’s a good thing,” he said. “We’re a good team that just came up a couple of games short this year, but looking into the future, I don’t see anything changing. We can definitely be here next year, maybe even as a better team.”