World Series Game 6: The dreaded three days’ rest for Pettitte
The Fall Classic has been quite a dud in Major League Baseball for a few years, as no series has gone longer than five games since 2003 – which just so happened to be the last time the New York Yankees were in the World Series (they lost to the Marlins in six in ‘03).
Well, thanks to Cliff Lee, the Phillies have sent the World Series back to the Bronx for Game 6, and it would appear on the surface that Wednesday’s pitching matchup favors Philadelphia, which is a +175 money line underdog on WagerWeb.com.
Here’s why: Phils starter Pedro Martinez was very good in Game 2 and is on more than full rest. Yanks Game 3 starter Andy Petttite is on three days’ rest, and that could be a problem: Pettitte, who has more postseason wins than any pitcher in history, is 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA in his career on short rest and he hasn’t pitched on three days’ rest since 2006 when with Houston; he hasn’t done it with the Yankees since 2001. By the way, the last time Pettitte was on the mound in a potential World Series clincher, he was beaten at home in a Game 6 by Florida’s Josh Beckett, which gave the Marlins the title.
In Game 3 against the Phils, Pettitte allowed four earned runs over six innings, striking out seven, for his 17th career postseason victory and even delivered a game-tying RBI single against Cole Hamels. As a Yankee, Pettitte’s playoff record is 12-4 with a 3.73 ERA, which included closing out the Angels in the ALCS. In the World Series, he is a .500 pitcher, 4-4, with a 4.00 ERA.
Pettitte, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are the only three starting pitchers used this postseason by the Yankees. The last team to win the World Series after using three starters throughout the playoffs was the 1991 Minnesota Twins.
The Yankees’ only other would have been to start Chad Gaudin tonight, but the right-hander hasn’t started in a month. Joba Chamberlain was the fourth starter in the regular season, but he faded down the stretch as his innings limit approached, and now he is a short reliever again. But every reliever is certainly available for Game 6, so if Pettitte struggles at all, he won’t be out there long.
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