Andy Pettitte has pitched some stinkers in the playoffs, but he’s generally at his best when the games are big. He has great concentration, which is probably his best asset. But he also never panics. No one is more unflappable with speedy runners on the bases. I always feel confident when Andy takes the mound. But he’s not a dominating pitcher who is going to strike out 10 batters. He’s unlikely to pitch more than seven innings. So, what he’s most likely to do is give the Yankees a chance to win, not win it himself like Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett did in the first two games.
I haven’t watched Cole Hamels pitch much this year, but it appears he’s trying to be a top-notch big league pitcher using nothing more than a fastball and a change-up. I think that’s insane, and I’m amazed that Hamels has been so successful. The Yankees are definitely susceptible to a good change-up, as Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez demonstrated in the first two games. But this is a club of very professional hitters. If you don’t give them more to think about than just the speed of the pitch, they’re liable to club you to death.
With the game delayed by rain, I give Pettitte the edge in maintaining his concentration. On the other hand, there is no designated hitter tonight because the game is being played in a National League park. That means Hideki Matsui is on the bench. That makes the middle of the Yankees order a bit anemic. Someone like Cano or Swisher is going to have to make up the difference in these games in Philly.
I expect this game to stay close for a while, but somewhere around the fourth or fifth inning one of the teams is going to put up a crooked number on the scoreboard.
