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Posted on Wed, Nov. 04, 2009 12:06 AM
World Series notes: Pedro tries to survive
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Pedro tries to survive
Pedro Martinez’s fastball is in the upper 80s, down from mid-to-upper 90s in his prime, but he’s trying to make the necessary adjustments to remain an effective pitcher.
Jamie Moyer, who will turn 47 later this month, is a teammate now, and Martinez has friends all over baseball that can give advice.
But Martinez says he’s doing this more on his own.
“If I say it, honestly you might not believe it, but that’s all created in the middle of the moment,” Martinez said.
“What you see is a combination of experience and instinct. It’s just instinct, surviving. Everybody that grows up in the Dominican and didn’t have a rich life, it’s a survival. That’s what we call it in the Dominican, survival. And in baseball I am a survivor.”
Pettitte goes on short rest
Martinez is pitching on five days’ rest, a stark contrast to Yankees starter Andy Pettitte’s three days’ rest.
Two of the best games Pettitte has ever pitched in the World Series — game five in 1996, and game two in 2003 — came on three days’ rest, so this isn’t a totally foreign concept.
Still, he was 26 and 31 years old in those starts, much different than now being 37 and coming off shoulder issues in September.
Pettitte won game three against the Phillies, but gave up four runs including two homers in six innings.
“You don’t know how you’re going to feel until that batter steps in the batter’s box and the adrenaline starts getting going and you figure out where you’re at that night,” Pettitte said. “And like I’ve told you before, you hope that everything is together and you hope it’s going to be a fairly easy night. If not, you run into one of the games like I did my last time out, and it’s a battle.”
Phils wait on Victorino
The Phillies are hoping Shane Victorino’s finger starts healing after being hit with a pitch in game five.
The finger continued to swell throughout the game, until he had to be replaced by Ben Francisco. If Victorino can’t go — the Phillies will make that determination today — Francisco will likely start in center field.
Offenses heating up?
There is a growing feeling around this series that the games are about to fill with runs. Each team led its league in scoring during the regular season, but the pitching has — for the most part — held strong so far.
In part because of guys going on short rest and certain hitters — think Chase Utley for the Phillies, and Alex Rodriguez for the Yankees — getting more comfortable, we could be in for a lot of runs.
“I think it’s kind of working that way,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “I think that we’re starting to score more runs. I think offense is starting to pick up actually on both teams the way we’ve been starting to hit the ball. I think these next two games could really get interesting.”
Manuel tries to lift up Lidge
After giving up three runs in the ninth inning of game four, Phillies closer Brad Lidge stayed in the bullpen for a save situation in game five.
Lidge blew a league-high 11 saves during the regular season, and scouts still see a guy lacking confidence in his fastball.
“I think the only thing I’m trying to do with Brad Lidge is get him right,” Manuel said. “You know what, I’ll always have confidence in him. He’s got a lot of talent, and he proved that last year when he goes 48 for 48 in save situations.”
Phils’ Howard scuffling
One more strikeout and Ryan Howard will break Willie Wilson’s record of 12 in a World Series, set in 1980 against the Phillies.
Howard is just three for 19 in the series, a dramatic drop after going 11 for 31 with seven extra base hits in the first two rounds. He drove in at least one run in each of the Phillies’ first eight playoff games, but just one total since.
“The bottom line is I think we’ve made good pitches on him,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He’s an extremely dangerous hitter, and if you don’t make pitches, you’re not going to get him out, and he proved that in the first two rounds.”
| Sam Mellinger, smellinger@kcstar.com
Posted on Wed, Nov. 04, 2009 12:06 AM
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