Wednesday October 28, 2009
Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
48° F - Overcast, Rainy
Cliff Lee, LHP (0-0, 0.00) v. CC Sabathia, LHP (0-0, 0.00)
The 2009 World Series opens up on a rainy night in the Bronx between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. This game features two former Cleveland Indians' aces and Cy Young award winners in Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia. The two lefties will both aim to shut down strong opposing offenses and get their respective teams off to a solid start in the series. The field and playing conditions will be wet, which will add another dimension to this already intriguing matchup. Which ever team can get to the opposing starter and take advantage of opportunities, while limiting weather-related errors, will likely win this game.
Starting Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Phillies
Cliff Lee was a mid-season acquisition for the Phillies and he didn't disappoint. Since the Phillies acquired him, the 31-year old lefty won seven games and struck out nearly a batter per inning. Overall, Lee is a pitcher that can dominate and go deep into games, which will help the Phillies' bullpen. He tossed 231.2 innings, marking his fourth 200-inning campaign in the last six seasons. Still, Lee has no post season experience and has not proven whether he is a big-game pitcher or not. He has emerged as the clear ace of the Phillies staff in this postseason, with dominating performances against both of the Phillies' National League opponents.
Against the New York Yankees, Lee has done very well, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA this season. Lifetime against the Bronx Bombers hitters, Lee has allowed a high .285 opposing batting average in 224 plate appearances lifetime. Yankees hitters have victimized him for eight homers in that time, and clearly the key for Lee will be to keep the ball in the park tonight. Lee works well to both sides of the plate, and can neutralize the Yankees' hitters by keeping them off balance and mixing his pitches well. The Yankees will need to be aggressive against Lee, as he throws a lot of strikes and can put hitters away when he gets ahead.
Starting Pitcher: CC Sabathia, Yankees
CC Sabathia was a major free agent signing by the Yankees prior to the 2009 season. He earned his huge contract this season, winning 19 games and accumulating 230.0 innings. The big 28-year old has enjoyed his best post-season ever, carrying the Yankees team to another World Series appearance. Sabathia is a dominant left-handed pitcher with ace-caliber stuff and the ability to pitch deep into games and shut a team down. He is hands down the best pitcher that the Yankees have and will pitch on short rest if needed.
Sabathia will have an apparent advantage over the Phillies, being that he is left-handed. This season against the Phils, he took a no decision after pitching eight solid innings in a Yankees loss. Lifetime against the Phillies, Sabathia has allowed a .275 batting average in 118 plate appearances. He has only allowed three long balls against the Phillies, but famously allowed a grand slam to Shane Victorino in the playoffs last season. For Sabathia, pitch count will not be as important as effectiveness, so if he can throw strikes early in the count, it could be a long night for the Phillies.
Starting Lineup: Philadelphia Phillies
Statistics versus CC Sabathia
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS (5/13, 0 HR, 0 K)
2. Shane Victorino, CF (5/9, 1 HR, 0 K)
3. Chase Utley, 2B (0/5, 0 HR, 3 K)
4. Ryan Howard, 1B (3/9, 0 HR, 3 K)
5. Jayson Werth, RF (2/8, 0 HR, 2 K)
6. Raul Ibanez, DH (11/40, 2 HR, 10 K)
7. Ben Francisco, LF (1/5, 0 HR, 0 K)
8. Pedro Feliz, 3B (1/8, 0 HR, 3 K)
9. Carlos Ruiz, C (2/5, 0 HR, 0 K)
Starting Lineup: New York Yankees
Statistics versus Cliff Lee
1. Derek Jeter, SS (11/27, 0 HR, 3 K)
2. Johnny Damon, LF (2/22, 0 HR, 3 K)
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B (9/23, 1 HR, 2 K)
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B (5/15, 2 HR, 3 K)
5. Jorge Posada, C (6/21, 2 HR, 2 K)
6. Hideki Matsui, DH (5/17, 0 HR, 4 K)
7. Robinson Cano, 2B (4/18, 0 HR, 3 K)
8. Nick Swisher, RF (6/18, 0 HR, 4 K)
9. Melky Cabrera, CF (3/11, 1 HR, 1 K)
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