W - A.J. Burnett (1-0, 1.29), L - Pedro Martinez (0-1, 4.50), S - Mariano Rivera (1)
Game two of the World Series was another very close, low-scoring game. The Philadelphia Phillies, behind Pedro Martinez, took an early lead. After dueling for several innings with A.J. Burnett, the Yankees used the long ball to surge ahead in the game. In what turned into a late game battle of the bullpens, the Yankees were able to hold on to a small lead and pull out a win by a final score of 3-1. The win evened the series at one as the teams head back to Philadelphia for the next three games.
Game Summary: Philadelphia Phillies
Pedro Martinez started the game for the Phillies, with many questions unanswered about his abilities at his age. However, the veteran pitcher showed that he still has something left in the tank, as he kept the Yankees hitters off balance and off the scoreboard for most of the night. Martinez was hurt by a pair of solo homers, but only allowed six hits and a pair of walks overall. In six plus solid innings, the future Hall of Famer struck out eight Yankee hitters, but left the game trailing, having allowed three earned runs. The Phillies' pen did a decent job, but it was in vain.
On offense, the Phillies didn't stir much. They seemed somewhat patient with Burnett early in the game, working his pitch count. But the right-hander settled in and held the Phillies in check, after an early Matt Stairs RBI single. The Phillies managed only five hits and three walks through the game. Ryan Howard had an especially tough night, as he struck out four times, thanks to some extremely generous strike calls. In the eighth, the Phils put a pair of runners on before a double play ended the threat. The offense was to blame as they could not get anything substantial going against Yankee pitching.
Game Summary: New York Yankees
A.J. Burnett was a wildcard coming into the game, with the Yankees uncertain what he would bring to the table. However, after a somewhat shaky start, Burnett settled in a dominated the Phillies' lineup for seven innings. The big righty added nine strikeouts and allowed just four hits. He walked two, one intentional, and gave up just one earned run. Mariano Rivera was brought in for a six-out save. He struggled through the eighth inning, throwing over 20 pitches, before completing the game in the ninth.
The Yankees offense really didn't do much against Pedro Martinez on the night. However, two mistake pitches were hit out of the park to give the Yankees the lead. In the seventh inning, they tacked on an important insurance run, but were unable to get more runs across. On the night, they didn't perform especially well and were not all that patient, but grinded out just enough to provide the final margin for the game.
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