The Centaur Alex Rodridguez is getting much of the credit for last night's win, and rightfully so. His two-out double in the ninth broke the 4-4 tie, and propelled the Yankees to the Game 4 win (it also finally earned him those elusive pinstripes). But don't forget about Johnny Damon.

Damon, who scored on A-Rod's double, reached on a bloop single, and then stole both second and third base, on one pitch, taking advantage of the fact that the Phillies' defense was playing a shift, and the pitcher (Brad Lidge) was no where near third.

Joe Posnanski takes a look at Damon's impressive double-theft.

Here are just a few of the calculations Damon had to make instantaneously:

1. He had to calculate if anyone was close enough to cover third base if he decided to run over there (Negative).

2. He had to calculate who had the ball (Third baseman Pedro Feliz had the ball -- the Phillies had put on a shift for New York's Mark Teixeira so Feliz covered second on the steal. That's why he had the ball and why no one was covering third.).

3. He had to calculate Feliz's speed (Not too fast).

4. He had to calculate his own speed (Damon's not as fast as he used to be -- but who is?).

5. He had to calculate the risks (If he got tagged out trying to steal third, he would be the third out of the inning. And the Yankees would not get the chance to send Mark Teixeira and, possibly, Alex Rodriguez to the plate. Teixeira and A-Rod are about $450 million in hitting talent).

6. He had to calculate the rewards (If he got to third base, he could score on a wild pitch. And, more to the point, Phillies reliever Brad Lidge might worry about throwing a wild pitch. Lidge's best pitch is his slider -- a pitch that has skipped past catchers with some regularity. So it could make a big difference for the upcoming hitters).

7. He had to calculate if he would make it (It looked promising, but you never know).

All of his calculations were correct, because Damon easily made it to third ("I'm just glad that when I started running, I still had some of my young legs behind me"). The next pitch hit Mark Teixeira, A-Rod followed with his double, and the Yankees took a lead they would not relinquish. And now they are one game away from a World Series title. 

Curt Schilling. Jack Morris. Josh Beckett.  Andy Pettitte. All of them memorably pitched in the World Series on three days’ rest.  Most of them did it on the grandest of stages without much of a history of previously doing so.  Those performances are now part of their mystique and aura. Cliff Lee seems destined to join them.

Despite the fact that Cliff Lee absolutely dominated the Yankees in Game 1, Charlie Manuel did not pitch Lee tonight in pivotal Game 4 (How pivotal? 77 of the last 104 WS Champs won Game 4).  As far as Lee was concerned, he was ready:

“I just let [Manuel] know I’d pitch whenever he wants me to pitch.”

Unfortunately for Lee (and Phillie fans), it might be too late by the time he does.  Charlie decided not to pitch Lee in Game 4.  His reasoning?  Cliff Lee doesn’t have the cojones….at least…that’s what his reasoning implies…

“You’re asking Cliff Lee to do something that he has never done before,” Manuel said. “But we’re also asking him to do it in a very big, important place, and that’s in the World Series. I didn’t have to think very long at all about that.”

Next time, Charlie.  Think a little longer.

— Words by Sean Keeley

The woulda-coulda-shoulda’s are already starting circulating in Philadelphia and you can imagine there’s one in particular that folks will be discussing on the morning talk shows. Should Manuel have started ace Cliff Lee tonight instead of Joe Blanton? Athletics Nation thinks it was a no-brainer.

From the beginning, when a game that should have, IMO, been started by Cliff Lee, went instead to Joe Blanton, ensuring that Lee will not pitch thrice in the series — the only way I foresaw Philly pulling off an upset. Blanton pitched a lot better than the numbers suggest, as he was nickel and dimed to death in the 5th by a well-placed chopper, a seeing eye single, and a flair to right field hit so weakly it hit 3 pigeons and 2 of them didn’t even notice.

But Lee should have gotten the call, and on a night when the Phillies’ offense had 4 runs in them they might have prevailed behind their ace.

Lee will get the start in Game 5. Perhaps too little, too late.

The Phillies have lived and died by manager Charlie Manuel’s gut feelings. They certainly died with them this evening. Especially the decision to base the outcome of the game, and possibly the Phillies’ season, on 9th-inning pitcher Brad Lidge:

Admittedly, he fooled me too at first: a popup of pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui and a rousing strikeout of Jeter. But after getting ahead of Damon 1-2, he couldn’t close the deal: two balls and several fouls later, the veteran served a single into left. Then disaster struck: Damon took off for second, and with the Phillies infield in a shift for Mark Teixiera, Feliz fielded Carlos Ruiz’s throw—and watched helplessly as Damon ran to third.

Now clearly rattled, Lidge hit Teixiera with a pitch, putting runners on the corners for Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez took a strike looking, then smashed a double to left that scored Damon. Jorge Posada followed with the coup de grace, a single to the gap in left-center that scored two more.

Manuel has gone with his gut and his guys—the guys we all love for what they did in 2008. But Cole Hamels faltered last night, and Lidge did tonight. Now the Phillies, needing a comeback that would be little short of miraculous, send their 2009 hero, Cliff Lee, to the mound for Game Five hoping to get one more train trip to New York.

C.C. didn’t look extremely sharp and the Yankees were off-balance on offense most of the night. But at the end of the day, the Yankees did what they always seem to do in these situations. They found a way to win.

In the top of the ninth, Matsui and Jeter went down in order. Johnny Damon worked a nine pitch AB, finally lacing a single to left field. The Phillies put the shift on Tex (though the broadcast team didn’t mention it or show it well), and when Damon stole second, then popped up and took off for third most of Yankee Universe committed bushido before realizing that it was a great heads up play. Tex was HBP, putting an exclamation point on his 0-fer, and bringing the Lighting Rod to bat with runners on 1st and 3rd. Arod did what Arod do, doubling in Damon (Joe Nathan, Brian Fuentes, Brad Lidge- it’s like a little collector set). Jorge followed with a single, plating Tex and Arod, though Posada was out at second on the play.

Mariano took the hill with a 3 run lead (protecting a vulture W for Joba Chamberlain). Goodbye Matt Stairs. Goodbye Jimmy Rollins. Goodbye Shane Victorino. MVP? Maybe, maybe.

Full boxscore here.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez delivered the go-ahead run- scoring double with two outs in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees moved within one victory from their 27th World Series title as they beat Philadelphia, 7-4, in Game 4 of the Fall Classic.

Philadelphia's Pedro Feliz lined a full-count fastball from Joba Chamberlain (1-0) over the wall in left field with two outs in the eighth to tie the game, but the Yankees rallied in the ninth off Brad Lidge to grab a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jorge Posada drove in three runs, including a two-run single to cap the top of the ninth.

Mariano Rivera set the side down in order in the bottom of the ninth for the save and broke the World Series record with his 23rd appearance, passing ex- Yankee Whitey Ford. It was his 39th career postseason save and the latest one provided a near-knockout blow for the defending World Series champions. It also put the Yankees a victory away from their first title since 2000.

"It feels good, but again, we've been down this road before, and we have to stay very focused," said Rodriguez. "Those guys are the world champs. They're going to come out fighting, and so are we, so just staying in the moment."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Sunday afternoon that he's decided to start A.J. Burnett on three days' rest for Monday's Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies will start lefty Cliff Lee, who has sparkled with a 3-0 mark and a 0.54 ERA (two earned runs, 33 1/3 innings) this postseason. Lee threw a complete game to win Game 1, while Burnett threw seven solid innings in a 3-1 Game 2 triumph.

"I've waited a long time for it, and I'm going to take it full stride," said Burnett. "I'm going to go out there with everything I've got, and you take nothing for granted. I've seen some crazy things this postseason, and I guess that's why they call it post-season baseball, because anything can happen."

Lidge (0-1) retired the first two batters of the inning on a pop-up from pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui and a strikeout from Derek Jeter. On a nine-pitch at-bat, Johnny Damon then singled to left-center field.

The Phillies then put an infield shift toward the right side of the diamond with Mark Teixeira at the plate, but the move backfired. Damon stole second with third baseman Feliz taking the throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz. Nobody covered third, and Damon raced all the way to the base.

"I felt like being on third base, it possibly takes away a slider, a tough slider in the dirt that I may be able to score on," said Damon. "Alex got two fastballs. It did work out for us."

Teixeira was hit by a pitch before Rodriguez, a three-time AL MVP going after his first World Series ring, clubbed an 0-1 offering to left field to give New York a 5-4 edge. Posada lined a single left-center for the three-run cushion and was thrown out trying to go to second.

"I have never had a bigger hit," said Rodriguez. "But again, if you look at what Mark Teixeira and I have done in this World Series is not much, and it just tells you what a great balanced team we've had all year, and we're getting contributions from all our guys."

Rodriguez has 15 RBI this postseason, tying Bernie Williams (1996) and Scott Brosius (1998) for the most RBI by a Yankee in a single playoff year. Of those 15 RBI, seven have been game-tying or of the go-ahead variety.

"It is important to stay calm," said Rodriguez. "For me making an adjustment after Game 1 and 2 was very easy because what I was doing was just being a little overanxious. One thing about postseason, if you want to hit, you've got to swing at strikes, and if you don't swing at strikes, you're going to expose your weakness. That's all I've been trying to do."

CC Sabathia, going on three days' rest, pitched into the seventh inning for New York, but was lifted after Chase Utley homered off the southpaw for the third time in this series.

Phillies starter Joe Blanton was taken out after six innings for a pinch- hitter. The righty gave up five hits and four runs, walked two and fanned seven.

The Phillies, aiming to become the first National League repeat winner since Cincinnati in 1975-76, have a big task to overcome. This is the ninth time that the Yankees have held a 3-1 lead in a World Series. They have gone on to win the world championship on each of the previous eight occasions. Also, the last team to overcome such a deficit to win the title was Kansas City in 1985.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said the mistake on the shift in the ninth inning proved costly, which factored into the team being down 3-1.

"It's catcher or pitcher, got to be heads up," Manuel said. "We've got a shift on like that, Feliz was covering second base, and evidently there was some miscommunication there, when he stole him. That's the first time we've had it happen to us this year, but at the same time, somebody has got to be covering third base. Usually it's the catcher who tries to get down there."

The Yankees parlayed a pair of hits for two first-inning runs. Coming off an 8-5 victory Saturday night, the Yankees jumped out early on Blanton as Jeter legged out an infield single and Damon doubled to right field. Teixeira followed with an RBI groundout to first. Rodriguez was then hit by a pitch for the third time in two nights, this time in the back. Home plate umpire Mike Everitt warned both benches, and Posada followed with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Sabathia gave up back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the first to Shane Victorino and Utley.

The Phillies tied the game in the fourth, thanks in part to a blown call from Everitt. Ryan Howard singled and stole second before Feliz laced a one-out single to left field. Damon's throw home was on target, but the ball eluded Posada. Replays showed Howard never touched home as his right leg dragged above it instead of making contact with the plate.

Blanton retired 11 straight hitters until trouble found the right-hander in the fifth. Nick Swisher walked on four pitches and Melky Cabrera legged out an infield single up the middle. After Sabathia struck out, Jeter hit a bouncer under the glove of a diving Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, giving New York a 3-2 edge. Damon followed with an RBI hit to right field.

Sabathia wiggled out of a two-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the fifth, but surrendered Utley's homer to right with two down in the seventh.

Lidge had worked 12 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in his previous 13 playoff appearance before issuing three runs Sunday night. He is 0-3 in six career World Series appearances. That matches the most career losses in relief in World Series history with George Frazier and Eddie Watt...The Yankees have been hit by five pitches in this series, one shy of the World Series record for a series of any length shared by Pittsburgh in 1909 and Arizona in 2001...Rivera has a 1.04 ERA in the World Series...Cabrera left the game in the sixth inning with a slight strain of his left hamstring.

(Sports Network) - CC Sabathia starts on short rest this evening when the New York Yankees try to take a commanding lead in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 at Citizens Bank Park.

New York grabbed a 2-1 advantage in this best-of-seven set on Saturday, as Nick Swisher went 2-for-4 with one of the Yankees' three homers in the 8-5 win.

The Yankees had scored just four runs in the first two games combined, having been shut down by Cliff Lee in a Game 1 loss before scraping out a win against Pedro Martinez in Game 2 thanks to a superb effort by A.J. Burnett.

However, New York overcame an early three-run deficit to take the win in Saturday's contest, which was delayed more than an hour because of rain, thanks to its offense.

Nine of the last 10 teams to win Game 3 when the World Series was tied 1-1 went on to take the title.

Hideki Matsui had a pinch-homer, while Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run shot that was only called a home run after video review. Johnny Damon also hit a big two-run double in the victory for New York, which is in search of its 27th World Series title.

"It was a big hit," Rodriguez said. "I think it woke our offense up a little bit. It felt really good, and it was a little weird to have the first home run and the replay and the whole nine yards."

Andy Pettitte (1-0), who recorded an RBI single, gave up three early runs, but pitched well enough to get the win, which extended his own record for career playoff victories to 17. Over six innings, the left-hander gave up four runs on five hits and three walks, with seven strikeouts.

"It was a battle tonight," Pettitte said. "I wasn't able to get ahead. I wasn't able to get my breaking ball over. You know, fortunately enough, they had some lefties in the lineup that I was able to cut some balls, get them away from them in some big situations and able to get some outs when I needed to get some."

His lefty counterpart, Cole Hamels (0-1) took the loss after lasting just 4 1/3 innings, in which he surrendered five runs on five hits and two walks. The start continued a disappointing season and postseason for Hamels, who last season captured MVP honors in the NLCS and World Series for the defending champion Phillies.

But after going 10-11 with a 4.32 ERA in the regular season, Hamels posted a 6.75 ERA in three postseason starts entering Saturday's contest, which only continued his woes. Hamels has not pitched six full innings in any of his playoff starts in 2009.

"I think at times he gets a little upset with himself," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of Hamels. "But as far as his mental toughness, this guy, he's mentally tough. He's definitely mentally tough. I mean, he's just -- tonight for three innings there he was real good, and that's kind of been the pattern he's pitched this year."

Jayson Werth hit a pair of homers for the Phillies, giving him seven in this year's playoffs, while Carlos Ruiz added a solo shot.

The Phillies, of course, are attempting to become the first repeat World Series champion from the National League since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76.

However, this is the fourth time the Phillies have trailed 2-1 in a World Series. On all three previous occasions, they went on to lose Game 4 - and the series.

Sabathia, meanwhile, will be pitching on three-days' rest for the second time this postseason, having done so for Game 4 of the ALCS against the Angels. He was spectacular in that contest, giving up one run on five hits in eight innings in earning the win.

"I said it all postseason: I've had enough rest the past two months to be able to feel comfortable enough to go out there and pitch on three days' rest," Sabathia said. "I told Joe that at the beginning of the playoffs -- 'I'm here and available whenever you need me.'"

However, Sabathia started Game 2 in the NLDS a year ago for Milwaukee on short rest in Philadelphia and was hammered for five runs in just 3 2/3 innings. He threw 98 pitches -- only 55 for strikes -- and received the loss.

Sabathia also lost to the Phillies in Game 1 of this year's World Series, although he gave up just two solo home runs to Chase Utley in seven innings.

"As far as short rest, it's not necessarily something that you want to do a lot of during the course of a long season," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "But we're not in a long season anymore."

The Yankees' prized offseason acquisition, though, has pitched well in the playoffs thus far in 2009, compiling a 3-1 record with a 1.52 earned run average in 29 2/3 innings pitched.

Rather than throw Cliff Lee on short rest, Manuel opted to throw righty Joe Blanton, who earned the win in Game 4 of the World Series last year against the Rays. Blanton pitched six innings and gave up two runs while adding a home run at the plate.

"(Lee) hasn't pitched on three days' rest, although I talked to him and he told me he had, or I thought he did," Manuel said. "I also like him in Game 5 because we've got an off day Tuesday. If it goes seven games or something, that would be on his bullpen day, and he might be able to pitch."

Blanton has made one postseason start this year, pitching to a no-decision in Game 4 against the Dodgers. The righty allowed four runs -- three earned -- in six innings, and the Phillies rallied in the ninth to win the game, 5-4, and take a commanding three games to one series lead.

The 28-year-old Blanton also made two relief appearances in the NLDS against Colorado, allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched. He went 2-0 in three starts in the 2008 postseason, when the Phillies won the World Series.

Blanton has struggled mightily against the Yankees, going 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA in four starts.

After being named the NLCS MVP Ryan Howard has yet to find his groove in this series, going just 2-for-13 with nine strikeouts. He is in a position to top the World Series record that Royals outfielder Willie Wilson set in 1980, when he struck out 12 times against the Phillies in 1980.

These teams have a limited history against one another, but did square off once in the World Series back in 1950 when the Yankees swept the series in four games from the Whiz Kids of Philadelphia.

The Phillies also took two of three from the Yanks earlier this season at Yankee Stadium. Philadelphia won the opener, before New York rallied off of Lidge in the second contest. The Yankees got to Lidge again in the finale, but Philly managed to pick up an extra inning win in that one to capture the series.