Three Day Monty

New York, NY (WFAN)  -- What, you thought it would be easy?

There should be little surprise the Yankees are heading back to New York to finish off the World Series. It was unfair to expect them to win three straight games in Philly, especially with Cliff Lee starting one of the three games. It was also unrealistic to expect Yankees starters to continue pitching into the 7th inning in every postseason start. One of these was going to come eventually, it just happened to be A.J. Burnett who didn’t have his good stuff. Of course, the 40-million dollar question is: Would he have pitched better on full rest?

No one can know for sure. Burnett is capable of being as wild as he was last night on four days rest. His start could have been identical in Game 6. Or maybe it wouldn’t have been. Maybe an extra day of rest would have allowed his body to correct whatever mechanical flaw that didn’t allow him to have any command. The fact he was still hitting 93/94 on the radar gun is no proof that short rest didn’t hurt his performance. Fatigue can affect command the same way it affects velocity. What’s truly confusing is Girardi’s method of talking to the pitchers and seeing how they feel before making a decision on whether to start them on short rest. Logically, it makes sense. But does anyone really think that any of these pitchers will tell Girardi that he can’t pitch on three days rest? Would Andy Pettitte ever in a million years, not volunteer to pitch a Game 6 of the World Series and hand the ball to someone else? Whether they feel fine or not, these pitchers are going to tell Girardi they’re fine and ready to pitch.

The really scary part of all this is that the Yankees now have to rely on a 37 year old with a history of elbow problems to pitch on three days rest. It wasn’t long ago that Pettitte had to shut it down for a couple weeks with a dead arm. Granted, he’s had tons of rest since then, but there’s no way to know how he will react to pitching on short rest. Then, if Pettitte doesn’t get it done, it will be up to C.C. Sabathia who will be pitching on short rest for the second consecutive start. He’s been great all postseason, but this is more stress than his arm has taken all year long. Plus, the bullpen hasn’t shown any propensity for picking the starter up and shutting a team down over multiple innings.

This scenario is scary. It’s the reason Chad Gaudin should have been slid in to pitch either Game 4 or Game 5. Every Yankees fan would feel much more comfortable today if their starters were pitching on normal rest in Games 3 and 4. They had been so good all postseason and this change in their routine could foul up their performance.

That’s why these last two games are going to be on the Yankees offense. This vaunted lineup is going to have to win one of these last two games on their own. The Phillies rotation is so screwed up they don’t even know who is going to pitch in games 6 and 7. Can Pedro Martinez muster anything on just four days rest? Now that the Yankees have seen him once, expecting a lot from him in a second start would be foolish. Cole Hamels, apparently, just wants the season to be over already. Would you trust a guy that said that to pitch a Game 7 of the World Series? That’s rhetorical, by the way.

The Phillies bullpen hasn’t been much better. Chan Ho Park is one of their go to guys for goodness sakes. They don’t even know who their closer is right now. Ryan Madson struggled in the role last night, and it’s pretty obvious Brad Lidge is back in the doghouse.

The Yankees offense needs to put up a ten spot. The full lineup will be in there for Game 6, with Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hitting 5th and 6th. Robinson Cano is actually making better contact. Only Mark Teixeira looks absolutely lost. The Yankees have scored 22 runs in their last three games, tying their best streak of the postseason. The Phillies are not going to throw out world-beaters in either game at Yankees Stadium.

The offense can make Girardi’s controversial decision to use his starters on three days rest moot. Otherwise, if the starting pitching falls apart in Games 6 and 7, the Yankees manager will have a lot explaining to do in the offseason.

Schmeelk Snippets

Brett Gardner looked awfully tentative at the plate last night. If he sees a pitch he likes early in the count, he needs to swing at it. He was at 0-2 or 1-2 in every at-bat last night.

The formula for Game 6 has to be Pettitte for six, and then use Chamberlain and Marte to get as many outs as possible before going to the closer. Mariano Rivera for two innings isn’t realistic with Game 7 the next night, but 4 outs should be doable. Phil Hughes still can’t be trusted. He has lost all confidence in his fastball. Last night, he threw a lot more curves than he usually does.

It’s my guess Pedro Martinez goes one of the last two games of this series and J.A. Happ the other. Pitching Happ in Game 6 to give Martinez an extra day of rest before Game 7 is a possibility. With the extra rest or not, the Yankees should have a lot more success against the junk Pedro is throwing out there after already seeing him once this series. If we see Cole Hamels again in this series, I’d be shocked.

I haven’t seen a player as annoyed in a postgame interview as Phil Coke was last night in a long time. He should have been. Without those two home runs the Yankees might have won that game.

Chase Utley is the fastest guy to an inside pitch that I’ve seen in a long time. His swing is quick, and compact. Only throw him breaking balls off the plate outside the rest of the series.

Finally, Yankees fans, you need to step up in Game 6 at the Stadium. The volume and enthusiasm the Philly fans showed in their home ballpark should have embarrassed all the Yankees fans at Games 1 and 2. The crowds were dead. I’ll be in my seats for Games 6 and 7. I’m going to be loud. All other Yankees fans need to be as well.