Pedro Martinez threw the kitchen sink at the New York Yankees, holding them to one run through five-plus innings, but a sixth inning solo homer from Hideki Matsui turned out to be enough to even the 2009 World Series at one game apiece. As much as the story was Martinez, A.J. Burnett was even better, giving up one run on four hits with nine strikeouts and just two walks. Burnett got even stronger as the game progressed. Matt Stairs singled home Raul Ibanez in the second inning on a two-out hit that went underneath the glove of Alex Rodriguez at third base. Mark Teixeira tied the game with a solo shot to deep right center in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Yankees received an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when Jerry Hairston led off the inning with a base hit. Brett Gardner was brought in as a pinch runner and Melky Cabrera singled him third on a hit-and-run play. Jorge Posada then pinch hit for Jose Molina and hit a line drive single right up the middle. Joe Girardi elected to bring Mariano Rivera in during the eighth inning and he closed out the win despite allowing base runners in each of his two innings of work.

Cliff Lee outdueled CC Sabathia, Chase Utley homered twice and the Phillies beat the Yankees 6-1 on a misty Wednesday night in the World Series opener, as reported by the Associated Press. The defending champion Phillies shut down the Yankee line-up in the first Series game at the new billion-dollar Yankee Stadium.

The New York Yankees finally cashed in with their first pennant in six years Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the AL championship series behind the pitching of Andy Pettitte, as reported by the Associated Press. New York hosts the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series opener Wednesday night. Cliff Lee is expected to face Yankees ace CC Sabathia.

The Angels have a long history of quality starting pitching, but nobody has been as consistently effective since 2002 as John Lackey. In the biggest start of his career since Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, Lackey gave the Angels exactly what they needed to stay alive in the ALCS while trailing 3-1, well, at least for six-plus innings. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon got consecutive singles to lead off the game against Lackey and there was a ?here we go again? feel in the warm California air, but Mark Teixeira struck out looking, Alex Rodriguez popped out in foul territory and Hideki Matsui bounced out to first to leave the Angels unscathed. In the bottom of the inning, Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu reached base, but unlike the Yankees, the middle of their lineup delivered in the form of a two-run RBI single from Torii Hunter and an RBI double from Vladimir Guerrero. Kendry Morales then singled just over the leaping Jeter to drive in Guerrero to make it a 4-0 game before A.J. Burnett could even muster his first out, which came when Maicer Izturis flew out to right center field. Burnett managed to induce Juan Rivera into a double play to close out the nightmare first inning. After Melky Cabrera singled with one out in the top of the fifth, Joe Girardi inserted Jorge Posada as a pinch hitter for Jose Molina to end his night as Burnett?s personal catcher, but Lackey fooled him with a fastball to strike Posada out looking. Despite continuing to have general trouble with his command, Burnett put zeroes on the board from the second inning until the sixth to keep the Yankees within striking distance. Rodriguez extended his playoff hit streak to 10 games in the top of the sixth with a two-out double off the wall in right center. After walking Matsui, Lackey got a ground ball to shortstop from Robinson Cano to preserve the shutout at that point. At that point it looked like the Yankees were destined to go quietly into the night back to New York for Game 6, but everything changed in the top of the seventh. Melky Cabrera doubled down the right field line with one out, followed by a Posada walk on a questionable ball four call that appeared to catch the corner low and inside. The typically fiery Lackey came off the mound demonstratively and appeared rattled when he subsequently walked Jeter on four pitches to load the bases. Damon then flew out to shallow center, which held Cabrera at third, but ended Lackey?s night when Mike Scioscia opted for Darren Oliver out of the bullpen. On the very first pitch Teixeira saw, he clobbered a bases clearing double to left center, making it a 4-3 game. Coming into the Teixeira at bat, Oliver had been one of the most valuable members of the Angels during the playoffs. Oliver intentionally walked Rodriguez, but Matsui singled to right, driving in Teixeira from second base and making it a brand new ball game at 4-4. With reliever Ryan Jepsen on the mound, Cano took a 1-1 curve to right center for a two RBI triple, giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead. Swisher flew out to left field, stranding Cano and concluding a shocking nightmare inning for the Angels. Burnett gave up a hit to the still red-hot Jeff Mathis to lead off the seventh, followed by a walk to Erick Aybar, which prompted Joe Girardi to call Damaso Marte from the bullpen. Figgins sacrificed Mathis and Aybar to third and second respectively on the first offering from Marte, bringing up Abreu with one out. On a 1-1 pitch, Abreu hit a dribbler to Teixeira that brought in Mathis to bring the game to 6-5, but became the second out of the inning. Phil Hughes then came in out of the bullpen and walked Hunter on five pitches to put runners on the corner to face Guerrero. After taking the count to 1-2 with a wicked curveball, Hughes delivered a 95 MPH fastball down the heart of the plate that Guerrero dribbled up the middle just past the diving Jeter for an RBI single that tied the game at 6-6. Morales then singled through the hole between Cano and Teixeira on a 3-1 pitch that brought Hunter in from second to give the Angels back the lead at 7-6. Hughes then struck out Izturis on a curve that got away from Posada, but he chased it down in time to throw down to first to end the inning and prevent Guerrero from scoring. Jered Weaver worked a perfect eighth inning, striking out Jeter swinging to keep the Yankees stuck at six. To lead off the bottom of the seventh, Joba Chamberlain gave up a double to Juan Rivera, who came into the at bat with a .100 average in the ALCS. After unsuccessfully attempting to bunt twice, Mathis eventually struck out swinging, making an unproductive out and ending his streak of consecutive hits at six. Aybar reached safely on a weakly hit ball to Cano, moving pinch runner Reggie Willits to third. With an off day Friday, Girardi decided to go with his best bet to keep the Yankees at a one-run deficit by bringing in Mariano Rivera. On an 0-1 pitch to Figgins, Aybar took second base to move into scoring position. After working the count to 2-2, Figgins hit the ball hart to right but shallow enough for Swisher to keep Willits at third. Abreu then came to the plate in another big two-out with runners in scoring position situation, but flew out to center to strand runners on second and third. Brian Fuentes came out of the bullpen to begin the ninth, with the job of retiring Damon, Teixiera and Rodriguez. Damon was retired on a 1-1 line drive hit directly to Morales. Teixeira jumped on a first pitch fastball, but got under it and flew out right field. Scioscia decided to take the bat out of Rodriguez?s hands again with two outs in the ninth by ordering an intentional walk. Matsui worked a full count walk on a pitch that just missed the corner away. With runners on first and second, Fuentes faced another left in Cano, but hit him on an 0-1 curveball that didn?t curve. Swisher worked the count to 3-2 in a seven-pitch at bat before popping out to shallow left center to leave the bases loaded. Leadoff Success Yankees: 1st, 4th, Angels: 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th