Phillies, Pedro have chance to shut up Yankees, New York Post

This is getting old isn’t it? The New York Post continues to give journalism a bad name, doctoring photos and using nicknames from half a decade ago. Does New York want to live in the past? Soon they be forced to. Does anyone remember the last time they rooted for the Boston Red Sox? You know, before the fans became as cocky as their New York counterparts. That would be 2004. During the ALCS to be exact. That was when the Yankees choked on a three-game lead and the Red Sox forced a Game 7 and eventually went on to win the ALCS and World Series.

Both the New York Post, and the Philadelphia Daily News feature Pedro Martinez, the Phillies Game 6 pitcher. Obviously Pedro is in the spotlight because this is the biggest game of the season for the Phils, but despite Pedro showing up on the roster in mid-July, there is no one better to be filling the role. Pedro Martinez is a big game pitcher that isn’t really intimidated by anything, especially not bandwagon Yankee fans chanting “Daddy” while he’s on the mound.

The Phillies have a real opportunity here with a masterful pitcher on the mound who has pitched well in both of his postseason starts this year. What he needs is support from his teammates at the plate. Chase Utley can only hit so many home runs (although with one more he takes sole possession of the all-time lead for home runs in a World Series). Ryan Howard needs to figure out his slump fast so he can help save the season. Pedro Feliz, Raul Ibañez, Chooch, they all need to continue swinging the hot bat if the Phillies want at a Game 7 tomorrow.

The Phillies will need a complete team effort tonight to figure out the Yankees best big-game pitcher; Andy Pettite. Although he’s pitching on short rest, Pettite has good stuff and the Phillies will need to pull all the tricks out of the bag. If they do win tonight, the pressure clearly all falls on the New York Yankees, and if the Phillies win a Game 7 against C.C. Sabathia on short rest, then maybe the New York Post will have a new name for their team: the Tankees.