Yankee Celebration

AP-Paint the town in pinstripes! Nearly a decade after their dynasty ended on a blooper in the desert, the New York Yankees are baseball’s best again.

Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs, Andy Pettitte won on short rest and New York beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 on Wednesday night, finally seizing that elusive 27th title. It was the team’s first since winning three straight from 1998-2000.

Matsui powered a quick rout of old foe Pedro Martinez – and when Mariano Rivera got the final out it was ecstasy in the Bronx for George Steinbrenner’s go-for-broke bunch.

What a way for Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and crew to christen their $1.5 billion ballpark: One season, one championship.

And to think it capped a season that started in turmoil – a steroids scandal involving A-Rod, followed by hip surgery that kept him out until May.
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This guy is horrible!! But hey, we will take it because he screwed over Nick Swisher in the same game. This dude is garbage. He should not be umping in the playoffs ever again!!

Yankees' CC Sabathia vs Angels--Washington Post

The Yankees definitely came to play tonight as they routed the Angels 10-1 to take a series lead 3-1. CC Sabathia was lights out and could not be touched. He only gave up one run in eight innings of well executed baseball. The pitch he used the most to shut down the Angels…his power changeup.

Alex Rodriguez also seems to be wanting a World Series ring. He showed up big tonight with three hits and three runs, while Melky Cabrera knocked in four runs of his own. With dominating pitching and hitting, the Yankees have taken a commanding lead in this series.

In the eight innings that featured CC Sabathia on the bump, the Angels were only able to muster up five hits, while between innings, Sabathia could be seen yawning in the dugout as if it was nothing.

Even with only thee days of rest, Yankees‘ manager Joe Girardi knew Sabathia might not have his best stuff, but he chose Sabathia over inexperienced Chad Gaudin or struggling Joba Chamberlain. The choice ended paying off for the Yankees and Girardi.

By FRED GOODALL (AP)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs in a 10-run sixth to help the playoff-bound New York Yankees finish the regular season with a 10-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Wade Davis, giving the AL East champions a 3-2 lead. He added his 18th career grand slam later in the inning after Andy Sonnanstine issued an intentional walk to league co-home run champion Mark Teixiera to load the bases.

New York, preparing to open the playoffs at home against Detroit or Minnesota on Wednesday or Thursday, finished with a 103-59 record, its best since 103-58 in 2002.

Tampa Bay dropped to 84-78 after going 97-65 last year and reaching the World Series for the first time.

A-Rod moved into a tie with Mark McGwire for eighth on the career list with 583 homers. It also gave him at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the 13th time — including the past 12 seasons — despite missing the first month with a hip injury.

A.J. Burnett (13-9) pitched five innings for the victory, enabling the Yankees to avoid a weekend sweep.

Joba Chamberlain, who could be headed for the bullpen for the first round of the playoffs, tossed a perfect inning in relief as manager Joe Girardi continued preparing for the postseason.

A year after making an improbable run to the American League pennant, the Rays finished 19 games behind the Yankees in the division. Evan Longoria scored both of the runs off Burnett, hitting his 33rd homer in the first and racing home on a passed ball to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead in the fifth.

Rookies Davis (2-2), Jeff Niemann and David Price combined for 25 wins and are part of the reason the Rays are optimistic about their prospects of returning to the top of the AL East in 2010.

The 24-year-old right-hander limited the Yankees to three singles over the first five innings, then couldn’t get anyone out in the sixth. Johnny Damon began New York’s big inning with a double and later helped keep it alive for A-Rod with a two-run double off Sonnanstine that made it 6-2.

The previous AL record of six RBIs in an inning was accomplished 12 times, most recently by Boston’s David Ortiz on Aug. 12, 2008.

Rodriguez was sidelined until May 8 after hip surgery, then homered on the first pitch he saw from Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie. He began Sunday with 28 homers and 93 RBIs.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner visited with the team for about an hour in the clubhouse before the game and later said he’s “excited” about the playoffs, which will start later this week.

The 79-year-old Steinbrenner made the trip to Tropicana Field from his home in nearby Tampa for the second time this season. He also met with the players before the Yankees‘ 6-2 win in St. Petersburg on July 29.

Steinbrenner attended the opener at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16 and is expected to be on hand for some of New York’s home playoff games.