I have this friend, and since the playoffs began he and I have been saying to each other, "There's just no way the Yankees can lose the World Series. They're just too good. I don't see any way around it." Then last night we were talking during the game and as Cliff Lee struck out Jorge Posada to secure the win he said to me, "I think the Phillies could beat them!"
Now, obviously the series is FAR from over, and I still believe the Yankees will probably end up winning the whole thing. But it's funny how it doesn't seem an imminent conclusion anymore. The Phillies have been playing and trash talking with confidence, so you know they believe they can do it. Those Phillies fans/Yankee haters who might not have felt the same way now have a reason to feel some confidence as well. And that's all based on one game, a game in which Cliff Lee pitched his way into my heart (check out Jayson Stark's ESPN.com story on him, it's great).
Another good postseason story begins tonight as Pedro Martinez takes the mound for the Phillies. I'm actually pretty excited to see how he does. Back when Pedro was on the Red Sox, which was back before I hated the Red Sox, I loved to watch him pitch. You know what I mean. He was brilliant. I lost track of him during his injured years with the Mets, but when he was sniffing around for a job before this season I hoped he might end up as an O (and for one awesome moment, he sort of did).
A.J. Burnett gets the start for the Yankees and honestly who knows what they'll get out of him. He could be great or awful, depending upon how the mood strikes him. The Angels knocked him around good in his last start but he was quite good the start before that. If he gets run out of the game early it'll be fun to see how the Yankees bullpen does.
Two last things. First, did you all hear about this chick who was offering sex for World Series tickets? Philly fans are hardcore! And second, I leave you with the Facebook status from a Yankee fan friend: If the Yankees are Pedro's Daddy, does that make Cliff Lee Pedro's grandfather?