This one was painful. It’s impossible to win a championship with only one consistent starting pitcher.
Despite all of the sluggers on both teams, it always comes down to pitching. Good pitching beats good hitting nearly every time.
The Yankees had the better starting pitching and of course they had the greatest closer in the history of Major League Baseeball, Mariano Rivera.
Phillies closer Brad Lidge was called on to get some outs in game 4 of the series he stumbled and lost that key game in the series, but every time the Yankees needed Rivera to do his thing he was like a machine.
He struggled throughout the season, regained his form in the playoffs, then reverted back to what we saw all year long.
Pedro Martinez didn’t have it last night. He had done a good job up until then but he just didn’t have and should have been pulled earlier than he was.
The guy who was capable of doing the job but was off his game was last year’s World Series MVP Cole Hamels. He should be able to get his game back together because he’s so young.
If the Phils go into the postseason next year with a consistent Hamels and the team’s new number one starter Cliff Lee, they would be nearly impossible to beat.
They must also make some decision about their closer. I could see them turning the job over to Ryan Madson. He’s got the stuff to be a closer, all he needs is the mentality which I think he can develop.
