The Philadelphia Phillies will look to stave off elimination as they host the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series. First pitch is 7:57 pm ET at BroburySports.com.
Philadelphia, trailing 3-1 in the series, is -140 favorites at BroburySports.com. The Over/Under is 8.5 runs.
New York took Games 3 and 4 in Philly after splitting the first two in the Bronx. The latest blow came last night in the 9th inning when Alex Rodriguez hit a go-ahead double off closer Brad Lidge. The Yanks eventually won 7-4.
Philly will now try to become the first team since the 1985 Kansas City Royals to rally from a 3-1 World Series deficit. Only six teams out of 42 have accomplished the feat.
That seems remote with Games 6 and 7 in New York. However, the Phillies at least have a good shot of extending the series and the odds reflect that.
The hopes of Philadelphia rest on Cliff Lee. He pitched an absolute gem in Game 1, winning 6-1. Lee pitched nine innings, throwing 122 pitches and giving up no earned runs.
Lee doesn’t overpower hitters, but he’s able to effectively mix pitches and speeds, plus get hitters out with great location. Lee is 3-0 with a ridiculous .54 ERA in four postseason starts. Another tremendous performance is vital for the Phils’ chances.
Going for New York is A.J. Burnett. He had a great performance of his own in Game 2, allowing just one earned run over seven innings. The Yankees won that game 3-1, finally getting to Pedro Martinez and tying up the series.
The big question for Burnett is how will the raucous Philly fans affect him? He got banged around in his only postseason road start in Los Angeles, giving up six earned runs in six innings.
Burnett’s splits also show that his road ERA (4.59) is a full run higher than at home (3.51). His batting average against is .264 on the road, compared to .229 at Yankee Stadium.
Burnett is also pitching on three days rest for the first time this season. Last regular season with Toronto, he was 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA on short rest.
Can the Phillies get to Burnett and stay alive for one more game?
Bet on it at BroburySports.com!