World Series: Frillies?

NEW YORK - Yankees mystique and aura yielded to reality Wednesday night in the Bronx.
 The Phillies are the defending champs and that's not an accident.

It took a 6-1 loss in Game 1 of the World Series to remind everybody in the Yankees nation that this is not going to be an easy series. The Phillies are for real and the Yankees have a real fight on their hands.

"Obviously, they are the defending champs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They earned their World Series last year, and they earned their right to get back here this year.  They've played extremely well."

On Wednesday, Phillies Cliff Lee allowed one run for a complete game victory. It won't get any easier for the Yankees. On Tuesday, the Phillies will have Pedro Martinez to the mound for Game 2. The Yankees will counter with A.J. Burnett.

"A loss is going to happen," Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher said. "We have lost a game before and we know what to do. We are going to come back t the same time and be ready to go."

Expect both teams to be ready to go. As it turns out, neither team should really be considered the favorite in this series because it's too close to call.

Maybe Yankees fans already knew that fact. Maybe they didn't. The Yankees know how good the Yankees are.

Just ask anybody in the home clubhouse.

"We're a good team, too, and that's why you play a series," Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon said. "They won today and hopefully A.J. comes out and throws the way we know he can. Hopefully, our bats will be better.  We don't like this situation and we can't lose three more. We want to win four. It's one game, one loss and it's over with."
On Wednesday, the Yankees managed six hits against Lee. Six hits against Martinez and the Phillies might not be enough for a victory in Game 2.

Just ask anybody in the home clubhouse.

"The bottom line is we have to swing the bats better than we have," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "You move on further in the playoffs and it gets more and more difficult.  Pedro knows how to pitch. He's been pitching for a long time and he mixes it up.  He'll be ready. 

Every game at this point is critical."

The Yankees will be ready for Martinez. He is 11-11 with a 3.20 ERA in 32 career starts against them in the regular season, and was 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 career starts at the old Yankee Stadium.  He is 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in six postseason appearances against the Yankees, and is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in his past five.

Yes, the Yankees would have preferred to lead the series but will settle for a spilt in the first two games at Yankee Stadium. They definitely don't want to go into Philadelphia this weekend trailing, 2-0.

"You like to win the first one at home but it didn't work out the way we wanted," said Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who struck out three times Wednesday. "You have to have a short memory. Pedro is going to be ready to pitch so we will be ready for him."

The Phillies won by playing Yankees-style baseball. The pitching was strong, they hit home runs and they drove in runners with two outs.

Martinez will be waiting for them. He has something to prove to Yankees fans and New York media.

"I think in every aspect, the way you media guys have used me and abused me since I've been coming to Yankee Stadium , just because I wore actually a red uniform just like this one while playing for Boston. I remember quotes in the paper, "Here comes the man that New York loves to hate."  Man?  None of you have probably ever eaten steak with me or rice and beans with me to understand what the man is about.  You might say the player, the competitor, but the man?  You guys have abused my name.  You guys have said so many things, have written so many things."

"There was one time I remember when I was a free agent, there was talk that I might meet with Steinbrenner," Martinez continued. "One of your colleagues had me in the papers with horns and a tail, red horns and a tail.  That's a sign of the devil.  I'm a Christian man."

Martinez is also a warrior, something Yankees fans already knew. Now, everybody knows how good the rest of his team is.