World Series: Ring, ring, ring X 27

PHILADELPHIA -  History is ringing again.

Following Sunday's 7-4 win against the Phillies in Game 4, the Yankees are one victory away from winning the 2009 World Series championship and picking up their 27th world championship even if everybody in pinstripes refuses to talk about it.

The Yankees lead the series, 3-1 but somehow it feels like it's 0-0.

Welcome to cliche city. Ask the Yankees and they'll say they are "in the moment." They are "playing one game at a time." They are "Not thinking about the future."

But ask Yankees fans and they'll say the moment is now.  Well, the moment will come Monday night.

"It feels good to win this game but we have to come out tomorrow night and try to win again," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "Every game is big. We have yet to accomplish anything.  Our mindset is to come out here and play the game to win."

Win is what the Yankees have done the last three games against the defending champs. Why not make it four in a row?

"We've never given up," closer Mariano Rivera said. "We have the type of team that never quits.  We've worked hard all year and been working since Spring Training to get to this moment. "

The Yankees have enjoyed the moments. On Sunday, the Yankees led 4-2 after five innings but the Phillies tied the game at 4 after eight innings. In the top of the ninth, the Yankees added three runs behind the heroics of Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez.

"It feels good, but again, we've been down this road before, and we have to stay very focused," Rodriguez said. "Those guys are the world champs.  We're going to come out fighting, and so are we, so just staying in the moment."

Monday's moment belongs to starter A.J. Burnett, who is pitching on short rest, and Phillies starter Cliff Lee. You can argue the spotlight belongs to Burnett's personal catcher Jose Molina.

Yes, Molina won a World Series title with the Angels in 2002, but he played sparingly and was primarily known back then as Bengie's little brother.

Molina says he's not nervous and he's not too excited. Yankees fans want to believe him. All of Puerto Rico wants to believe one its favorite sons.

"For me, I'm taking it as another game and play my game," Molina said. "I'm going to look at it as a regular season game and do my job. "

Forgive Molina if he sounds cocky. He expects great things from Burnett and he should.  In four career starts on short rest, the right-hander is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA. In his last outing, Burnett outdueled Phillies star Pedro Martinez.

"I've waited a long time for it, and I'm going to take it full stride," Burnett said. "I'm going to go out there with everything I've got, and you take nothing for granted.  I've seen some crazy things this postseason, and I guess that's why they call it postseason baseball, because anything can happen."

"But you've got a great lineup over there, and we're going up against Cliff," he continued. "So I'm just going to try to go pitch for pitch against him and keep our squad in it.  But I'm looking forward to it and can't wait."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi is probably just as excited. He's just not expressing it.

Yet.

"As far as thinking about one game, all I think about is playing a good game Monday,"  Girardi said. "Go out and play a good game tomorrow and let's see where we're at.  Continue to play the type of baseball that we're capable of playing."

Ring, ring, ring.