Lee shuts down Yankees as Phillies take lead in the World Series

Cliff Lee and the Phillies were all smiles after beating the Yankees 6-1 in Game 1 of the World Series. (Icon SMI)

By Lindyssports.com staff

Cliff Lee, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez came up big and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Yankees 6-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the World Series.

The game featured two aces going against each other in a rematch of the first game at the new Yankee Stadium back on April 16 when the Cleveland Indians with Cliff Lee on the mound beat CC Sabathia and the Yankees 10-2.

This time Lee was pitching with a better team around him on a slightly bigger stage than that game back in April.

The best example of the night for Lee was when Robinson Cano led off the bottom of the eighth inning for the Yankees. Cano hit a sharp ground ball headed over the mound for center field, but it never got there. Without time to turn out of his follow-through, Lee just stuck his glove behind his back and the ball found it. Lee calmly threw to first for the out and then let a little smile cross his face.

It was Lee’s night. He pitched a complete game, striking out ten and walking nobody while holding the Yankees to just six hits. It was only the second time the Yankees had been shut out in their new stadium.

Chase Utley gave Lee all the run support he would need with a home run in the third inning off Sabathia. Earlier Utley had drawn a walk in his first plate appearance, which gave him a Major League streak of 26 consecutive postseason games in which he had reached base. His walk did no damage. His home run did.

Just to make sure Lee could breathe a little easier, Utley homered again in the sixth inning off the big Yankee lefthander for a 2-0 lead.

“I was able to get to pitches to hit and I didn’t miss them,” Utley said. Then he gave kudos to his pitcher.

“Cliff Lee pitched great tonight. They have a good offense. He has to be proud of himself tonight,” Utley added.

By the time the Phillies put it away, Sabathia was gone. Phil Hughes came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and promptly walked the only two batters he faced. Yankee manager Joe Girardi went to his bullpen for Domaso Marte and then David Robertson, who gave up a bases loaded single to Ibanez to make it 4-0. The Phillies added two more in the ninth inning.

The Yankees finally mounted a little rally in the bottom of the ninth after Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon singled. Mark Teixeira grounded up the middle for the force on Damon, but Rollins’ throw to first was wild and Jeter came home to break the shutout with an unearned run.

With Teixeira at second base, Alex Rodriguez struck out for the third time in the game and Jorge Posada fanned for the final out.

Lee explained how he dominated the Yankees.

“Working ahead, mixing speeds and staying out of the heart of the plate,” he said. “When I did get behind, I was able to make good pitches and make them hit it at someone. It’s a tough lineup to pitch to. If you keep them in the yard, you’re doing pretty good.”

The Phillies will send Pedro Martinez in Game 2 while the Yankees will counter with A.J. Burnett.