Yankees’ World Series Game 6 Hopes Hinge on Pettitte

The New York Yankees are back at their Bronx ballpark and can close out their 27th World Series title behind a pitcher with the most postseason wins in Major League Baseball history.

The Yankees hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and have Andy Pettitte pitching Game 6 tonight against the defending-champion Philadelphia Phillies , who will start with Pedro Martinez.

The Yankees, who had the best home record in baseball this season at their $1.5 billion stadium, can become just the second team in 86 years to win a World Series in their first year in a new ballpark. Of the team’s previous 26 titles, the last of which came in 2000, only nine were clinched at Yankee Stadium.

“This is the place we want to close it out,” Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said yesterday. “We’re here in front of our home fans, a place where we feel extremely comfortable, and we want to go out and do this.”

The series returned to New York after the Phillies ended a three-game losing skid two days ago in Philadelphia. It’s the first time since 2003 that the World Series has been extended to six games. The previous five ended in four or five games, the longest such streak in history.

“These guys are the champs, they’re not going to lay down for us,” said Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, who would pitch in the decisive seventh game tomorrow, if needed. “But we have a lot of experience in this clubhouse in these situations, so it’s up to us to get it done.”

Pettitte in the Playoffs

Pettitte has more World Series experience than all but one starting pitcher in history, former Yankee Whitey Ford. Pettitte’s 17 postseason wins are the most all-time, as are his five victories in series-clinching games.

The 37-year-old Pettitte was the winning pitcher as the Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the playoffs and again when they beat the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Championship Series.

“To be able to hopefully pitch the game that will bring a 27th world championship to this organization, to this city, this is what we set out to do,” Pettitte said. “I just feel very fortunate to have this opportunity.”

Las Vegas oddsmakers give the Yankees a 66 percent chance of winning tonight’s game, said RJ Bell, president of Las Vegas- based handicapping information Web site betrepublic . They’re given an 87 percent chance to win the series, as a bettor would have to wager $650 to earn $100, plus the initial stake.

Two-Thirds

Of the past 60 teams to hold a 3-2 World Series lead, 40 have gone on to win the title.

“We took two of three (games) on the world champions’ home field. We feel pretty good about that,” Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira said. “Now we’re in the same spot as we were in the ALCS, coming back home with a chance to close it out.”

This is the 24th time a team has come home for Game 6 holding a 3-2 series lead. Nineteen of the previous 23 won the World Series, including the past six.

“Any time you have a close-out game, you want to close it out,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “But it takes more than wanting to do it. You have to execute, you have to have good at-bats, you have to do a lot of things. We had a chance in Game 5 and we didn’t get it done.”

The Yankees have lost their past three games with an opportunity to close out the World Series, having also lost Games 6 and 7 in 2001 against Arizona.

1979

The Phillies are seeking to become just the seventh team to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the World Series by winning the final two games on the road. The last to do so was the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees are 6-1 at home during the playoffs and have won 37 of their past 46 games at their new ballpark. Since the franchise opened the former Yankee Stadium with a championship in 1923, the only other team to win a World Series in its first year in a new stadium was the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals.

“Getting to play here on our home field, in front of the New York fans makes a ton of difference,” Yankee reliever David Robertson said in an interview. “It would be great to win a World Series here and a great start for this ballpark.”