The Angels actually got on the board first when Bobby Abreu hit an RBI single in the third inning. However, the Yankees got the lead for good in the fourth. Johnny Damon hit a two-run single and then Rodriguez drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Derek Jeter.

Pettitte pitched 6.1 innings and allowed only one earned run while scattering seven hits and striking out six batters. Mariano Rivera pitched the final two innings to notch his second save of the series.

The Angels simply couldn’t get Rodriguez out. A-Rod was 2-2 with three walks. For the series, Rodriguez hit .429 and had an on-base percentage of .567.

In the 2009 World Series, the Yankees will take on the Philadelphia Phillies. In Game 1 of the World Series, the Yankees will send C.C. Sabathia to the mound, while the Phillies will counter with Cliff Lee.

Alex Rodriguez - New York Yankees (Image: Zuma Press)

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If the Yankees decide to go with the three-man rotation, the rotation will consist of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte.

“We are definitely considering possibly going to a three-man rotation in this round,” said Girardi, “but we’ll have to take a look at it and see how it goes.”

The biggest risk of going with the three-man rotation is Sabathia’s health. The Yankees have a ton of money invested in Sabathia and if he gets injured trying to pitch on shortened rest, that could be a catastrophic mistake.

Whoever is pitching for the Yankees will face a tall task. The Los Angels Angels have a fantastic lineup. In fact, stats point to the Angels having one of the deepest lineups in the history of baseball.

Can C.C. Sabathia handle the load? (Image: Zuma Press)

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In the seventh inning, Pettitte still was going strong with his perfect game. But Hairston committed an error on a ground ball with two outs to end the perfect game bid. The next batter, Nick Markakis, hit a single to end the no-hitter.

Pettitte, who has never had a no-hitter in his career, admitted after the game to getting excited about the possibilities.

Said Pettitte: “After the fifth inning, I kind of started thinking about it a little bit. It was cool. You can’t not with the fans; it seemed almost like we were at home, the fans were getting into it so much.”

Even though Pettitte didn’t get the perfect game, he did get the win as the Yankees took home a 5-1 victory. Pettitte bettered his record to 12-6 and lowered his ERA to 4.03.

You can watch Jerry Hairston Jr. error at ESPN.

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In the contract, $5.5 million of the money is guaranteed. The rest of the $6.5 million is available via performance bonuses. The bonuses are reportedly tied to the amount of time Pettitte is on the active roster next season.

In 2008, Pettitte had a decent yet unspectacular season. He had a 14-14 record and an ERA of 4.54. That ERA was Pettitte’s worst since the 1999 season with the Yankees.

Pettitte is expected to be in New York’s starting rotation alongside returning pitchers Joba Chamberlain and Chien-Ming Wang, and free agent signings CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett.

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Manny Ramirez
A lot of insiders have expected the New York Mets to make a run at Manny Ramirez but that doesn’t appear to be happening. The Mets instead are looking around for pitching. Ramirez looks like he has a couple suitors, with the San Francisco Giants showing the most interest. A new darkhorse? The Texas Rangers.

Ivan Rodriguez
The interesting news about Ivan Rodriguez is that there is virtually no news. The future Hall of Famer hasn’t drawn much attention from anyone and his hopes of landing a starting gig appear to be declining by the day.

Randy Wolf
Right now, it appears as if the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to win the Randy Wolf sweepstakes. The other team to show a lot of interest was the Mets, who might actually prefer Wolf if Oliver Perez asks for too much money.

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Last season, Pettitte had a solid campaign for New York. As one of the team’s few steady starters, Pettitte was 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA. The bad news is that the 4.54 ERA was his highest since 1999.

At 36, Pettitte could very well have a few years of good pitching in his arm. With pitchers such as Randy Johnson getting contracts who are almost a decade older than Pettitte, it would be surprising to see Pettitte not get another solid offer during the offseason.

There’s even talk that the Yankees may make another offer to keep Pettitte. At one point it was rumored that the Yankees were only going to make one offer — but those rumors have changed in recent days. There’s a chance New York could offer him more money or even a second guaranteed season.

Photo credit: Newscom

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-With the Angels turning their attention to Sabathia, some baseball insiders are wondering if the team has given up on the idea of re-signing Mark Teixeira. If that’s the case, Teixeira will likely end up either with the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees. However, don’t overlook his hometown Baltimore Orioles or the Washington Nationals.

-Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek reportedly got a one-year offer from Boston. If that’s true, that may be a sign that the Red Sox are looking to move on without him. There are rumors that the Red Sox may be looking to trade for one of the many young catchers in the Texas Rangers system if Varitek signs elsewhere.

-Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros has been rumored. However, the latest rumor has Pettitte considering the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Joe Torre in LA, it’s certainly possible that he can convince Pettitte to give the West Coast a chance.

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Wang has been the Yankees pitching ace the last few years. This season, he has arguably been the team’s best pitcher. Wang has a record of 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA. In both 2006 and 2007, Wang had 19 wins for New York.

With Wang out, the Yankees will have to rely on starters Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain to carry the load.

Chien-Ming Wang Injury – New York Yankees Pitcher

Photo: Newscom

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The Yankees are now 20-22 and in last place in the AL East. The Rays, with a record of 24-17, are in first place.

How can the Yankees turn save their season?

1. Get Healthy
The Yankees are dealing with a number of injuries at the moment. Most prominently, the team is without Hall of Fame third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez has a strained quadriceps that has kept him out of the lineup for the entire month of May. In that time, Rodriguez has only been seen choking in the delivery room. Besides Rodriguez, veteran catcher Jorge Posada and young starter Phil Hughes are also battling injuries. Posada has a shoulder injury, while Hughes has a broken rib.

2. Get Hitting
The Bronx Bombers are more like the Bronx Bunters this year. No player on the team is having that great of a season at the plate. Jason Giambi leads the team with seven homeruns – but he also has a batting average of .184. Veterans like Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter are having decent but not great seasons. Young players like Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera haven’t lived up to their potential. The Yankees need a hot bat to emerge.

3. Get Pitching Depth
Chien-Ming Wang has been very good for the Yankees this year. Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte have had their ups and downs but overall they have been good enough. The problem is the rest of the rotation is in shambles. The Yankees were hoping that Hughes and Ian Kennedy could be the other two starts, but Hughes is hurt and Kennedy has been ineffective. Whether it’s a trade or a young pitcher stepping up, the Yankees need a more balanced rotation.

4. Get Torre?
While the Yankees are struggling, Joe Torre has the Los Angeles Dodgers at 21-19. Could the Yankees be showing signs of missing Torre? Perhaps. George Steinbrenner and his twin son Hank Steinbrenner won’t give current manager Joe Girardi as much leeway as they gave Torre. If the Yankees don’t turn it around ASAP, Girardi might be sent packing.

Does Joe Girardi Hear Joe Torre’s Footsteps?

Photo: Newscom

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