It felt like old times at the new stadium:
A sliver of time for other teams is an epoch for the Yankees, who define themselves by championships. For eight seasons, they led the majors in victories, payroll and drama. They built a ballpark, created a network and expanded their brand around the globe. But they did not win the World Series.
Now they have done it. There is a 27th jewel in the Yankees’ crown and a peaceful, easy feeling across their empire. The Yankees captured their first title since 2000, humbling the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, 7-3, in Game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Hideki Matsui homered and drove in six runs to tie a World Series record, and Andy Pettitte ground through five and two-thirds innings for his second victory in five days. Mariano Rivera collected the final five outs, retiring Shane Victorino on a groundout to end it.
It was the eighth anniversary of Rivera’s lowest moment, when he blew Game 7 of the 2001 World Series in Arizona. The Yankees lost the World Series again two years later, to Florida, and they did not return until this season, fortifying their roster with free agents around the core of Rivera, Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.
Pettitte became the second pitcher to win all three clinching games of a postseason. The other was Boston’s Derek Lowe in 2004, when the Yankees lost a three-games-to-none lead to the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, fumbling away a pennant and plunging into a postseason funk.
The World Series MVP went to Hideki Matsui who tied a Major League Record for most RBI’s in a single post-season game.
Congratulations Yankees ! Now, let’s start working on No. 28 !
