Yankees back in World Series

Pettitte stellar again in ALCS Game 6 as New York wins, 5-2

NEW YORK -- There is no face more familiar to those who watch playoff baseball than that of Andy Pettitte. For a decade and a half now, the camera has been zooming in on it -- 237 1/3 innings' worth of October close-ups. Even now, you can see it -- the dark eyes peering out between the brim of his cap and the tip of his black glove, the 5 o'clock shadow, the dimpled chin, the head-nod at the start of that long, muscular delivery.

The game that returned the New York Yankees to the World Series -- a 5-2 victory over the self-destructive Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series -- ended, fittingly, with another familiar face of Octobers past, that of closer Mariano Rivera, who collected the last of his six outs at 12:01 a.m., then buried his face in the embrace of catcher Jorge Posada.

But it began where so many Yankee victories this time of year have begun -- though not so many of late -- with Pettitte, the veteran left-hander, on the mound, eating innings, getting the game to Rivera, carrying the Yankees onward.

"I don't care how many times you've been there," said shortstop Derek Jeter, who, along with Pettitte, Rivera and Posada, represents the old guard of Yankees who were around during the late-1990s dynasty years. "It always feels good."

And so, the Yankees are back in the World Series for the 40th time in franchise history, but the first time since 2003. They will meet the NL-champion Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, in a delicious battle of ace left-handers: Philadelphia's Cliff Lee and New York's CC Sabathia.

"It's really not a surprise we're here," said Sabathia, named the series' MVP. "I hate to sound like that, but this is a really good team."

Thanks to Saturday night's rainout, the Yankees could have chosen to skip Pettitte on Sunday night and turn to Sabathia, on full rest. It was largely Pettitte's history -- as well as the Yankees' hopes of saving Sabathia for Game 1 of the World Series -- that made the Yankees resist the temptation.

Pettitte's victory Sunday night was his 16th in the postseason, the most all-time. It was also the fifth time he had won a clinching game in the playoffs, also a record. He has made more than full season's worth of postseason starts in his career -- Sunday night's was his 38th (yet another record), dating from Game 2 of the 1995 AL Division Series.

"This is what he's been doing his whole career," Jeter said of Pettitte. "You want to see him on the mound, because you know he's not going to be fazed."

The Yankees stranded six base runners in the first three innings against Angels lefty Joe Saunders -- a product of West Springfield High and Virginia Tech -- the frustration from the crowd of 50,173 bursting forth in groans and stifled screams.

By the fourth inning, however, the combination of chewing gum, gauze and masking tape Saunders was using to hold back the Yankees' relentless offense finally gave way. He was left in to face seven batters in the inning -- with the Angels praying his sinker would deliver a double-play grounder -- but retired only one, that on a sacrifice bunt.

Finally, when Saunders walked Alex Rodriguez with the bases loaded -- the 3-1 pitch for ball four was a borderline strike on the inside corner, and Saunders glared incredulously at home plate umpire Dale Scott after the call -- Angels Manager Mike Scioscia finally made his way to the mound with the hook.