Pettitte owns the postseason yet again

NEW YORK - The chant started softly in the sixth inning. But within a few repetitions, the entire stadium caught on. They said his name, over and over again, an ode to one of the greatest pitchers in postseason history.

Andy Pettitte was working on another chapter they would forever remember. He had done this in past Octobers and Novembers for the Yankees. Pettitte is the winningest pitcher in postseason history.

And in Game 6 of the 2009 World Series, pitching on three days rest, Pettitte helped deliver another championship.

The 37-year-old lefty allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the Yankees' 7-3 series-clinching victory over the Phillies. It was his 18th career postseason victory, the most in history.

Pettitte became just the second pitcher in postseason history to earn the victory in all three series-clinching games in the postseason. Derek Lowe also did it in 2004 for the Boston Red Sox.

But this time, on paper, history was against Pettitte. He hadn't started a game on three days rest since Sept. 30, 2006. And since 1999, pitchers working on short rest against a fully rested starter were 12-36 in the postseason.

Still, Pettitte once again rose to the occasion. He wasn't great but good enough.

In the first inning, he induced a double-play grounder from Chase Utley. In the second, after a one-out walk, he got two fly outs. A run scored in the third after a Carlos Ruiz triple. He pitched around two walks in the fourth. And in the fifth, he escaped with another double play, this time off the bat of Jimmy Rollins.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi's hand was finally forced in the sixth after Pettitte allowed an opposite field, two-run home run to Ryan Howard. Raul Ibanez followed with a double, and that was the end of Pettitte's night.

But Pettitte did just enough to make Girardi's controversial pitching decisions work. The Yankees became the first team to win the World Series using just three starting pitchers in the postseason since the 1991 Twins did it. And Pettitte was a huge reason. In these playoffs, Pettitte started five games and won four - the most he's ever won in a single postseason. He had a 3.52 ERA.

He struggled at times Wednesday night with his control and disagreed multiple times with calls made by the home plate umpire, Joe West. After the two walks in the fourth, Pettitte made a stop to express his displeasure to West before descending into the dugout.

Pettitte walked five. Only one scored.

It wasn't as dominant as a 24-year-old Pettitte pitching 8 1/3 scoreless innings on short rest to give the Yankees a three-games-to-two series lead over the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 World Series.

But for Pettitte, who had threatened to retire this past off-season when the Yankees wouldn't meet his contractual demands, his fifth World Series ring could be his most unlikely.

Two batters after allowing the home run to Howard, Ibanez doubled down the right field line. A split second after Ibanez slid feet-first into second, Girardi was already out of the dugout.

Pettitte's night was done before the sixth was over, but the fans rose in unison. Alex Rodriguez patted Pettitte on the head, and Girardi took the ball from him. The lanky Texan walked toward the home dugout to a standing ovation.

And like so many postseason starts had ended before, Pettitte tipped his cap to the Yankee Stadium crowd, another championship in tow.

Contact staff writer Matt Gelb

at 215-854-2928 or mgelb@phillynews.com.