Crazy Yankee Chick: Game 3 in Philly, Andy vs Cole: Halloween Special

My plans are largely contingent on the outcome of this game. If the Yankees fall behind 2-1 in the series, I'm going to drag my self back home to avoid the chaos intrinsic to Halloween in NYC. If the Yanks take a 2-1 series lead over the Phillies? Well, then me and my Billy Hoyle costume are good to go.

Tonight Andy Pettitte--the king of postseason victorys with 16--goes up against last year's World Series MVP Cole Hamels.

Whoever coined that "pitching wins championships" mantra should have had it trademarked, because every year it seems to stymie even the biggest offensive-proponents. The best line-up in the league only managed 4 runs in the first 2 games of the World Series and still managed to split at home.

I'd by lying if I said I wasn't a bit concerned about how long we can keep this up...

New York is still considered the favorite in this game, but only by a hair, and it's a safe bet that Philly will milk their home field advantage as much as they can (as they should, and as New York should have. I inexplicably got reports from multiple witnesses that Yankee Stadium was quieter than a goldfish bowl.)

Somehow I doubt that Philly fans will follow in suit.

I think long-time Philly fans are getting a bad rap, because I think it's just the ones who are more Eagles fans, Philly fans second, that are coloring this obnxious persona. I never remember Philly fans being particularly rapid or insufferable. In fact, I respected their good naturedness about their team's losing history.

But now they've traded in their Cubbie-like endearing lovability and exchanged it for aggressive Boston-like newfound arrogance.

And if I had to guess, I'd say that's gonna be the stench permeating Citizen's Bank Park tonight.

On Thursday, the Yanks won in a much more balanced game than we saw on Wednesday's mess. And in my recap, I predicted that this game was just a microcosm of this series, with nothing coming easy.

Case in point, the slugging juggernauts (sluggernauts?) of the League Championship Series--Ryan Howard and A-Rod--are having more than a little trouble in the big show. If I hear word one about how A-Rod sucks in the clutch, there's a statistically significant possibility that I'll throw bleach on things the naysayer loves and holds dear.

However, yeah A-Rod is indeed looking for his first World Series hit, and I have a weird feeling that tonight is the night he makes his mark in this way. (Don't get me wrong, I love watching the A-Rod show from Yankee Stadium seats, but I think I may love it even more when he does it on the road.

Cole Hamels has been struggling a bit this year, and his "Red Hot Sexiness "isn't going to be worth much against the Yanks' 0-9-Line.

Time to break out the scare tactics, bats. I love a good slasher flick to celebrate the season...

Read 2009 Baseball Throwdown coverage for the New York Yankees.