NEW YORK -- After carrying his offensive teammates through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Alex Rodriguez has it the other way around.A-Rod is finally in the World Series, and his ugly postseason performances have returned.
"Eight at-bats," he said. "I'm not concerned at all.
"I'm going to be fine."
Rodriguez is the first position player with consecutive three-strikeout games in the World Series, joining Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg in Games 2 and 5 of the 1967 Series.
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Game 2: Yankees 3, Phillies 1 | Box Score | Series Home
Game 2: Yankees 3, Phillies 1 | Box Score | Series Home
Fortunately for the Yankees, their Nos. 3 and 5 hitters each homered Thursday to lift the team to a Game 2 win.
Rodriguez has gone 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in each of the first two games of the Series, putting him halfway to Willie Wilson's 1980 record of 12 strikeouts in a World Series.
Cliff Lee, who struck out Rodriguez three times in Game 1, said the key is to be unpredictable.
"Show him a little of everything," Lee said. "Don't get in any patterns with him. Work ahead in the count, don't get behind. I think we've all done that. There is no one way to get him out. Its about being unpredictable. Mixing speed and keep his timing disrupted."
Coming into this year, Rodriguez had been branded an October choker because of his 9-for-61, three-RBI stretch of 17 games, from Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS through the 2007 ALDS.
He quieted that by hitting .438 in the first two rounds of this postseason, with five homers and 12 RBI.
Now Yankees fans are muttering "uh-oh," and A-Rod haters are saying, "ah-hah."
"I know he'll bounce back," manager Joe Girardi said. "Obviously you want him to continue on the torrid pace that he was on, but he'll bounce back, and we'll get it going with him in Philly."
A-Rod said he feels "pretty good" at the plate.
"The fact that I'm oh-fer in the Series," he said, "and we're 1-1 and the guys picked me up today makes me feel really good going into Game 3."I took some of my swings. I just fouled them straight back. That's it. Two games. We'll be ready to go."
Rodriguez's best at-bat came in the second inning, when he fouled off four 1-2 pitches from Pedro Martinez -- three fastballs and a slider -- before taking a curve for strike three.
"It was a great battle," Rodriguez said. "I had some great cuts. I'd like to take some of those swings back."
Martinez got A-Rod swinging in the sixth with a wicked changeup.
"That was a hell of a pitch," Rodriguez said. "Good pitching."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wow...they go up against two pitchers with 3 Cy Youngs between 'em, 18 K's and 3 earned runs given up through 15 innings of starting pitching, against the NL's best team and defending world champs, over the course of 2 games, and already he's the ARod of old? I'm no ARod apologist, but let's be grounded here. 10 minutes ago all the sportswriters were rushing to be the first moron through the gate swearing the "new ARod" was more relaxed, was Kate Hudson-ized, and was taking on an exciting approach with his super-android hip. Make up your mind. In 8 AB's he's been beaten by tough pitching. Don't be so quick to label him either way, whether you need a story with a sensational headline or not. It just sounds retarded.
Ard was definitely out of synch.
But give credit to lee and Pedro for that; great pitchers will make you look average.
He wasn't patient at the plate and was in swing mode. His selectivity was also limited by the pitch count.
But, don't underestimate him.
Who cares what he does in any at bat??? He's a cheater and liar. One of the most insincere people on the planet, a pathetic fake and loser! Barely worth 2.5 million a yr much less 25! It's hard to have any respect for people like him!
And I barely have respect for people like you. Leave him alone he is human just lke everybody else. People makes mistakes. I guess you haven't made one in your entire life.
Give me a break! no one really hitting well yet. Other players have to step up like tex and matsui did. Jeter looked terrible last game and Howard of Phils has struck out 6 times like A-Rod. Good pitching will do that.