If the Phillies are to become the first National League team to win back-to-back World Series since the Cincinnati Reds Big Red Machine teams of 1975-1976 and the first team since the 1985 Kansas City Royals to overcome a 3 games to 1 deficit Pedro Martinez will play a big part of it as he takes the mound tonight at new Yankee Stadium for game 6 of the World Series against the New York Yankees.

That the Phillies are here probably isn’t that surprising to many fans.   From the beginning of the season many had the Phillies picked to at least get back to the World Series.  That Pedro Martinez is pitching to keep the Phillies title hopes alive tonight isn’t just surprising, its just simply unbelievable and nobody could’ve predicted this back in April.   The big stage always seems to find Pedro and Pedro usually responds.   He pitched great against the Dodgers in the NLCS, leaving after tossing seven shutout innings in a game the Phillies bullpen couldn’t hold.  He pitched well in Game 2 of the World Series, striking out 8 in 6 innings but A.J Burnett pitched just a little bit better that night.   Thanks to the decision that Yankees manager Joe Girardi made to ride his three horses Sabathia, Burnett and Pettite we get to see a fully rested Pedro match up against Pettite on three days rest.

Don’t expect either team to exercise a great deal of patience.  The Phillies just can’t afford it as their season, not just this game, is in Pedro’s hands.   If Pedro struggles at all expect to see J.A Happ for a few innings.  The Yankees season won’t end with a loss, but they will do everything possible to avoid a Game 7 that will certainly have all the momentum in the world going in the Phillies favor.  Saturday night Pettite started off slowly and figured it out after giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead.  If that were to happen tonight Girardi certainly would manage Pettite much differently.  I’m sure he’s got some stats in that book of his to lean on if necessary.

The Yankees were in this position in the ALCS against the Angels.  Up 3 games to 1 in Los Angeles they lost Game 5 and came back to New York and won Game 6 behind Andy Pettite.  Pettite pitched that game on normal rest, not the three days off he has going into tonight’s game.   The other big difference is that the Angels weren’t the defending World Champions, and the Phillies don’t want to let that title go just yet.   This team overtook the Mets back in 2007 and held them off in 2008.  This year, when the Marlins got close the same Phillies team won big game after big game to put the division away.   The Yankees have Jeter, Pettite, Posada and Rivera who have won championships, but haven’t won one since beating the Mets back in 2000.  This is their first pennant since 2003, and add A-Rod and Matsui to the previously mentioned four and you have six Yankees who remember losing a three games to none lead in 2004 to the Red Sox in the ALCS on their way to their first World Series title in almost a century.

The Phillies will come out tonight loose and relaxed, and that’s just how manager Charlie Manuel likes it.  Let’s  just hope we like the results as well.