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2:02	Mark will join us in about a half-hour but go ahead and start sending in your questions now. Just a reminder ... your queries won't show up in the live chat until they've been selected by the moderator.

2:30

Good afternoon everybody, and welcome to the final edition of "Blogging the Bombers: The Live Chat" of the 2009 season. Don't worry, we'll have plenty more of these during the offseason to discuss all things Yankees, but with Game 6 on tap tonight and a possible Game 7 tomorrow night, there's still plenty of baseball to discuss. Let's get it started!

2:30	[Comment From Greg] Who do you bring in after Pettitte?

2:30	[Comment From tony faye] With the possibility of a game seven ,what's the bullpen senario for tonite should Andy not have it?

2:33

That all depends on what inning we're talking about. If Andy gets knocked out before the end of the fourth, I would anticipate Chad Gaudin getting the call. If it's the fifth or later, we would probably see Dave Robertson or Alfredo Aceves. In an ideal world, Pettitte gets them through five innings and into the sixth, at which point we see a combo of Robertson, Marte and Joba to get the ball to Mariano. I don't think Girardi would bring Rivera in for the start of the seventh, but it's entirely possible that he could be asked to get the last out of the inning if it's a big one.

2:33	[Comment From G_man] Mark, the thought of a game 7 is killing me. We need Big Game Andy to step up. You think there's any chance he can go more than 6 innings on short rest? I think we'll hit Pedro, but worried about the bridge to Mo.

2:35

I don't think they would ask him to go more than six unless his pitch count is very efficient. If they can get six strong out of Pettitte, they should consider themselves very fortunate. Joba and Marte should be able to combine for three outs to get the ball to Rivera. And like I said, if there are two outs in the seventh and the tying run is on base, I could see Girardi going to Rivera then.

2:35	[Comment From Alex] Let's say the Yanks win tonight in a yawner with no dramatics. Who is the World Series MVP right now?

2:38	Well, if it's a drama-free game, that means they will likely have teed off on Pedro, so there's a chance it could be A-Rod if he has a huge game. But to me, if Rivera gets the save - or even if he pitches the last two innings of the game in a non-save situation - it's him.

2:38	[Comment From Chase Utley] Should I be worried about getting plunked tonight?

2:40

I doubt it. Pettitte isn't exactly the retaliation type of pitcher, and quite honestly, as long as the game is close, the Yankees aren't going to be putting anybody on base for free. If the game is a blowout, I can't see the Yankees trying to wake a sleeping giant with the World Series in their grasp. Now, if the Phillies are winning by four or five runs, you better watch out. That's the only scenario I see in which you should be fearful.

2:40	[Comment From John] You didn't mention Phil Hughes. Is he out of the equation for tonight??

2:41	I don't think he's out of the equation, but if it's the seventh and they have a lead, I think Joba has moved ahead of him in the setup mix. Hughes could very well get in the game tonight, but he's no longer the setup man of choice, or at least so it seems.

2:42

[Comment From Brian]
Mark, great job covering the yanks in the series and throughout the year. Do you see them trying to be really aggressive early in the game by running on Pedro and trying to force the action? He throws a ton of breaking balls and i'd think they'd be able to make some things happen on the basepaths and force the Phils into some mistakes. Plus by running or hit and running maybe it will get guys to bear down and put the bat on the ball (i.e. Tex).

2:44

I do think they'll run tonight, but they have to get guys on base. I think they need to be patient against Pedro while looking for the right pitch to hit. If they can get him out of there after five or so, they can go to town on the Phillies bullpen. I think they should score six or seven runs tonight, and if that's not enough, they don't deserve to win.

2:45	[Comment From Damaso Marte] How in the world did I get so good all of a sudden?!?!

2:47

Very good question, Damo. I have to admit, you had become a punchline among most fans by September, and when they brought you back on the roster, many people around the team were somewhat surprised. But as it turns out, the Yankees gave you $12 million because you can actually get lefties out when you're healthy. And now, it appears that you're healthy. Good job.

2:47

[Comment From claudia]
I'm concerned that the crowd of "corporations" at yankee stadium isn't able to create an atmosphere like past years. It's not an intimidating place to play for the opposition anymore. It seems no matter what the score, the suits leave early and empty seats are obvious. We need more real fan support - only real fans can't afford yankee stadium anymore. Your thoughts?

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