Yankees even up series behind Burnett's gem

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

When you are looking for a pitcher to match the masterful performance that Cliff Lee had for the Phillies in Game 1, there would be quite a few names that come up before A.J. Burnett. While Burnett's outing wasn't quite up to par with Lee's, the Yankee pitcher did everything he could to silence the Phillie bats in a 3-1 Game 2 win for New York.

Burnett was on point all night, throwing first pitch strikes to nearly every batter he faced en route to striking out 9 and giving up only 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings. While he isn't known for his command, Burnett was around the plate all game long and mixed his pitches up just enough to keep Phillie hitters off balance. It was a great performance for a pitcher who is known to implode once things get a little rough; unfortunately for the Phillies, he never had to sweat much on the mound.

Following Burnett's 7 innings, the Yankees turned to Mariano Rivera, the historically great playoff closer. While the Phillies did manage to get guys on base against Rivera in both the 8th and 9th innings, the Yankee closer shut the door by getting the key double play groundout (although the ump blew it and Chase Utley was safe on the play) and the key strikeout when he needed them.

For the Phillies, Pedro Martinez pitched a solid game in his first outing at the new Yankee Stadium. The fans were on him for most of the night but Pedro was about as good as expected, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. While it took him a lot of pitches, Pedro mixed up his speeds and got the Yankees to flail at some bad pitches on his way to an 8 strikeout game. In all, it was a tough loss for Pedro as he once again didn't get much run support.

No reason to panic, Phillies fans. Yes, the Phillies lost a tough, close game. If you look at the bigger picture, though, the Phillies did just about all you can ask of them: they went into New York and took one out of two against the Yankees. By splitting the road games, the Phils took home field advantage away from the Yankees and now have three games in Philly vs. the two left in New York. While it would have been even better had the Phillies won both games, even the most jaded fan has to be pleased that the Phillies can win the series by taking care of business at home.

Keep your heads up, Phillies fans. A.J. Burnett isn't going to have another game like that. There is still plenty of series left to be played and the Phillies bats still have plenty more hits in them.

NFL Week 8 Predictions

Can you believe we are almost to the halfway point of the NFL season? Things are already starting to shape up for an intriguing stretch run as several teams will be fighting for the one or two playoff spots that will be up-for-grabs. With so many elite teams and so many terrible teams, it's going to be a dogfight just to be a 5 or 6 seed.

Here are my picks for Week 8 of the NFL season. Remember, all picks are made strictly based on who I think will win and do not take the spread into consideration.

Record Last Week: 10-3, .769
Overall Record: 74-29, .719

Byes: Bengals, Bucs, Chiefs, Patriots, Redskins, Steelers

Sunday Day Games:

Texans (4-3) @ Bills (3-4) The Bills look like they are sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback even if/when Trent Edwards is healthy. Yeah, I'm aware Fitzpatrick has "led" the Bills to two straight wins. Good luck with that, Buffalo. My pick: Texans

Browns (1-6) @ Bears (3-3) I don't think even Jay Cutler can screw this one up. The Bears should get a touchdown on defense and that could be enough to win this game. My pick: Bears

Seahawks (2-4) @ Cowboys (4-2) With how "bad" the Cowboys were supposedly playing earlier in the season, their 4-2 record puts them even with the Eagles and ready to compete for a playoff spot. A lot of that has to do with Miles Austin's emergence from nowhere; he really has been remarkable and has fantasy owners everywhere giddy. Seattle is slowly slipping back into the "have-nots" pile in the NFL. My pick: Cowboys

Rams (0-7) @ Lions (1-5) Yeesh. I never thought a one win team could look so much better than a zero win team. Whether Calvin Johnson plays or not, and no matter who their quarterback is, I expect Detroit to win this game by 10. That doesn't say much about the Rams, who have to be wondering where that first win is going to come from. It's going to be a looooong second half of the season, Rams fans. My pick: Lions

Niners (3-3) @ Colts (6-0) The Colts where the best team in football, then they had a bye week and suddenly the Saints leapfrogged them because they barely beat the Dolphins? How does that work? Look for Indy to re-establish their dominance over the league by crushing the Niners. Sorry, starting Alex Smith just isn't going to cut it. My pick: Colts

Dolphins (2-4) @ Jets (4-3) Think the Jets have figured out how to stop the Dolphins offense by now? Revenge will certainly be on their minds as they try to shut down the Wildcat this week. If the Jets want to make the playoffs, they've got to beat Miami once. My pick: Jets

Broncos (6-0) @ Ravens (3-3) It only seems like I pick against them every game but I have to believe that the Ravens will finally hand Denver their first loss this week. The Ravens are fresh off their bye and have had two weeks to prepare for Denver so you can bet their defense will be ready. Offensively, I don't see how the Broncos will slow down Ray Rice and the rushing attack. My pick: Ravens

Giants (5-2) @ Eagles (4-2) I don't like making this pick but I just haven't seen enough from the Eagles to justify picking them to beat the Giants. The Eagles have looked very average the last two weeks, getting by the Redskins only because DeSean Jackson is a beast. I just don't have enough faith in the offense, especially without Brian Westbrook, to go with the Eagles. The only chance the Birds have in this one is if the defense keeps the game low-scoring and forces a few key turnovers. While we are getting to the time of year where Eli Manning starts sucking, I'm just not confident enough to pick the Eagles. By all means, prove me wrong Birds! My pick: Giants

Jaguars (3-3) @ Titans (0-6) Call me crazy, but the Titans have to win sometime, right? While the decision to start Vince Young in this game may doom this pick, I just have a feeling that Tennessee gets their first W against a Jaguars team that is hit or miss from week to week. Both teams are coming off their bye's, and I have to believe Jeff Fisher has fixed a few of the things that have gone wrong with his team. If not this week, when are the Titans going to win? My pick: Titans

Raiders (2-5) @ Chargers (3-3) The fact that the Chargers have only one more win than the Raiders is shocking. That speaks more to how they have been under performing and to how charitable the Eagles were to give the Raiders a win. My pick: Chargers

Vikings (6-1) @ Packers (4-2) Is the honeymoon over for Brett Favre in Minnesota? While that interception at the end of the game against the Steelers wasn't his fault, you can bet Vikings fans started to grumble about the return of the erratic gunslinger. If the Vikings truly want to be an elite team, they need to feed the ball to Adrian Peterson much more and stop relying on Favre to do everything. You have the best running back in the game, use him already. As for the Packers, you can bet they have had this game circled on their calendar for months. Expect a lot of points and expect Aaron Rodgers to pull a "Favre" and lead his team to victory in the 4th quarter. My pick: Packers

Panthers (2-4) @ Cardinals (4-2) The Panthers are really sticking with Jake Delhomme? Do they not watch their own film? The Cardinals aren't a great team but after they win this one they will be running away with the NFC West. My pick: Cardinals

Monday Night Game:

Falcons (4-2) @ Saints (6-0) The Saints officially can beat you every way possible. Want to try to run the ball all game long and keep Drew Brees off the field, Atlanta? Fine, the defense will slow you down and Brees will find a way to put points on the board in a hurry. The Saints are going to trip up one of these weeks and the Falcons are a quality team but it's just not time yet for New Orleans to lose. My pick: Saints

Those are my picks for Week 8 of the NFL Season. Check back every Thursday during the season for the latest predictions. Feel free to discuss, argue or make your own picks in the comment section!

3 more to go: Lee, Utley carry Phillies to victory

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Up until today, it seemed like the dominance of Cliff Lee was just something us Philly fans, and maybe some Cleveland fans, knew about. After his World Series Game 1 performance, the whole world understands what we have known all along: Cliff Lee is incredible.

For Lee, it was just another dominating performance, throwing a complete game against the Yankees to lead the Phillies to a 6-1 win. Lee made it look easy all night long, mixing in a few nonchalant defensive plays while striking out 10 batters and allowing only 6 hits. He made the potent Yankee offense look feeble all night, as most hitters that didn't strike out sprayed weak hits to the infielders. Cliff Lee was all business, making quick work of all the supposed sluggers in the Yankee lineup.

The offensive standout for the Phillies on the night was Chase Utley, who got the Phillies on the board in the first inning with a homer, then later added another homer. In fact, Utley was the entire offense for the Phillies until they added some insurance runs in the 8th and 9th innings. Even though they scored only two runs off of him, the Phillies kept the pressure on Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia all night long by staying patient and forcing Sabathia to throw strikes. By forcing Sabathia to make extra pitches, the Phillies were able to chase him from the game and get their insurance runs off of the weak Yankee bullpen.

The team that no one outside of Philadelphia picked to win the World Series just made a huge statement. They went on the road, gave up only one run against the best lineup in baseball and beat the opposing teams best pitcher. Even more importantly, the Phillies have already snatched away home field advantage from New York and have put all the pressure on the Yankees Game 2 starter, A.J. Burnett.

There is a reason they are the World Champs, folks. The Phillies always win the first game of a series and put themselves in the drivers seat. By doing that, they hold all the cards and force the other team to try to adjust to them. Now let's see if Pedro Martinez can pull a Cliff Lee in Game 2 and really give the Phillies a huge advantage.

Eagles place Gaither on IR, sign RB P.J. Hill

In a move we have expected for the last few days, the Eagles have placed LB Omar Gaither on the injured list, ending his season. Gaither underwent surgery last week after he suffered a Lisfranc surgery, so it was only a matter of time before the Birds stashed him away for the rest of the year. The injury to Gaither was the whole reason the Eagles brought in Will Witherspoon.

To replace Gaither on the roster, the Eagles have signed RB P.J. Hill, who as on the practice squad for the Saints. Hill is a rookie out of Wisconsin who put up some big numbers in college (3,942 yards, 42 TD's in 3 seasons) but went undrafted due to concerns about a DUI he received about a month before the 2009 Draft. Hill, who is a big back and could be a solid short-yardage runner, figures to be insurance should Brian Westbrook not be able to go against the Giants on Sunday after he suffered a concussion on Monday Night. In all likelihood, however, Hill will be inactive for a few weeks and then be released when the Eagles feel confident about Westbrook's health.

Flyers place Gagne on Injured Reserve, attempt to bring back Randy Jones

I guess we couldn't ask for more than one season of health for Simon Gagne. Gagne, who played 79 games last year after playing only 25 in 07/08, has two hernias on his right groin and will need surgery. Anticipating that he will be out for an extended period of time, the Flyers have placed Gagne on the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), meaning he will miss at least the next 10 games. This move frees up 5.25 million dollars for the Flyers in cap money.

Since they have the extra cap space, the Flyers decided to bring back defenseman Randy Jones, placing him on re-entry waivers. If Jones is claimed by another team, the Flyers would be responsible for half of his 2.75 million dollar salary. If Jones goes unclaimed, the Flyers will have plenty of salary cap space to keep him around, and one would assume he would get plenty of ice time. The reason Jones got sent down in the first place was never about his ability, it was all about his salary. Jones is certainly capable of playing better than Danny Syvret and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, two players that beat him out for roster spots since they were cheaper.

The more worrisome news here is that Gagne is out for an extended period of time. While the Flyers do have plenty of depth at forward, losing a top line player is never going to help your team. The only good news is that Blair Betts is set to return to the ice in the coming days so the Flyers won't need to make any moves for another forward.

The Flyers have lacked consistency all year long and if the injuries start to pile up it's only going to get worse. That hot seat John Stevens is sitting on is only going to get hotter.

Phillies vs. Yankees World Series breakdown

Picture via Getty and New York Times

They are the two best teams in baseball. It's Philadelphia vs. New York. Broad Street vs. Broadway (sort of). The bloodstripes vs. the pinstripes. Can you ask for a better World Series than this? Here is my complete position by position breakdown of the World Series:

Starting Pitching:
Phillies: Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels
Yankees: C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte

Both teams appear ready to go with a three team rotation, although the Phillies are holding their cards close to the vest, refusing to announce what they will do with their rotation after the first three games. The Phillies will go with Cliff Lee in Game One, Pedro in Game Two at Yankee Stadium since the veteran won't be fazed, and Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, in Game Three back in Philly. The Phillies also have plenty of depth; should they choose to go with four starters, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ are both capable of giving solid innings. As for the Yankees, they are set with their rotation, with Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte taking the ball every third game. The Yankees rotation depth is non-existent but it won't matter since they won't have to go four starters deep. As for which rotation is better, the Phillies clearly have better depth but that won't matter in this series. Both teams also appear to be very even across each pitching match-up, with Sabathia and Lee canceling each other out and Pettitte and Hamels basically a wash. Pedro Martinez is the wild card, he likely holds the key to whether the Phillies win this series or not. Edge: Even

Bullpen:
Phillies: Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton
Yankees: Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, David Robertson

In every series, the Phillies bullpen is supposed to be their weak spot. On paper, the Phillie 'pen isn't supposed to be as good as it has been, but Charlie Manuel has pushed all the right buttons and gotten the most out of this group. With Brad Lidge seemingly back to his old self, Ryan Madson getting key outs every game and Scott Eyre and J.A. Happ getting the lefties out, the Phillie bullpen is solid. The Yankee bullpen is even better, though, as they can really lock down a game if they have the lead entering the 7th inning. With the best postseason closer in baseball history, the Yankees have to be given the edge here. The Phillies do have the better depth in their 'pen, but the Yanks top-end talent is just better. Edge: Yankees

Catcher:
Phillies Carlos Ruiz
Yankees: Jorge Posada

The casual baseball fan would think this is a no-brainer selection with the Yankees having a big edge. Well, if you've watched a Phillies game this postseason, you know better. Carlos Ruiz not only calls a great game behind the plate, he is also Mr. Choochtober, getting the big hit time and again. Ruiz should be a household name after this series. Edge: Phillies

Infield:
Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz
Yankees: Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez

I've called the Phillie infield the best in baseball but this Yankee infield gives them a run for their money. There is no weak spot in either infield, with power coming from two of the positions, speed coming from the middle and solid defense all around. The heart of the lineup for each teams potent offense comes from the infield, with all the table-setters and big RBI guys here. It's too close to call. Edge: Even

Outfield:
Phillies: Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth
Yankees: Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher

Besides Melky Cabrera, the Yankees outfield has been very disappointing this postseason. Johnny Damon is a shell of his former self and Nick Swisher can't hit at all, meaning the Phillies have a huge edge with their outfielders. Jayson Werth has continued to amaze with his big homers and Shane Victorino seems like he is always on base. Raul Ibanez has been the lone dim spot although he is still hitting better than Swisher. Edge: Phillies

DH/Bench:
Phillies: Ben Francisco, Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Miguel Cairo
Yankees: Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner, Jose Molina, Jerry Hairston Jr.

Ben Francisco is likely to get a lot of playing time when the Yankees are using lefties in the AL park. The "throw-in" in the Cliff Lee deal is easily the Phillies best bench player, but after that there is a major drop-off. Same goes for the Yankees, who have Hideki Matsui at DH and nothing else. Hard to see either team getting much from these guys. Edge: Even

Manager:
Phillies: Charlie Manuel
Yankees: Joe Girardi

One manages with his gut, the other by the book. I'll give the advantage to the guy who is smart enough to understand every situation and trust his instincts over the guy who has to look up what to do. Joe Girardi has been under heavy fire for some of his questionable calls, going so far as to jeopardize the Yankees in nearly every game. Charlie Manuel has been the exact opposite, quickly becoming one of the best managers in the game. Edge: Phillies

My prediction:
It's close, but I give the Phillies a 3-1-3 edge over the Yankees, leading me to pick the Phillies in 7. I am expecting an epic series, one that should feature plenty of scoring with several lead changes in every game. I only expect Games 1, 4 and 7, when Lee and Sabathia square off, to have the total scores under double digits. As for why the Phillies will win, I simply think they have more depth at pitching that will eventually be important as the series wears on. The Yankees haven't faced an offense like the Phillies this postseason so I expect their pitchers to be tested early and often.

Repeating is extremely hard to do but the Phillies seem poised to be the first repeat champions in nearly a decade. This should be a long, hard series, but the Phillies have proven again and again that they can overcome all odds. Go Phillies, BEAT NEW YORK!