The 37-year-old lefty allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the Yankees' 7-3 series-clinching victory over the Phillies. It was his 18th career postseason victory, the most in history.
Pettitte became just the second pitcher in postseason history to earn the victory in all three series-clinching games in the postseason. Derek Lowe also did it in 2004 for the Boston Red Sox.
But this time, on paper, history was against Pettitte. He hadn't started a game on three days rest since Sept. 30, 2006. And since 1999, pitchers working on short rest against a fully rested starter were 12-36 in the postseason.
Still, Pettitte once again rose to the occasion. He wasn't great but good enough.
In the first inning, he induced a double-play grounder from Chase Utley. In the second, after a one-out walk, he got two fly outs. A run scored in the third after a Carlos Ruiz triple. He pitched around two walks in the fourth. And in the fifth, he escaped with another double play, this time off the bat of Jimmy Rollins.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi's hand was finally forced in the sixth after Pettitte allowed an opposite field, two-run home run to Ryan Howard. Raul Ibanez followed with a double, and that was the end of Pettitte's night.
But Pettitte did just enough to make Girardi's controversial pitching decisions work. The Yankees became the first team to win the World Series using just three starting pitchers in the postseason since the 1991 Twins did it. And Pettitte was a huge reason. In these playoffs, Pettitte started five games and won four - the most he's ever won in a single postseason. He had a 3.52 ERA.
He struggled at times Wednesday night with his control and disagreed multiple times with calls made by the home plate umpire, Joe West. After the two walks in the fourth, Pettitte made a stop to express his displeasure to West before descending into the dugout.
Pettitte walked five. Only one scored.
