The New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 on Wednesday night to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium. The following are some notes from Game 6 and the World Series as a whole.
The credit for this information goes to ESPN's Stats & Information team and the Elias Sports Bureau.
NEW YORK YANKEES
• The Yankees won their 27th World Series and first since 2000. They're the first team to win a World Series to start and finish a decade.
• It's the 10th time they've clinched a World Seres at Yankee Stadium, and the sixth time they've defeated the defending champion to win the World Series.
They're the first team to lead MLB in runs and home runs, and win the World Series since the 1984 Tigers.
• The Yankees are second team this decade to open a new ballpark by winning the clinching game of a World Series there in the first year (the 2006 Cardinals also did it) and the third team all-time (the 1912 Red Sox at Fenway Park). The Yankees also won the WS in their first year in the old Yankee Stadium (1923), although they didn't win the Series-clinching game there.
• Game 6 marked the 10th time the Yankees have won a World Series-clinching game at home and the first time since 1999. At the old Yankee Stadium, the Yankees clinched in four games four times (1927, '38, '50, '99), in six games four times (1951, '53, '77, '96) and in the seven games once (1947).
• The Yankees struck out 56 times, the most ever in a six-game World Series.
Joe Girardi
• He became the first manager to play with a world championship team and manage the same team to a world championship since Billy Martin guided the Yankees to the 1977 title.
Derek Jeter
• In Game 6, Jeter moved into a tie for third on the all-time World Series doubles list (nine, one behind Yogi Berra and Frankie Frisch), moved ahead of Lou Gehrig into fourth place on the all-time World Series runs list (32, behind Mickey Mantle with 42, Yogi Berra with 41 and Babe Ruth with 37) and into fifth on the all-time WS hits list (50). He's also second on the all-time WS list for strikeouts (39, behind Mickey Mantle with 54).
• Jeter had his second three-hit game of the World Series on Wednesday (Game 1 as well).
• Jeter hit safely in all six World Series games and, with 11 hits, fell one hit shy of the WS record for a six-game Series. His career World Series average is now .321 (50-for-156).
Matsui
Hideki Matsui
• Matsui tied the World Series single-game record with six RBIs (Bobby Richardson, Game 3 in 1960).
• Matsui finished the WS with a .615 batting average, the third best all-time in a Series of any length among players with at least 10 at-bats (only Billy Hatcher's .750 in 1990 and Babe Ruth's .625 in 1928 were better).
• Matsui's 1.385 slugging percentage was the second highest ever in a World Series among players with at least 10 at-bats. Lou Gehrig had a 1.727 mark in four games in 1928.
• Matsui hit his third home run off Pedro Martinez, the second most he has hit against any pitcher (regular season and postseason combined); he's hit more off Roy Halladay (four).
• Matsui's eight RBIs were the most for a Yankee in a single World Series since Reggie Jackson drove in eight in 1977 and 1978.
• Matsui is the first player to win a World Series MVP after having the majority of his at-bats as a designated hitter. Toronto's Paul Molitor had 12 at-bats as the DH and 12 at-bats at first base while winning the Series MVP in 1993.
• Matsui has hit the Yankees' last three go-ahead home runs in the World Series.
• Matsui is the second player to hit home runs in consecutive postseason plate appearances against Pedro Martinez, joining Jason Giambi (2003 American League Championship Series Game 7).
• Matsui is the first Yankee since Scott Brosius in 1998 to have four or more RBIs in a World Series game.
• Matsui is the first player with four-plus RBIs for a winning team in a World Series-clinching game since Joe Carter (1993 WS Game 6 versus the Phillies).
• Matsui's six RBIs were one shy of his career high (seven, set earlier this season -- Aug. 21 at the Red Sox).
• He had a single, a double and a home run. The last player to miss the World Series cycle by a triple: Larry Walker, 2004 Cardinals, Game 1. The last AL player to be a triple shy: John Lowenstein, 1983 Orioles. The last Yankee: Johnny Blanchard, 1961.
• Matsui versus Martinez during the regular season: 4-for-28, HR, RBI. Postseason: 9-for-19, two HR, six RBIs.
• Matsui's five plate appearances versus Martinez in the World Series: two home runs, two singles, a walk, five RBIs.
• Matsui's pitch breakdown in the World Series: 2-for-6, HR versus non-fastballs; 3-for-3, HR versus fastballs; 0-for-2 versus changeups.
• Martinez's pitch breakdown to Matsui in Game 6: seven fastballs, two changeups, two sliders.
Pettitte
Andy Pettitte
• Pettitte won his sixth series-clinching game, pitching on three days' rest.
• It was Pettitte's first postseason start going less than six innings since Oct. 15, 2003.
• At 37 years and 142 days, Pettitte is the third oldest starter to win a World Series-clinching game (older are Burleigh Grimes at 38 years, 53 days, and Eddie Plank at 38 years, 41 days).
• Pettitte became the first pitcher in history to start and win all three clinching games in a single postseason (AL Division Series, ALCS, World Series).
• He became the 10th pitcher to win two lifetime World Series-clinching games.
• He won his unprecedented sixth clinching game in a postseason series.
• He became the second Yankees pitcher ever to win four games in a single postseason (4-0), joining David Wells (1998). Overall, he is the 14th pitcher to win at least four games in a single postseason.
• He became the first Yankees pitcher with two wins in a single World Series since Mike Torrez in 1977.
• He is 18-9 in 40 career postseason starts and is 4-0 in his past eight playoff outings.
Rivera
Mariano Rivera
• With 5 1/3 scoreless innings in four World Series appearances, he extended his Series scoreless-innings streak to 9 1/3 innings, lowering his career WS ERA to 0.99.
• Rivera now has been the finishing pitcher in the final game in each of the Yankees' past six Series appearances and in 15 overall playoff series. This was the fourth time he's been on the mound in the final game of all three postseason series in a single season.
• Rivera's 41 pitches in Game 6 were the most he has ever thrown in a World Series game. He had 39 in Game 2 of this Series.
Alex Rodriguez
• He's the first Yankee to strike out with the bases loaded in the World Series since Aaron Boone in 2003 Game 5.
Mark Teixeira
• Teixiera joined Alex Rodriguez (2009) and Max Carey (1925) as the only players to be hit three times in a single World Series.
• The Yankees, who got an RBI single from Teixeira, were 5-1 in the postseason when he drove in a run.
• Teixeira scored a run in five straight World Series games.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
• The 2009 Phillies hit 11 home runs in the World Series, the most ever in a Series of six or fewer games and the third most ever (2002 Giants had 14; 1956 Yankees had 12).
• The Phillies now are 2-5 in trips to the World Series. This was the second time the Phillies lost in six games (1993).
Ben Francisco
• Francisco was 0-for-11 during the postseason, matching Greg Gross (1983) for the most hitless at-bats for a Phillie in a single postseason.
Raul Ibanez
• Ibanez was 4-for-7 with two doubles, a home run, a walk and two RBIs in the last two games of the Series.
Ryan Howard
• Howard set a WS record with his 13th strikeout, passing Willie Wilson, who had 12 in 1980.
Howard
• Howard hit his seventh postseason home run, the third most in Phillies history.
• Howard missed 42.3 percent of the pitches at which he swung during the World Series, well up from 28.1 percent during the first two rounds of the playoffs. The postseason swing/miss average for all players was 21.9 percent.
• After putting 24 balls in play on 64 swings during the first two rounds, Howard put only 10 balls in play out of 52 swings during the Series, three coming on five swings in Game 6.
Carlos Ruiz
• Ruiz became the first catcher to hit a World Series triple since Jason Varitek in 2004.
• Ruiz became the first No. 9 hitter with a WS triple since Chris Gomez (Padres) in Game 2 of the 1998 World Series.
• Ruiz became the 11th No. 9 hitter hit a World Series triple; he's also the 10th No. 9 hitter to do it.