Yanks And Hughes Face Must Win Game At Home

Down 2-0, the Yanks know their 28th world championship opportunity is in jeopardy.

While the Giants are halfway home in their quest for their first WS title in 56 years, the Yankees are staring in the face an ugly end to a thrilling season.

Worse, Joe Girardi will have to wear the same uniform number next season, assuming his contract is renewed once the world series is over.

After their dramatic comeback against the Rangers, it doesn't seem possible that the Yankees could go this flat in the World Series. The Yankee team was constructed for just such a moment. Otherwise, why would Brian Cashman have assembled the likes of : Lance Berkman, Nick Johnson, Sergio Mitre, Austin Kearns, Boone Logan, Ramiro Pena and other big game heros?

When asked directly if tonight's game is a "must win" for the Yankees, Manager Joe Girardi noted, "that of the previous 51 teams that faced a 2-0 deficit in the world series, only 11 have gone on to win the big prize."

By way of journalistic independence, John Sterling, Yankee radio broadcaster stated this morning, " I don't care what others say, but tonight is a "must win" game, even though I imagine Joe Girardi doesn't want his players putting that type of pressure on themselves."

Suzyn Waldman, John's sidekick and color commentator on radio, added, " we certainly don't want to go down 3-0, John, but I don't think you can go into a game thinking it's a "must win," because if you are going to be talking about a "must win" then you're going to miss a lot that's happening on that field, and we can't afford to miss anything."

Er, certainly not Suzyn.

"If there is a game 4," suggested Mr. Sterling, " and there will be," Suzyn emphatically quipped, AJ Burnett will strap on his game face and show us that Dave Eiland's work with him has not been in vain.

Phil Hughes, tonight's starter, will be asked to do something that his fellow Yankee pitchers have so far been unable to do.....slow down the Giant's suddenly potent line-up. But this year's pitch restricted 18 game winner is up for the challenge. " I hope to go nine," he said while chomping on a bagel with nova, egg salad and anchovies.

Yankee players have pretty much been unavailable since this

morning's " secret" team meeting; however, in a tape-delayed, previously scheduled interview with Boone Logan this morning, Bill Madden of the Daily News asked Boone, " are you guys over the wipe-outs in San Francisco?"

Boone said that, " the team knows it lost the last two games but we have put them in the trash. We're excited to be home, we know how good we are, and we just need to start winning games."

You heard it here first, folks.