A-Rod delivers Yankees to doorstep of the title

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alex Rodriguez waited all game for this hit. Heck, he waited his whole career.

Rodriguez delivered the biggest hit of his life, a go-ahead, two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge and the New York Yankees took advantage of Johnny Damon’s alert dash to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Sunday night for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

Derek Jeter delivered all game and Mariano Rivera closed it out as the Yankees moved within one win of that elusive 27th championship and first since 2000. Rodriguez could really savor this victory — seething after again being hit by a pitch, he struck back with his potent black bat.

The Yankees will try to clinch it tonight when A.J. Burnett faces October ace Cliff Lee.

Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz hit late home runs for the Phillies that tied it at 4. Then it moved to the ninth and Phils brought in Lidge — a postseason star last year, who had struggled all season before regaining his touch this October.

But November was not so kind to him.

Lidge had turned around a nightmare season by going 1-0 with three saves in three chances this postseason. He didn’t pitch in the first three games against the Yankees before entering a tie game in the ninth.

After retiring the first two batters, the hard-throwing right-hander fell apart. He nearly struck out Damon on a 2-2 pitch that barely missed. Damon then lined a 3-2 pitch to left for a single. Damon stole second on the first pitch to Mark Teixeira, got up after sliding and took third with no one covering because of an exaggerated shift.

Lidge hit Teixeira with a pitch, bringing up Rodriguez. A-Rod lined an RBI double to put the Yankees ahead and Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single to make it 7-4.

Lidge hadn’t allowed a run in five appearances this postseason.

Now the defending champs are on the verge of elimination. They’ll turn to ace Cliff Lee, who shut down the Yankees in Game 1.

Lidge was 48 for 48 in save opportunities last season, including seven in the playoffs. Without him, the Phillies probably wouldn’t have won the division let alone their second World Series title in franchise history.

But this year was a disaster for Lidge. He led the majors with 11 blown saves and went 0-8 with a 7.21 ERA, temporarily losing his closer’s job a couple times.

Manager Charlie Manuel didn’t commit to using Lidge exclusively as the closer when the playoffs started. But when he needed someone to preserve a 6-5 lead in Game 3 of the NL division series against Colorado, Manuel called on Lidge to pitch the ninth.

Lidge retired Rockies cleanup hitter Troy Tulowitzki with the tying run at second to secure that win. Less than 24 hours later, he struck out Tulowitzki with two runners on to finish out a 5-4 victory that sent the Phillies to the NL championship series.

Lidge pitched out of a jam to earn another save in an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS, and he got his first win of the season in Game 4 when Jimmy Rollins hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth.