Free Republic

The Yankees have been a team greater than the sum of its parts all year, and when they secured their own corridor in history tonight, it was appropriate that a pitcher who had struggled in recent weeks pushed them over the finish line. Andy Pettitte, dropped to the back of the Yankees' rotation for the World Series, applied the final piece to their mosaic tonight, pitching seven and a third shutout innings and outdueling Kevin Brown in a 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 4. In achieving their first Series sweep since 1950 and seventh in their...

The Houston Astros will send their other hometown pitching ace to the mound on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, hoping Andy Pettitte can last longer than Roger Clemens did in Game 1 and help the Astros pull even in the World Series. Pettitte, 33, will be opposed by White Sox lefthander Mark Buehrle, 26, who was credited with the win in the 2005 All-Star Game that gave the White Sox home-field advantage for the Series. The White Sox won the first game of the best-of-seven series 5-3 on Saturday, when Clemens could go only two innings before being removed...

<p>NEW YORK (AP) -- Andy Pettitte chose home over history, agreeing Thursday to sign with the Houston Astros and leave the New York Yankees.</p> <p>New York wasted little time in trying to land a replacement, closing in on a trade with Los Angeles that would send Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Jeff Weaver in a swap of starters, a baseball official said on the condition of anonymity.</p>