If the New York Yankees are going to claim their 27th world championship this year, it might hinge on them not facing Phillies starter Cliff Lee twice more in the World Series. Because the way Lee pitched in Wednesday's Game 1, he's looking like he's good for a win every time out.

Lee continued his remarkable postseason with a complete-game victory over the Yankees in Game 1, striking out 10 in a 6-1 Phillies win. Chase Utley homered twice off CC Sabathia, becoming the first left-handed hitter to homer twice off a lefty in a World Series game since Babe Ruth in 1928.

But the story was Lee. His only run was unearned, and he threw four pitches effectively all night. Despite striking out seven in the first four innings, he threw just 56 pitches during that time--a major feat against a Yankees team that excels at running up pitch counts.

The Yankees, predicted by many to win the series, now face a crucial game on Thursday night. Starter A.J. Burnett has been struggling the whole month, but he'll have to beat Pedro Martinez for New York to avoid going back to Philadelphia in a 2-0 hole and needing to beat the Phillies twice in a place where they've lost just one playoff game since 2007.

Maybe it won't matter anyway. Should Lee, who threw 120 pitches on Wednesday, come back on short rest for Game 4, he could pitch three times in the series. The way he's been throwing, it's tough to imagine him losing, even on short rest.

That possibility puts the Yankees, most people's pick to win the series, in a dire spot awfully quickly.

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