Closer Look

Pudge guns down Yankees' third-inning rally

By John Donovan, SI.com

With the score tied 1-1 in the third inning, Pudge picked off Nick Johnson at third base to end the threat. Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

NEW YORK -- If there's one thing that the Florida Marlins have going for them in this World Series, it's their defense. It may not be the world's best. But it's pretty darn good. It's certainly the best in this Series.

And it played a critical role in the Marlins' win in Game 1 on Saturday night.

Now, defense is not always just catching a smash to the backhand side, or leaping high over the center-field fence to steal a home run. Sometimes, it takes more. Like a little non-verbal long-distance communication. Some perfect timing between a couple of teammates. A dead-on throw.

And, yeah, maybe a little luck, too.

The Marlins pulled all that off in a single play and did something Saturday they haven't done all year. Or not since spring training, anyway. With it, they stunted a rally by the New York Yankees during the 3-2 Florida win.

"We're in the dugout hitting instead of maybe giving up another run," explained the Marlins' Jeff Conine.

"It was a big play," said Mike Lowell, the team's third baseman.

SI.com's John Donovan If the New York Yankees are to win a 27th World Series title, they will have to figure out a way to slow down the go-go Florida Marlins. And fast. SPOTLIGHT HERO: Juan Pierre The Marlins' leadoff man ignited a first-inning rally and delivered a tie-breaking, two-run single in the fifth. Pierre reached base four times and stole a base. GOAT: Nick Johnson The Yankees' first baseman had a brutal game, going 0-for-4 and getting picked off third base to kill a rally. Johnson also popped up meekly to end the game. GO FIGURE 4 -- Outs recorded by Ugueth Urbina, the first inning-plus save by someone other than Mariano Rivera since 1997. 18 -- Career postseason home runs for Bernie Williams, matching Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson. 60.2 -- Percent of Game 1 winners who went on the win the Series (59 of 98).

"I'm an aggressive catcher," said Pudge Rodriguez. "Believe me, I threw that ball perfect."

The young and speedy Marlins had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning against David Wells in the game, but the Yanks fought back in the third when Karim Garcia hit a soft double into left field and, an out later, Yankees Nick Johnson drew a walk off Brad Penny.

Derek Jeter drilled a single up the middle that sent Garcia home, tying the score and sending Johnson to third. Bernie Williams popped out to left next, but not deep enough to score Johnson.

Then came the play that might have saved the Marlins' night.

With the left-handed hitting Hideki Matsui up, Penny threw over to first once, then worked the count to 1-1. Somewhere in that short sequence, Rodriguez looked at Lowell and Lowell looked at Rodriguez and the catcher called for a pitch and Rodriguez looked at Lowell again ...

"There's a certain amount of telepathy going on," Lowell said. "He's reading my thoughts."

During the first two pitches, Lowell noticed the slow-footed Johnson taking a hefty lead off third on Penny's delivery to the plate. Lowell simply looked at Rodriguez. And they both knew.

On the next pitch, Penny fired a fastball away. Lowell broke to the bag as he released the ball. Rodriguez came up firing.

The ball zipped over to third, past a startled Johnson, who began to dive back to the third base bag. Charlie Brown-like -- except at third instead of home -- Johnson's slide ended up short of the bag.

Pickoff. End of inning. End of threat.

"It's not only his arm," Conine said. "It's his release. He gets rid of it so quickly."

The play was a lot more than arm, though. It was timing, too. And it was a big risk.

If the throw is off a little, the run scores. If Matsui slaps it toward third and Lowell's racing for the bag, it's a hit and the run scores. Maybe, if Johnson goes back in standing up, the throw hits him and the run may score.

None of that mattered to the Marlins.

"Pudge has the ultimate confidence in his arm," Lowell said. "When you're at third, and that ball's coming in, it's pretty hot."

So was that play. And, up 1-0 in the World Series, so are the Marlins.