The sport's top spenders finally cashed in with their first pennant in six years Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the AL championship series behind the savvy pitching of Andy Pettitte.



Next up, New York hosts defending champion Philadelphia in the World Series opener Wednesday night. Cliff Lee is expected to face Yankees ace CC Sabathia in an enticing pitching matchup between former Cleveland teammates - and the past two AL Cy Young Award winners.



Ridiculed in the past for his October flops, Rodriguez played a huge role in helping his team advance through the playoffs, batting .438 with five homers and 12 RBIs.