A-Rod’s hit a lifetime in the making

PHILADELPHIA -- Alex Rodriguez waited all game long for this hit. Heck, he waited his whole life.

The New York Yankees have been waiting, too.

Rodriguez delivered a go-ahead, two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge and the Yankees took advantage of Johnny Damon's daring dash to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 last night for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

"There's no question -- I've never had a bigger hit," Rodriguez said.

Derek Jeter came through again and Mariano Rivera finished it off as the Yankees moved within one win of that elusive 27th championship and first since 2000.

Rodriguez applauded his own hit, for good reason. Seething since the first inning after again being nailed by a pitch, the highest-paid player in the majors struck back with his potent black bat.

Overanxious at the start of his first World Series, Rodriguez struck out six times in the first two games. He homered in Game 3, yet it was another kind of thwack that him going.

Now in his sixth season with the Yankees, he'll try to help them close out the defending champions Monday night when A.J. Burnett faces October ace Cliff Lee.

Of the 42 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 36 went on to win the crown. The last club to overcome such a deficit was Kansas City in 1985.

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, he had struggled all season before regaining his touch this October.

But November was not so kind.

Lidge had been the only closer in the playoffs who hadn't allowed a run until the Yankees tagged him. With two outs, Damon capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a single. The Phillies overshifted their infield to the right side for Mark Teixeira and Damon took off.