Yankee reliever Coke left flat by Phillies loss

New York Yankees relief pitcher Phil Coke (bottom) watches as Philadelphia Phillies' Chase Utley hits his second home run of the game, a solo homer in the seventh inning, in Game 5 of the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series in Philadelphia November 2, 2009. Utley tied Reggie Jackson's World Series home run record of 5 with the run.

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Phil Coke was inconsolable after getting hammered by the Philadelphia Phillies and playing a role in sending the World Series back to New York.

The 27-year-old rookie reliever gave up two homers to sluggers Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez in the seventh inning before getting pulled by Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Though the Phillies led 8-2 when Coke left Monday's game, the Yankees rallied to within 8-6 in the ninth before falling short in their bid to close out the series.

Coke, who pitched to only four batters, said he just hoped for the best after leaving the mound.

"At that point, all I can do is hope that we come back and win the game after going out there and screwing up as bad as I did," the southpaw said angrily in the Yankee clubhouse.

"But we came up short and it ended up being those two runs. Instead of it being a tie game, that's what we ended up dropping the game by."

The series now heads back to the Bronx for Game Six with the Yanks holding a 3-2 lead. Coke took little solace that the storied franchise is just one win away from its 27th title.

Coke's pitch to Utley was a 94 mph fastball over the plate. It was the second baseman's fifth homer of the series, tying the record set in 1977 by the Yankees' Reggie Jackson.

"You got to throw strikes, make them swing the bat," Coke said. "Obviously I didn't want the ball to end up where it ended up. But once it leaves my hand I can't control what it does.

"I wanted over the outside corner of the plate. It floated back over the middle."

Girardi admitted the runs that Coke surrendered played a huge role in the loss.

"Those were tack-on runs that hurts us, obviously," he said. "We ended up with six runs. We still had a chance in the ninth inning to possibly come back and tie it up or take the lead. But when you look at back at it, those runs hurt us."

When Coke was asked if it was particularly upsetting that the two runs he gave up were the margin of victory, he narrowed his eyes and glared at the reporter.

"Believe it," he said.

(Editing by John O'Brien)