by Ken Rosenthal

MLB Playoff Central

	Phillies vs. Yankees Yankees win 4-2
Game 6: Yankees 7, Phillies 3 Rosenthal: Yanks cash in with title Kriegel: This title was all business Morosi: Phillies will be back Klapisch: Pettitte shows his worth Matsui's 6 RBIs win him MVP Photos: See the best from Game 6 Video: Rosenthal, elated Yanks chat

Lee needed to hop out of a cab, board two different subway lines and have someone meet him outside the ballpark to guide him inside.

He arrived at approximately 6:20 p.m. ET — slightly more than an hour-and-a-half before Game 1 began between the Phillies and Yankees,

Lee, normally a late arrival on the day he pitches, jumped into a cab at the Phillies' hotel in midtown Manhattan at 4:45. About an hour later, the cab was still stuck in traffic.

"How much longer will it take?" Lee asked the cab driver.

"Two hours," the driver said.

On Thursday, the day after his magnificent complete-game victory over the Yankees, Lee recalled, "That guy had me panicking."

Lee called his agent, Darek Braunecker, who advised him to leave the cab, find a policeman and ask for help getting to the stadium. The Phillies' traveling secretary, Frank Coppenbarger, told Lee to do the same thing.

Lee instead told the driver to take him to the nearest subway. He got out at W. 119th St., Coppenbarger said. Lee did not know where he entered the subway or which line he took, but said his trip required him to change trains.

No one recognized him.

Once Lee arrived at the stadium, he called Coppenbarger again, telling him he did not know how to get inside. Lou Cucuzza, the Yankees' visiting clubhouse manager, sent someone to get him.

Lee said he requires only an hour to get ready to pitch. So, by his own standards, he still had plenty of time to get ready to face the highest-scoring team in the majors.

It worked out OK — Lee pitched a six-hitter, striking out 10 and walking none without allowing an earned run.

Good thing he got to the park on time.