By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY  PHILADELPHIA  Alex Rodriguez, believing he needs a championship to validate his spot in New York Yankees immortality, has brought the franchise to within one victory of its 27th World Series title.  Rodriguez, in the most tumultuous season of his career, produced his greatest hit — a go-ahead double — in the Yankees' 7-4 victory Sunday night in Game 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees are up 3-1 and can clinch their first World Series championship since 2000 today.  "I have never had a bigger hit," Rodriguez said. "This year has been a unique year for me. All of the stuff I've been through, you have nothing to lose. For the first time in my career, I've felt like an underdog."  Rodriguez, who this spring admitted to steroid use earlier in his career and had hip surgery, is close to exorcising his ghosts. His previous playoff struggles had suffocated his regular-season greatness, hitting .159 with one home run and one RBI in his last three postseasons with the Yankees. This year, he has six homers and a franchise-record tying 15 RBI.  "He's the reason we're sitting here in Philadelphia now," said Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon, who started the ninth-inning rally with a two-out single. "Without him, who knows where our road would have stopped at? He's the guy who has the RBI numbers, and he's driving us."  Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz tied the score at 4 in the eighth with a home run off reliever Joba Chamberlain. But the Yankees answered in the ninth when Damon singled off Phillies closer Brad Lidge, stole second and then stole third on the same play when the Phillies left the base open because of a defensive shift.  Lidge hit Mark Teixeira, bringing up Rodriguez, who was hitless in his first four plate appearances. He lined Lidge's fastball into the left-field corner for a double, scoring Damon. Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single, and closer Mariano Rivera finished it off with his 39th career playoff save.  You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference.
Alex Rodriguez delivered the biggest hit of his life, a go-ahead, two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge and the New York Yankees took advantage of Johnny Damon's alert dash to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Sunday night for a 3-1...