Yankees win 3-1 to tie World Series

Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui hit solo homers off familiar foe Pedro Martinez to give the New York Yankees a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and tie the World Series at 1-1 last night.

A night after getting held to a lone unearned run by Cliff Lee, the Yankees bounced back with their bats.

"Every game in the World Series is a must win," Teixeira said. "After yesterday, getting a win today was big."

Pitcher A.J. Burnett did his part with seven impressive innings, and Mariano Rivera got Game 1 star Chase Utley to ground into a double play with two on to end the eighth.

After a day off, Game 3 will be at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. The Phillies had been hoping for more than a split but were content.

"I guess I'll have to be," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Light-hitting Matt Stairs put the Phillies on top with an RBI single in the second inning. Burnett then used a biting curveball to keep Philadelphia from advancing another runner past second base against him.

"They're the best team we've played all year," New York's Derek Jeter said. "They're champs for a reason, and we need to play well if we're going to beat them."

Teixeira, in an 8-for-44 (.182) postseason slump, tied the score when he led off the fourth with a drive into the Yankees bullpen in right field. Matsui then put New York ahead with two outs in the sixth, reaching down for a curveball below his knees and driving it a few rows into the seats in right.

"I was able to make a good adjustment and put a good swing on it and fortunately it led to the result," Matsui said through a translator.

Burnett got his first win following three postseason no-decisions for the Yankees, allowing four hits in seven innings and retiring his last eight batters. He struck out nine, — including Ryan Howard three times — and started his first 11 hitters with strikes, nine of them looking. Burnett kept his control, walking two, one of them intentional.

"The fact I was aggressive getting first-pitch strikes was huge," Burnett said.

Rivera got six outs for his 38th postseason save, his 10th in World Series play. After the Phillies put two on base with one out in the eighth inning, Utley grounded into an inning-ending double play. He fanned Howard looking starting the ninth — the Philadelphia slugger's first four-strikeout game since July 21 — then struck out Stairs with a runner at second to end it.

"If we went in there 0-2, it would have been a tough road for us," Teixeira said.

Philadelphia, seeking to become the National League's first repeat Series champion since the 1975-76 Reds, lost for just the fifth time in 22 postseason games. The Phillies managed three runs in 14 innings off two starters, CC Sabathia and Burnett.

New York won despite getting nothing from Alex Rodriguez. After carrying the Yankees in the playoffs against the Twins and Angels, he is 0 for 8 in his first Series appearance and struck out three times for the second straight night.

When the Series resumes, Cole Hamels starts Game 3 for the Phillies against Andy Pettitte in an all-lefty matchup. Both teams will be making the trip through New Jersey by train.

Twenty-eight of the 53 teams that won Game 2 to tie the Series went on to win the title — but just one of the last six, the 2002 Angels.

There was another umpiring controversy. With two on and one out in the seventh, first base ump Brian Gorman ruled Howard reached down, caught Johnny Damon's liner and turned a double play. A slow-motion replay appeared to show the first baseman gloved the ball on a short hop.

The always entertaining Martinez, pitching four days past his 38th birthday, was nearly as effective as the 32-year-old Burnett, fooling the Yankees with breaking pitches of 70-75 mph. In his first Series start since winning Game 3 for Boston five years ago, he allowed three runs and six hits in six-plus innings, striking out eight and walking two.

There were a few muted chants of "Who's Your Daddy?" but nothing like the booming taunts that serenaded Martinez when he came to New York in his final weeks with Boston in 2004. That was after he famously said, "I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy" following a loss at Fenway Park.

"I knew it was going to be crazy," Burnett said. "I knew he was going to be on his game. I focus on myself, but you can't help but watch his game. It's the funnest I've had on the field."

After singles by Jerry Hairston Jr. and Melky Cabrera put runners at the corners and no outs in the seventh, Martinez came out, pointing at the sky, tapping a fist on his heart and smiling at the crowd.

Jorge Posada pinch hit for Jose Molina and singled up the middle off Park Chan-ho for a 3-1 lead.