Pettitte and Matsui hook Marlins as Yankees level World Series
After going one for 12 with runners in scoring position in the series opener and facing the unenviable prospect of being down two games with the series headed to Florida, New York got an early clutch hit from its Japanese rookie who is nicknamed Godzilla.
The Yankees had runners at the corners and two outs when Marlins starter Mark Redman (0-1) fell behind Matsui, 3-0.
The Florida left-hander, not wanting to walk the bases full for Jorge Posada, threw his next pitch down the middle and Matsui crushed it over the centre field wall for his second homer of the post-season.
“The first pitch was a fastball, (then) came a low one and then another fastball,” Mastui said through an interpreter. “The count was 3-0 and I got the sign that I can go ahead and swing on a 3-0 count. I got a good pitch to hit and was able to get a good swing on it.”
Yankees manager Joe Torre said: “You get in a situation with 3-0 that if you are not going to get a strike, then you are going to walk. He’s pretty good at being able to detect a strike. He knows where his strength is.
“He stayed within himself and didn’t try to pull the ball. He wanted to hit the ball hard and he did.”
The Yankee Stadium crowd, a good portion of whom sat quietly through a 3-2 loss in Game One on Saturday night, exploded as the ball cleared the fence.
They called out the 29-year-old rookie for a curtain call and he respectfully obliged.
New York tacked on a run in the second and two more in the fourth.
The series shifts to Miami for the next three games, with Florida turning to ace Josh Beckett in Game Three tonight.
The Yankees will give the ball to veteran right-hand pitcher Mike Mussina, who is winless in three starts this post-season but pitching an outstanding three innings of relief in their American League championship clinching victory over arch rivals the Boston Red Sox.
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