Yankees level World Series

New York Yankees 6 Florida 1

Hideki Matsui’s three-run homer in the first inning set the tone and Andy Pettitte tossed eight scoreless innings as the New York Yankees evened the World Series at one game apiece with a 6-1 triumph over the Florida Marlins.

After going 1-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.

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, grooved his next offering, and Matsui crushed it over the centre field wall for his second homer of the post season.

The Yankee Stadium crowd, a good portion of whom sat quietly through a 3-2 loss in Game One, 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.

All the offence was more than enough for Pettitte, who came within one out of becoming the first Yankee to toss a complete-game shut-out in the World Series since Ralph Terry in Game Seven of the 1962 Fall Classic.

Pettitte (1-0) took a four-hitter into the ninth, but singles by Luis Castillo and Derrek Lee around an error by third baseman Aaron Boone produced an unearned run that ended his night.

He left to chants of “An-dy Pett-itte!” The veteran left-hander walked one and struck out seven as he tied Atlanta’s John Smoltz for the most post-season wins with 13.

He evened his lifetime World Series at 3-3 but improved to 3-0 with a 2.28 ERA in four post-season starts in 2003.

Redman was roughed up for four runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings. The series shifts to Miami for the next three games, with Florida turning to ace Josh Beckett in Game Three tomorrow.

The Yankees will give the ball to veteran right-hander Mike Mussina, who is winless in three starts this post-season.

Redman ran into immediate trouble by walking slumping Alfonso Soriano to open the bottom of the first.

He appeared to catch a break when Derek Jeter struck out and Soriano was picked off.

But Jason Giambi was hit by a pitch and took third on a single up the middle by Bernie Williams, setting the stage for Matsui’s homer.

New York tacked on a run in the second as Nick Johnson walked and scored on a double by Juan Rivera.

After leaving runners at the corners in the third, Soriano ripped a two-run homer to left in the fourth, his first of the post-season.

Until the ninth, Florida never had more than one runner in any inning and had its second four-game winning streak of the post-season ended.

The last three victories had come on the road.