Yankees win 3-1 to tie World Series

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.

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