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Yankees use long ball to tie Series
Teixeira, Matsui homer in New York's 3-1 victory over Philadelphia. Game 3 will be Saturday.
AP Photo
A.J. Burnett pitched seven sharp innings for the Yankees.
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Published: October 30, 2009
NEW YORK - Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui shook the New York Yankees from their batting slump and sent the World Series to Philadelphia tied at a game apiece.
Teixeira and Matsui hit solo homers off familiar foe Pedro Martinez, backing a sharp performance by A.J. Burnett and giving the Yankees a 3-1 victory over the Phillies in Game 2 last night.
A night after getting held to a lone unearned run by Cliff Lee, the Yankees bounced back with their bats. 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, ending the eighth.
"Every game in the World Series is a must win," Teixeira said. "After yesterday, getting a win today was big."
After a day off, Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Light-hitting Matt Stairs put the Phillies on top with an RBI single in the second. Burnett then used a biting curveball to keep Philadelphia from advancing another runner past second base against him.
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 into the seats in right.
Burnett got his first win after 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 with one out in the eighth, Utley grounded into an inning-ending double play. Rivera fanned Howard looking starting the ninth -- Howard's first four-strikeout game since July 21 -- then struck out Stairs with a runner at second to end the game.
Philadelphia, trying to become the NL's first repeat Series champion since the 1975-76 Reds, lost for just the fifth time in 22 postseason games.
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 is scheduled to start 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.
There was another umpiring dispute. 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 that Howard gloved the ball on a short hop.
PHI. ab r h bi N.Y. ab r h bi
Rollins ss 2 0 0 0 Jeter ss 4 0 1 0
Victorn cf 4 0 1 0 Damon lf 4 0 0 0
Utley 2b 3 0 0 0 Teixeir 1b 3 1 1 1
Howard 1b 4 0 0 0 ARdrgz 3b 4 0 0 0
Werth rf 4 0 1 0 HMatsu dh 3 1 2 1
Ibanez lf 4 1 2 0 Cano 2b 4 0 1 0
Stairs dh 4 0 1 1 HrstnJr rf 3 0 1 0
P.Feliz 3b 3 0 0 0 Gardnr pr-cf 1 1 0 0
C.Ruiz c 3 0 1 0 MeCarr cf-rf 3 0 1 0
JMolin c 1 0 0 0
Posada c 1 0 1 1
Totals 31 1 6 1 Totals 31 3 8 3
Philadelphia 010 000 000 -- 1
New York 000 101 10x -- 3
DP--Philadelphia 1, New York 1. LOB--Philadelphia 6, New York 7. 2B--Ibanez 2 (2), C.Ruiz (2), Jeter (2). HR--Teixeira (1), H.Matsui (1).
Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO
P.Martinez L,0-1 6 6 3 3 2 8
Park 1/3 1 0 0 0 1
S.Eyre 2/3 0 0 0 0 0
Madson 1 1 0 0 0 3
New York IP H R ER BB SO
A.Burnett W,1-0 7 4 1 1 2 9
Ma.Rivera S,1-1 2 2 0 0 1 2
P.Martinez pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. HBP--by Madson (Teixeira). T--3:25. A--50,181 (52,325).
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