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Japan's Matsui helps square series
NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui became the first Japanese player to hit a World Series home run and left-hander Andy Pettitte had seven strikeouts as the New York Yankees defeated Florida 6-1 to level the series. Pettitte sparkled, allowing six hits and one run in 8 2/3 innings as New York pulled even with the Marlins at 1-1 in the 100th aniversary edition of Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship final. "If you are going to split at home the best way to do it is to win the second game," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. The Fall Classic now shifts to Miami for games three, four and five on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. "He deals with the stress and pressure very well," Torre said of Pettitte. "He is able to stay focused and get locked in. "He was huge for us and he did it on only three days rest." Matsui blasted a two out, three-ball and no-strike pitch over the centerfield fence in the first inning. "I want to go ahead a swing when I can and so I did it," Matsui said through a translator. In game one, Matsui registered the first three-hit game by a Yankee in the World Series since Paul O'Neill did it three years ago. O'Neill threw out the first pitch on Sunday. Matsui almost had another homer in the fifth but he hit the ball on the label, splintering the bat which took something off his deep shot to right field. It was the first World Series victory for the Yankees in two years. They had lost three Series games in a row since winning game five here against Arizona in 2000. Free-swinging Alfonso Soriano snapped his batting slump on Sunday by hitting a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 6-0 and the rout was on. Soriano had been the object of scorn the past few days because of his struggles at the plate and there were calls for Torre to drop him in the batting order. Heading into game two, the Yankees lead-off batter had a paltry .255 on base percentage. Pettite was making his 29th career start in the post-season, tying him for second-most ever with Greg Maddux, and his 13th career playoff triumph matched John Smoltz for the most in baseball history. Left-hander Mark Redman started for Florida but was rocked early in his World Series debut. Redman allowed five hits, four runs and two walked in 2 1/3 innings in his fourth post-season start. He also had one wild pitch and gave up a homer. "Redman's problem the last couple of games is he stays behind hitters. The hitter has the advantage," said 72-year-old Marlins manager Jack McKeon. "You got to pitch and stay ahead of the guys. He got hurt." Marlins were unable to find a way to rally which had been their trademark all post-season. "You have to tip your cap to Andy Pettitte," said McKeon. "He kept us at bay. Pitching is going to win. Theirs was better than ours tonight."
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