The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Now that's more like what New York fans expect from a postseason game at Yankee Stadium.

Andy Pettitte pitched another gem under pressure, Jason Giambi turned the boos to cheers, and the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Thursday night to even their best-of-five American League playoff series at one game apiece.

"Something about a night game at Yankee Stadium, I guess it comes alive out there," Pettitte said. "I could sense it. I don't usually get too emotional; I was pretty emotional out there tonight."

After a sloppy loss during the day in Game 1, the Yankees got their ballpark in the Bronx rocking with a three-run seventh inning that snapped a 1-all tie.

Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead single off LaTroy Hawkins, and this time the Twins made defensive errors that opened the door.

Yankees manager Joe Torre took no chances, bringing in Mariano Rivera to pitch the final two innings for a save.

The Yankees have the momentum heading into Game 3, but Minnesota has its home-field magic - the Twins are 13-3 all-time in postseason games at the Metrodome.

"Nobody in this clubhouse is disappointed. I think we're satisfied, very satisfied," Hawkins said of the split.

Roger Clemens pitches Saturday afternoon for New York; Kyle Lohse pitches for Minnesota.

Twins starter Brad Radke hit Nick Johnson - stuck in an 0-for-22 slump - with a 1-2 pitch leading off the seventh. Juan Rivera's sacrifice moved Johnson up, and Hawkins, the winner in Game 1, entered to face Soriano.

Soriano singled sharply to left for a 2-1 lead. His throwing error was one of several defensive miscues by New York on Tuesday.

Derek Jeter hit a chopper to Hawkins, who hurriedly threw high off first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz's glove for an error that left runners at second and third.

Up came Giambi, who fanned against Hawkins in Game 1 and was booed loudly in the first two games. But he changed that by grounding a hard single up the middle through a drawn-in infield for a 4-1 lead that put the fans in a frenzy.

That was all New York needed. A well-rested Rivera came out of the bullpen for his first two-inning postseason save since Game 3 of the 2001 World Series against Arizona.

Pettitte used a tight slider to set a postseason career high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed four hits in seven innings, improving to 11-7 in 26 postseason starts.

Radke was on his game, too, minimizing the first-inning damage after allowing Bernie Williams' sacrifice fly and retiring 10 in a row at one point before Jorge Posada's double in the fourth. He allowed two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Torii Hunter led off the fifth with his first career postseason homer for Minnesota.