The Associated Press

NEW YORK - It took less than a New York minute for Juan Pierre to give the Yankees fits. His burst of speed set up Florida's first-inning run, and his two-run single in the fifth was the difference as the Marlins beat New York 3-2 in Saturday night's World Series opener.

"It was a good start, sending them a message," Pierre said.

Pierre reached base four times. He bunted for a single and scored the game's first run, hit a two-run single on a hit-and-run, was hit by a pitch, then walked and stole second.

In the house of the Bronx Bombers, he set off the sparks that led to small-ball runs.

"We didn't do well," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "That's not the way we can expect to win and keep their offense down. We certainly have to do a better job."

If you tuned in late, you might have missed how fast Florida burst ahead as Pierre sped around the bases.

He bunted on the second pitch of the game, sending the ball past the mound and toward second.

Two pitches later, the lithe outfielder from Alabama took off for second and Luis Castillo blooped the ball to the right side, vacated when second baseman Alfonso Soriano moved to cover the bag. On the very next pitch, Ivan Rodriguez flied to center field, and Pierre tagged and scored.

"That's my job, to create a little havoc," Pierre said. "With my bunt, I think they weren't as comfortable the rest of the game. I know the next time up, Torre was yelling, ėMove up. Move up.' Another guy moved over. It was already in their head with the bunt. It just opens up the whole field for me."

The quickness impressed New York's Jason Giambi.

"We have to work hard to keep the first two guys off base," he said. "They can steal bases at will."

Fast forward to the fifth, after the Yankees had tied the score.

Jeff Conine led off with a walk and Juan Encarnacion singled to right. Knowing Pierre was up next, the Marlins had No. 9 hitter Alex Gonzalez sacrifice the runners ahead.

Pierre took a ball, fouled off a pitch and sent the next one past Derek Jeter and into left field, scoring Conine and Encarnacion as third baseman Aaron Boone cut off Hideki Matsui's throw.

At plate and on base, Pierre said the difference.

"He sets the tone," Florida's Mike Lowell said, "and you definitely notice a change in pitching style when he's on base."

Florida should consider itself lucky to have gotten Pierre from Colorado last November as part of the complicated deals that sent Mike Hampton from the Rockies to Atlanta. Pierre became the key to the Marlins' offense, a sprinter in the mode of Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman.

"He just makes us go," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "He jump-starts our offense."

In the regular season, Pierre led the National League with 65 steals and was third with 204 hits Not bad for a guy who spent years being told he wasn't a top prospect.

"I've heard it since I was in high school: 'Too small, can't hit with a wooden bat, can't do this, can't do that,"' he said last spring. "When you hear it in the minor leagues and college, it got under your skin, but now whatever they say doesn't matter, because I'm in the big leagues."