By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees had a little more pep in their step and a lot more pop in their bats for Game 2 of the World Series. And they got the usual 2003 second game performance from Andy Pettitte.

As a result, the series goes to Florida tied at a game apiece. The Yankees beat the Florida Marlins 6-1 Sunday night before a crowd of 55,750 at chilly Yankee Stadium.

Pettitte was brilliant. He allowed an unearned run on six hits over 8 2/3 innings. He was one out from a complete-game shutout before Aaron Boone's second error of the game prolonged the ninth.

"People asked me if I'm surprised or amazed," New York manager Joe Torre said of Pettitte. "I'd have to say no. I've watched him grow. He started Game 1 of '96 World Series, and he got blown out of the tub."

Torre talked with Pettitte about pitching the way he's capable not trying to do too much.

"He deals with pressure and stress," Torre said.

It was Pettitte's 13th postseason victory, tying him with Atlanta's John Smoltz for the all-time lead.

"You've got to tip your cap to Andy Pettitte," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "We talk all along about pitching. Tonight, their pitching was better than ours."

Five of the six New York runs scored on home runs - a three-run shot by Hideki Matsui and a two-run blast by Alfonso Soriano.

Left-hander Pettitte had no trouble making that stand up, despite pitching on three days' rest. Pettitte is 3-0 this postseason and 13-7 overall.

Just as he did in the American League Division Series against Minnesota and in the AL Championship Series against Boston, Pettitte won Game 2 after the Yankees had lost Game 1.

The Yankees knew they had to win Game 2. Going to Florida to face Florida's best pitcher, Josh Beckett, is a tough task even for a team with 26 World Championships.

Of the 48 teams that have gone up 2-0 in the World Series, 37 have gone on to win. Ten of the 14 road teams to go up 2-0 have gone on to win.

"If you're going to split, the best way to do it is win the second," Torre said. "You build on winning."

The Marlins' starter, Mark Redman, put his club in 3-0 a hole in the first. Redman nearly escaped the inning without damage. Soriano started the New York first with a walk. Derek Jeter tried and failed to bunt him over and ended up striking out. Redman then picked off Soriano with Jason Giambi at the plate.

But Redman ended up hitting Giambi with a pitch. Bernie Williams followed with a single to center, sending Giambi to third.

Redman missed badly with his first three pitches to Matsui.

But his fourth pitch was on the outer half of the plate.

Matsui, the $21 million Japanese import, had the green light. He smoked it to center.

It cleared the 408-foot mark, and the Yankees had a 3-0 lead.

"It reminded me of Cincinnati," Torre said. "He got ahead 3-0. I gave him the green light, and he hit a three-run homer to center."

That homer came when the Yankees beat the Reds 10-2 on June 5.

"Matsui's a good hitter," McKeon said. "But if you get behind 3-0 and lay a fastball in there, you'd be a pretty good hitter, too."

Matsui is first native of Japan to homer in a World Series game.

Nick Johnson reached on a perfect bunt in the second. Juan Rivera followed with a shot to left. Johnson scored easily to make it 4-0.

Redman's night ended in the third. He gave up a hit to Jeter, got an out and then walked Williams.

Redman, 29, a left-hander, went 2 1/3 innings, allowing the four runs on five hits. It was the second straight rough outing for Redman. He allowed five runs in three innings in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

"You can't keep pitching behind," McKeon said. "He got behind and got hurt when he did."

Rick Helling took over for Redman. Helling got out of the third just fine, but he gave up a two-run homer to Soriano in the fourth to make it 6-0.

Pettitte threw a lot of pitches in the first, but avoided damage, thanks to strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play.

Pettitte settled in nicely after the first. He worked a 1-2-3 innings in the second and third and only allowed two hits - both infield singles - through six innings.