By Mike Lopresti
Gannett News Service

MIAMI - This was doing it the hard way for the Florida Marlins, tempting fate and able to laugh about it later. It is tough enough beating the New York Yankees once in any World Series game. It is rare to beat them twice.

But whatever it took is what the Marlins had Wednesday night, when Alex Gonzalez's home run in the 12th inning gave the Marlins a 4-3 victory and 2-2 tie in the World Series.

Gonzalez's full count blow off Jeff Weaver - pitching for the first time in a month - slipped just over the left-field wall and stayed just fair, a chip shot by a shortstop who has not hit much in the entire postseason.

But at 12:28 a.m. ET, he became a famous power hitter, and for its effect, the ball could have carried 500 feet. It ended a long night that began as Roger Clemens' farewell appearance, but became the one that nearly got away for Florida. A game of great starting pitching that turned into flips and flops and missed chances by both teams.

The 12th inning only happened because Florida closer Ugueth Urbina blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth. One pitch from New York defeat, Ruben Sierra's two-out, pinch-hit triple scored two runs and tied the game.

Gone was the brilliant work of Carl Pavano, who gave up one run in eight innings.

But there was, and is, much more to come for Florida.

Tuesday's box

Yankees 6, Marlins 1

New York	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
ASoriano 2b	4	1	0	0	1	3	.167
Jeter ss	4	3	3	0	0	1	.417
JaGiambi 1b	2	0	0	0	2	1	.125
Dellucci pr-rf	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
BWilliams cf	5	1	1	3	0	1	.364
Matsui lf	3	0	1	1	1	1	.455
Posada c	2	0	0	1	2	0	.000
KGarcia rf	3	0	0	0	0	0	.400
Sierra ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000
MRivera p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
ABoone 3b	4	1	1	1	0	1	.167
Mussina p	3	0	0	0	0	3	.000
NJohnson 1b	1	0	0	0	0	0	.333
Totals	33	6	6	6	6	12

Florida	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Pierre cf	3	1	2	0	1	0	.500
LCastillo 2b	4	0	0	0	0	3	.231
IRodriguez c	4	0	1	0	0	0	.200
Cabrera rf	4	0	2	1	0	2	.182
DeLee 1b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.167
Lowell 3b	4	0	0	0	0	2	.083
Conine lf	4	0	2	0	0	0	.333
AGonzalez ss	3	0	1	0	0	1	.111
JEncarncn ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.286
Beckett p	2	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Willis p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
CFox p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Looper p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Hollandsworth ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	34	1	8	1	1	11

New York	000	100	014	-	6	6	1
Florida	100	000	000	-	1	8	0

E-ABoone (3). LOB-New York 8, Florida 8. 2B-Jeter 2 (2), Pierre (1), IRodriguez (1), AGonzalez (1). HR-BWilliams (2), off Looper; ABoone (1), off CFox. RBIs-BWilliams 3 (4), Matsui (4), Posada (1), ABoone (1), Cabrera (1). CS-Pierre (1). S-Beckett.

New York	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Mussina W, 1-0	7	7	1	1	1	9	111	1.29
MRivera S, 1	2	1	0	0	0	2	23	0.00
Florida	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Beckett L, 0-1	7 1/3	3	2	2	3	10	107	2.45
Willis	1-3	1	0	0	2	0	18	0.00
CFox	2-3	1	2	2	1	1	17	10.80
Looper	2-3	1	2	2	0	1	14	10.80

Inherited runners-scored-Willis 1-1, CFox 3-0, Looper 1-1.

IBB-off Mussina (Pierre) 1. HBP-by Looper (Jeter), by Beckett (Matsui). PB-Posada.

T-3:21. A-65,731 (36,331).