Baseball: Utley's heroics keep Phillies' hopes alive

(GETTY IMAGES)

Chase Utley hit two home runs to raise his baseball world series total to a record-tying five as Philadelphia beat the New York Yankees 8-6 today to set up a game six for the first time since 2003.

Utley hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the first inning off A.J. Burnett and added a solo shot in the seventh to join Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit five home runs in a single world series.

Philadelphia closed to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series by replicating its winning formula from the opener, when Utley hit two solo homers and Cliff Lee pitched a six-hitter.

Raul Ibanez added a second solo shot in the seventh off Phil Coke that made it 8-2.

Lee gave up a run-scoring single to Alex Rodriguez in the first inning but settled in until A-Rod chased him with a two-run double in the eighth.

Robinson Cano drove in Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly, and New York gave Philadelphia a scare when Jorge Posada doubled and Hideki Matsui singled at the start of the ninth against Ryan Madson.

Derek Jeter hit into a run-scoring double play, Johnny Damon singled and Madson struck out slumping Mark Teixeira for the save.

The Yankees, who have won the Series all eight previous times they took a 3-1 lead, will try to close out title No 27 on Thursday (NZT) at home.

Game three winner Andy Pettitte is expected to come back on three days' rest and face game two loser Pedro Martinez.

Pitching on short rest didn't work well for Burnett, who had been 4-0 previously in his career on three days' off and kept the Phillies off balance in game two.

He kept falling behind batters and allowed six runs, four hits and four walks in two-plus innings, his shortest start since his first outing in 2007.

Sourced from: The New Zealand Herald