PHILADELPHIA -- A.J. Burnett looked as if he was pitching on short rest -- as in three hours, not three days.
Burnett faced 15 Philadelphia Phillies hitters, retiring six as the New York Yankees fell 8-6 to extend the 105th World Series before 46,178 fans at Citizens Bank Park last night. The Yankees lead the best-of-seven Series 3-2 with Game 6 tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.
Jorge Posada doubled to open the ninth, advanced on a Hideki Matsui single against reliever Ryan Madson as Phillies nation had a flashback to Game 4 when reliever Brad Lidge gave up the winner.
Madson induced a double-play out of Derek Jeter, allowed a single to Johnny Damon before striking out Mark Teixiera, representing the tying run, to end it.
Chase Utley hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Burnett and went deep a second time off lefty Phil Coke in the seventh, tying Reggie Jackson's record of five homers in a Series.
"Obviously it's great company. Sometime I'll look back at it," Utley said. "But right now, we have two games to win."
"When Chase gets hot, he can stay hot for a month or two. Hopefully he's there now," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
Cliff Lee pitched seven innings for his second win.
Burnett never gave his team a chance, taking the mound with a 1-0 lead.
NOT SHARP
"I didn't think he was as sharp as he's been," Yanks manager Joe Girardi said.
Jimmy Rollins singled up the middle on the sixth pitch, Shane Victorino was hit on the next pitch and Utley smashed a three-run homer.
"If we had pitched today we would have won. A.J. struggled," Girardi said. "What I saw from A.J. on three days rest does not change my opinion on Andy (Pettitte). If Andy is healthy, he starts Game 6."
Burnett trailed 4-0 just 12 pitches in against the Los Angeles Angels in the ALCS and last night was down 3-0 after eight pitches.
Next came a walk to Ryan Howard, so Burnett recorded his first out on his 18th pitch. How often do the first four hitters of a Series game reach? It hasn't happened since Game 2 in 2002 when David Eckstein, Darin Erstad, Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson all singled for the Los Angeles Angels.
The first four batters of an inning reaching didn't happen again until two innings later: Burnett walked a pair, and allowed singles to Werth and Raul Ibanez.
"I let 25 guys down," Burnett said afterwards.
Burnett was only the second Yankee to record only six outs and allow six runs in post-season play. The other? Pettitte, the scheduled Game 6 starter against Pedro Martinez.
The only other starter to pitch two innings or less while allowing six earned runs and walking four was Todd Stottlemyre in Game 4 of the 1993 Series, a memorable 15-14 Blue Jays win.
Howard struck out a 12th time to join Willie Wilson (1980) as the only players with 12 whiffs in a Series.
BOB.ELLIOTT@SUNMEDIA.CA
