PHILADELPHIA — For Halloween last night, Andy Pettitte went to Citizens Bank Park disguised as a major league hitter. It worked.
No designated hitter in the National League ballpark? No problem. Pettitte helped with the heavy lifting by delivering a game-tying RBI single in the Yankees’ 8-5 victory over the Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series.
Pettitte became the first Yankees pitcher to drive in a run in a World Series game since Jim Bouton on Oct. 14, 1964 in Game 6 against the Cardinals.
With the Yankees trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Nick Swisher doubled leading off against Cole Hamels before Melky Cabrera struck out. Hamels then threw a first-pitch curveball that Pettitte looped into center field to tie the game.
“There is a runner in scoring position, so I’m going to be a little more aggressive — I wasn’t taking,” Pettitte said. “I’m not trying to hit a home run. I’m trying to slap the ball around and fortunately enough I got a ball up in the zone and could slap it back up the middle.”
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Hamels later said he thought Pettitte would be bunting — even with one out and the runner at second base — and that’s why he threw a curve instead of a fastball.
Pettitte’s biggest adventure came on the bases, after he moved to second on Derek Jeter’s single. Johnny Damon then hit a shot to the outfield that seemed destined to clear the bases — if Jeter didn’t pass Pettitte. Both runners scored on the double, with Jeter on Pettitte’s tail the whole time.
“I told him I would have caught him,” Jeter said. “I don’t know if he believed me, but I was trying to.”
The hit was Pettitte’s 14th overall in his career and second in the World Series. His other came in Game 6 of 2001 at Arizona. Pettitte’s offensive production last night helped lessen the sting of allowing four earned runs over six innings.
“Andy probably didn’t have his best stuff tonight,” Alex Rodriguez said. “But he did a great job of working in and out of trouble, limiting trouble and he swung the bat really well, too.”