It's a rather simple approach to success: Bang out a couple of homers and hold the opponents at bay long enough for Rivera to come in and stifle them.

The Yankees made it work to perfection Thursday night, tying the World Series at a victory apiece by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 behind A.J. Burnett's seven strong innings, solo home runs from Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui and Rivera's record 38th postseason save.

There have been 23 postseason saves of at least two innings since 1996, and Rivera has 14 of them, including his last three in the World Series.

"He's special. Nobody does what he does," Derek Jeter said. "He wants to win, and he'll do whatever it takes. If someone wanted him to start, he'd go out there and start. He's unique, once-in-a-lifetime."

Indeed, after throwing 39 pitches, his most ever in a World Series game, Rivera said he would be available for more extended duty against the Phillies.

"You know what you have and what you can do," Rivera said. "It's always difficult to pitch in those situations, but you have to do your job."

Rivera had not pitched since closing out the clinching victory in the American League Championship Series on Sunday, a two-inning save as well, so he was plenty rested.

Still, he allowed a one-out walk and a single in the eighth, bringing up Chase Utley, he of the two-homer game the night before. Utley worked the count to 3-2 before hitting into a 4-6-3 double play, with Jeter making an outstanding turn to barely get Utley at first.

The return of Pedro Martinez, the former Boston Red Sox ace, had the crowd of 50,181 chanting "Who's your daddy?" from the very first batter.

Martinez, though, was no easy prey.

Mixing in an assortment of breaking balls with fastballs in the high 80s, he shut down the Yankees until Teixeira tied the game at 1 by leading off the fourth with a blast over the center-field fence.

"It kind of put a little crack in their armor," said Teixeira, who came in hitting .186 for the postseason. "They had pitched so well the first two games, and for us to get a run and then Matsui's home run was just huge for our confidence."

Matsui's two-out drive in the sixth — a 320-foot Yankee Stadium special into the right-field porch — put New York ahead to stay.

The Yankees tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, but Rivera didn't need it to preserve Burnett's first career postseason victory.

The right-hander gave up four hits and one run in seven innings, striking out nine and often mesmerizing the Phillies as his curveballs dropped into the strike zone.

"It was on," Burnett said of his hook, "and when I can throw that for strikes, it's a big difference."

So is heading to Philadelphia this weekend tied 1-1 instead of down 2-0.

Enlarge By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has 14 of the 23 postseason saves of at least two innings since 1996.