PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies still have a long way to go to repeat as world champions. But just getting the World Series back to New York with an 8-6 victory Monday was a significant accomplishment.
The Phillies won because fully rested Cliff Lee provided another stellar game. They won because Chase Utley hit two more homers, his fifth overall of this Series, matching Reggie Jackson's 1977 record. And they won because the Yankees' decision to start A.J. Burnett on short rest backfired horribly, with the potential of ongoing ramifications.
"We had to do it," Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "We didn't have a choice. It was either go home and watch football and college basketball or extend the season."
Game 6 will be Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, with the potential for tremendous theater given the expected pitching matchup of big-game veterans Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte.
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The Yankees still lead the Series 3-2 and have history on their side -- with only three teams having failed to win after leading 3-1 with the final two games at home -- as well as home-field advantage, courtesy of the American League's All-Star victory.
But the Phillies could have something of an advantage, with the momentum, the pressure that will be on the Yankees and the benefit of having Martinez on five days' rest in contrast to the 37-year-old Pettitte on three for the first time since 2006.
Utley hit a three-run, tone-setting homer in the first off Burnett and a leadoff shot in the seventh against Phil Coke. Utley, who went deep twice in Game 1 and once in Game 4, also became the second player to have two multihomer Series games, joining Kansas City's Willie Aikens, who did so against Philadelphia in 1980.
"At some point, not right now, maybe I'll look back on it and see what kind of special moment it is," Utley said. "But right now our goal is to win two more games."