Phillies' Race To Repeat Ends, 7-3

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees have won the World Series, beating the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 behind Hideki Matsui's record-tying six RBIs.

Andy Pettitte won the clincher Wednesday night, pitching the Yankees to their elusive 27th championship and first since 2000.

New York won the series 4-2.

Matsui - the Series MVP - homered, doubled and singled, and tied Bobby Richardson's 49-year-old record for RBIs in a Series game. His two-run homer off Pedro Martinez in the second inning started the Yankees on their way.

Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez helped the Yankees wrap up a most successful season in their first year at the new $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium.

Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley hit his fourth and fifth homers in Game 5 of the Series Monday night, tying Reggie Jackson's record for the most in one Fall Classic.

Ryan Howard also had a record-setting World Series for the Phillies, but it was one he would like to forget. Howard, who hit a two-run homer off Pettitte in the sixth inning, went 4-for-23 with a World Series-record 13 strikeouts over the six games. That broke the mark of 12 strikeouts by Kansas City's Willie Wilson in 1980, when the Phillies won their first World Series in franchise history before adding last year's championship over Tampa Bay.

The Phillies were trying to become the first NL team to win back-to-back World Series titles since Cincinnati in 1975-76.

Martinez (0-2), the losing pitcher in Game 2, left after giving up three hits and four runs over four frames.

Already ahead 4-1, the Yankees tacked on three runs in the fifth. Jeter hit a ground-rule double to left-center field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Teixeira singled up the middle to plate the runner before Rodriguez walked. Matsui then greeted Happ by crushing a 3-1 offering off the base of the wall in right field, scoring two more.

Howard homered to left field with Chase Utley on base in the sixth, but after Raul Ibanez doubled, Joba Chamberlain retired Pedro Feliz on a ground ball to end the inning.

The Phillies threatened in the seventh, putting men on first and second, but Damaso Marte fanned Utley to end the frame. Rivera came in with one out and nobody on base in the eighth, and although Ibanez doubled with two outs, Feliz fouled out to Posada.

Rivera worked around a one-out walk to Carlos Ruiz in the ninth, retiring Jimmy Rollins on a fly ball to deep right field and Victorino on a groundout to second base. When Teixeira received Robinson Cano's throw at first for the final out, the celebration began...for a 27th time.

When Martinez stepped to the mound on the brisk night at Yankee Stadium, the chants of "Who's your daddy?" were consistently heard from the capacity crowd, trying to heckle the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

He walked Rodriguez on four pitches to start the second. Matsui, who homered off Martinez in the sixth inning of Game 2, then clubbed a four-seam fastball on the inside corner to the second deck in right field for his third round-tripper of this series. It came on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

With one out in the Philadelphia third, Ruiz tripled to the gap off the wall in left-center field and scored on a Rollins fly ball to right.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the third as Jeter singled, Johnny Damon walked and Teixeira was hit by a pitch on his right thigh, but Rodriguez looked at a called third strike on the outside corner for the second out.

Matsui nearly had a hit for extra bases, but it hooked foul down the rightfield line. Facing an 0-2 count, New York's designated hitter lined a two-run single to center field.