NEW YORK (AP) – Andy Pettitte has become the New York Yankees’ great equalizer.

Three times, New York has lost the opener of a postseason series. Three times, Pettitte has got the Yankees even.

Pettitte pitched a masterpiece Sunday night, stopping the Florida Marlins cold. He allowed six hits, coming within one out of a shutout, leading New York to a 6-1 win that tied the World Series one game apiece.

“Andy, he’s had a roller-coaster ride here in the eight years I’ve been here,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said before the game, “but he certainly has been able to stand tall in games that we’ve counted on him to be that way.”

Pettitte, who allowed only two infield hits in the first six innings, didn’t allow a runner past season base until Derrek Lee’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth.

He struck out seven and walked one in his 13th postseason win, tying John Smoltz’s career record, and he improved to 3-0 in four starts during this year’s playoffs and World Series.

Because the Yankees used their other three regular starting pitchers as relievers in Game 7 against the Boston Red Sox, Pettitte had to pitch on three days’ rest. On Wednesday, he left with a 6-4 lead after five innings and 92 pitches in Game 6, but Jose Contreras failed to hold the lead.

This time, he left with one out to go. All through the ninth, the crowd kept chanting his name, but Torre took him out after Lee’s single, bringing in Contreras for the final out. Pettitte sprinted to the dugout, took off his cap and waved it to the crowd.

Roger Clemens has all awards, a record six Cy Youngs.

Mike Mussina got the big free agent contract.

David Wells gets a lot of attention because of his outlandish personality.

And Pettitte gets wins when his team needs them the most.

He won his last six regular-season starts that followed Yankees losses, and now he’s won three more when it counts most.

If either team sweeps the three games in Miami, Sunday night could wind up as his last in pinstripes – he’s eligible for free agency after the Series.

Torre learned to trust Pettitte that night in Atlanta, when he pitched 8 1-3 tough innings in the 1-0 Game 5 win of the 1996 World Series.

“He’s never the one everybody talks about,” Torre said. “We’ve always had someone else here that was probably more of a marquee player than he is.”

AP-ES-10-19-03 2308EDT