While Hamels unraveled after holding the Yankees hitless the first 3 1/3 innings, Pettitte stifled the Phillies after some early damage control. While Hamels was cruising, Pettitte appeared to be cruising for a bruising.

The 37-year-old Pettitte, who won his 17th post-season game in the Yankees 8-5 win at Citizens Bank Park, was in deep trouble early in the game, laboring to locate his assortment of pitches.

In the second inning, Jayson Werth ripped the first of two solo home runs off Pettitte, which led Pettitte into deeper trouble. With the bases loaded and one out, Pettitte walked Jimmy Rollins to force home a run, and Shane Victorino made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Then came the biggest out of the night for Pettitte, when he struck out Chase Utley looking with two on.

All the while, Pettitte's body language never indicated he was concerned.

After his big strikeout of Utley, Pettitte didn't allow another hit until Werth hammered his second homer to lead off the sixth inning.

In the six innings Pettitte pitched, he dominated the Phillies lefthanded hitters. He struck out Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez twice each, and held the three of them to a combined 0-for-9.

Once Pettitte settled into a rhythm, the Yankees broke through against Hamels in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Alex Rodriguez that was initially ruled a double until the umpires went to video replay and saw the ball clank off a television camera stationed just above the fence near the right-field foul pole.

In the fifth inning, Hamels faced six batters. Four of them got hits, another walked, three runs scored, and that was it for Hamels as Pettitte was handed a 5-3 lead.

The first run the Yankees scored in the fifth was driven in by Pettitte, of all people. It was the first World Series RBI by a Yankee pitcher since Jim Bouton had one in Game 6 against St. Louis on Oct. 14, 1964.

The day before, Pettitte, who rarely bats because of the designated hitter rule in the American League, joked that he'd taken a few practice swings during batting practice and was pleased he didn't pull a muscle.

But it was Pettitte's pitching, and not his hitting, that left the Phillies trailing a post-season series for the first time since they began their run to the World Series title last season.

Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com