BERNIE WILLIAMS came back to life on Tuesday, and so did the road warrior New York Yankees. The Yankee centre fielder's two run homer in the eighth inning helped seal a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game Three of the World Series just when it appeared, they might be swept.
Williams, the American League championship series Most Valuable Player, had gone hitless in overwhelming Yankees losses in Games One and Two of the Series.
The Yankees are trying to be come only the third team ever, to win a World Series after losing the first two games at home.
Yankee starter David Cone survived a tense pitchers duel with Tom Glavine, leaving the game with the Yankees ahead 2-1 after six innings. Glavine left after seven, but his reliever Greg Me Michael allowed three runs on three hits, including Williams home run, without getting an out.
The Yankees are a perfect 6-0 on the road this post season and need to, win one of the next two games in Atlanta to guarantee a return of the best of seven series to New York.
The loss broke a five game win streak by the defending World Series champion Braves, who had won, three in a row to take the National League championship series after trailing the St Louis Cardinals three games to one.
Cone, who got the win, allowed four hits, one, run and four walks with three strikeouts.
The Yankees scored in the first inning when Tim Raines walked, Derek Jeter bunted him over and Williams got his first Series hit in his eighth at bat, a single that plated Raines.
Williams led off the third by reaching first on an error by shortstop Jeff Blauser. Cecil Fielder walked and Charlie Hayes flied out, moving Williams to third. Darryl Strawberry then drove in Williams with a single to, make it 2-0.
The Yankees went on to load the bases, bringing Cone to the plate with two out. The Yankee cause with a grounder near third, but Chipper Jones made a diving snare and scrambled to tag the base.
Cone committed the ultimate no no in the sixth inning, giving a lead off walk to the opposing pitcher. He then fielded a single to Marquis Grissom and an out later walked Jones to load the bases - to the dangerous Fred McGriff.
Yankee manager Joe Torre conferred with Cone, but left him in and he got McGriff to pop out. But Ryan Klesko drew the third walk of the inning, scoring Glavine to make it 2-1.
With the bases still full, Javier Lopez hit a foul pop caught by Joe Girardi, who had saved two possible wild pitches in the inning. The Yankee catcher was also a perfect 2 for 2 throwing out would be base stealers.
In the eighth, Jeter singled and Williams got his sixth homer of this post season, tying three others for the record.
Fielder doubled, pinch runner Andy Fox took third on a ground out and scored two batters later on Luis Sojo's single to right to make it 5-1. Atlanta, scored its final run in the eighth when Grissom led off with a triple and Mark Lemke singled him home.
Cone, who missed three months this season, after surgery for an aneurysm in his pitching arm, finally got a World Series win in his third career Series start.
