JIM LEYRITZ slammed a game tying home run and New York took advantage of Atlanta mistakes in the 10th inning for a 8-6 victory in Atlanta on Wednesday that evened the 92nd World Series.

The four hour and 17 minute marathon was the longest game in World Series history, surpassing by three minutes a wild 1993 affair won by Toronto 15-14 in Philadelphia.

The Yankees equalised Major League Baseball's best of seven championship final at two victories each.

Australian left handed relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd was the winning pitcher, making only nine pitches to raise his playoff scoreless streak to five innings over seven games. He has struck out five and allowed one hit.

Pinch hitter Leyritz, who won a playoff game last year with a pinch hit home run in the 15th inning, smashed a three run homer in the eighth inning to even the game at 6-6.

In the 10th inning, Atlanta reliever Steve Avery retired the first two Yankee hatters, but then loaded the bases by walking Tini Raines, giving up a single to Derek Jeter and intentionally walking Bernie Williams.

Yankee pinch hitter Wade Boggs then came to bat and was one strike away from being retired before Avery hurled three consecutive pitches out of the strike zone to issue a walk. That scored Raines with the go ahead run.

"Avery didn't blow the game. We blew the game," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "A lot of things went wrong for us. We will bounce back."

Atlanta's Ryan Klesko then muffed an infield fly, allowing Jeter to score an insurance run for the Yankees.

Lloyd bailed out the Yankees in the ninth inning by continuing his mastery over Atlanta's Fred McGriff.

Lloyd, who struck out McGriff in game two and made him to fly out in game three, forced the slugger to hit into an inning ending double play.

In the 10th inning, Lloyd struck out Klesko before John Wetteland was brought in to secure the two final outs, both catches by Tim Raines, the last while stumbling backwards at the left field wall.