‘Rocket’ Supplies the Boost

NEW YORK —  The New York Yankees aren’t easily unnerved, and they’re especially difficult to rattle at this time of year.

The three-time defending World Series champions are at their best under Manager Joe Torre when the temperature drops and the pressure rises, but even the Yankees might have reached a breaking point with a loss in Game 3 of the series.

They turned to Roger Clemens to pull them back from the edge Tuesday night, and the future Hall of Famer delivered again in a 2-1 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks before 55,820 at Yankee Stadium.

The five-time Cy Young award winner pitched seven strong innings, getting the Yankees’ first victory after two losses in the best-of-seven series.

Second baseman Alfonso Soriano and left fielder Shane Spencer made good plays behind Clemens in the sixth inning to preserve a 1-1 tie.

The Yankees took the lead on Scott Brosius’ two-out, run-scoring single in their half of the sixth, and closer Mariano Rivera worked two perfect innings for the save.

“He was huge for us,” said Brosius of Clemens. “It turned out we needed a huge pitching performance, and he gave it to us. A pretty good formula if you can get the ball from Rocket to [Rivera].”

Clemens’ three-hit, one-run, nine-strikeout performance bolstered the Yankees’ confidence after their disturbing experience in the desert against Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson.

They were overmatched against the Diamondbacks’ formidable 1-2 punch, and a loss against mediocre Arizona left-hander Brian Anderson might have been too much for the Yankees to overcome.

Clemens reaffirmed his status as a big-game pitcher since he started wearing pinstripes, giving the Yankees exactly what they needed in another difficult postseason situation.

“The only thing I can say ... for a pitcher as great as Roger has been, he’s really had to defend himself a lot,” Torre said. “After this game tonight, I don’t think he will have to defend himself again.

“He was dynamite. Dynamite. He gave us more than we had hoped, and he wanted to go out there very badly in seventh inning.”

Said Clemens: “I relish the moment. I enjoy being out there.”

Although the Yankees have rebounded in previous playoff appearances with Torre at the helm, no team in baseball history has won a postseason series after trailing, 3-0. The Yankees are as confident as it gets--but they’re also realistic.

“We needed this one, no doubt,” catcher Jorge Posada said. “After the way we played [in Arizona], we needed a big game from Roger and we needed a win.”

The Yankees got both, and they needed everything Clemens had to offer because Anderson was better than most expected in 51/3 innings despite getting the loss.

“The good thing was, Rocket was healthy,” Posada said. “That’s the main thing.”

Clemens, 39, had not pitched more than five innings in three playoff starts this season after suffering a strained right hamstring in Game 1 of the division series against the Oakland Athletics.

The six-time 20-game winner was 0-1 with a 3.38 earned-run average and 13 strikeouts in 13 postseason innings entering Tuesday’s start, but was in top form against the Diamondbacks on a chilly night in the Big Apple.

“That’s typical Roger,” shortstop Derek Jeter said. “He goes out and puts us in a position to win a game. He’s been doing it all year, and he did that again.”

With the Yankees’ Series hopes on the line.