PHILADELPHIA — Andy Pettitte(notes) has helped the Yankees to plenty of playoff wins with his arm over the years, becoming the most victorious playoff pitcher in the process. 

But it wasn't until Saturday night's Game 3 that the old lefty from Texas helped New York's cause with his bat, hitting a tying RBI single off Cole Hamels(notes) in the fifth inning of the Yankees' 8-5 win over the Phillies.

The hit and ensuing run that Pettitte scored on a Johnny Damon(notes) double put the pitcher in line for his 17th postseason victory. His one knock was one more than Shane Victorino(notes), Chase Utley(notes), Ryan Howard(notes) and Raul Ibanez(notes) had combined.

Said Pettitte after the game:

"(With) runners in scoring position, I'm going to be a little bit more aggressive. I wasn't taking — I just saw a ball up in the zone, so I'm not trying to hit a home run, I'm trying to slap the ball around, and fortunately enough I got a ball up in the zone, and I was able to slap it back up the middle.

"I was joking with a few of the guys, I've got a few World Series knocks now, and now I've got an RBI, so pretty happy about that."

Pettitte's only other World Series hit came in 2001 off Randy Johnson(notes), but that Game 6 had a much different outcome. Though he had a single to left off the Big Unit, Pettitte only lasted two innings, giving up seven hits and six runs in a clinching attempt.

Contrast that to Saturday night, when not only did Pettitte get his first postseason RBI, he also got through some early struggles to help give the Yankees a 2-1 series lead. (When discussing his effort in Game 3 Pettitte used the world "grind" four times during his postgame press conference.)

Derek Jeter(notes) later joked with the home plate umpire that the Yankees would never hear the end of the RBI single from Pettitte, but at least he'll have some material to shut his friend up. Pettitte's crawl home from second on Damon's double took forever and Jeter was hot on his tail for the final 90 feet until home plate.  

"I have no wheels at all. I know that. I am very slow. I mean, very slow. And the first thing Derek said was, 'I almost caught you.'"

Related: Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Raúl Ibañez, Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Randy Johnson, 2009 postseason on the Stew, 2009 World Series on the Stew