Hideki Matsui drove in a record-tying six runs to power the New York Yankees past Philadelphia 7-3 on Wednesday, giving them a recod 27th World Series crown and their first title since 2000.

The Yankees won Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final four games to two over the defending champion Phillies, extending the greatest legacy of championship success in North American pro sports.

Yankees designated hitter Matsui smashed his third home run of the Series, a two-run blast to right field in the second inning, added a two-run single in the third and a two-run double in the fifth.

The 35-year-old Japanese star matched the World Series one-game record for knocking in runs set by Yankees star Bobby Richardson in 1960.

Matsui, who batted .615 for the Series, was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series, an unprecedented honor for an Asian player.

Matsui's heroics came in what could be his final game in a Yankees uniform since he was not signed beyond this season, but he achieved the dream he had when he joined the Yankees in 2003 of capturing a World Series crown.

Andy Pettitte won his record-extending 18th playoff game, the 37-year-old US southpaw having also taken a game three victory.

The Yankees became the first World Series champion since Minnesota in 2001 to use only a three-man starting rotation of pitchers, including 2008 free agent signees Pettitte, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Matsui had been relegated to a pinch-hitter role in the past three games, played in Philadelphia under National League rules where pitchers bat for themselves. But he made up for lost time in game six.

After Alex Rodriguez walked to open the second inning, Matsui smashed a full-count pitch off Phillies starter Pedro Martinez high into the cold night air and it soared into the right-field stands to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Philadelphia answered in the third when Carlos Ruiz tripled and scored on a Jimmy Rollins sacrfice fly.

But Matsui struck again in the third, coming to the plate with the bases loaded and two out to face Martinez - loathed by Yankees fans after his years with the arch-rival Boston Red Sox.

Matsui smacked a single up the middle to score Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, giving the Yankees a 4-1 lead. Damon strained his right calf while running the bases and was removed but the Yankees had plenty of slugging power without him.

Martinez, the game two loser, struggled with control problems and was removed after only four innings but his replacements had problems of their own.

Mark Teixeira singled in a run in the fifth and Rodriguez walked to bring Matsui to the plate against Phillies southpaw reliever J.A. Happ.

The former Yomiuri Giants star bashed a double to centerfield to give the Yankees a 7-1 lead, giving him eight runs batted in for the Series.

Philadelphia refused to surrender as Ryan Howard bashed a two-run homer in the sixth to pull his club within 7-3 and help chase Pettitte from the mound.

The Phillies put two runners on base in the seventh for Chase Utley, who had tied a one-Series record with five homers. But the Yankees brought in reliever Damaso Marte and the Dominican southpaw struck out Utley to end the inning.

New York brought in closing relief ace Mariano Rivera, and the 39-year-old Panamanian right-hander secured the final outs to touch off a wild celebration.