By Larry Fine

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Phillies kept their championship hopes alive by beating the New York Yankees 8-6 Monday to force a sixth game in the best-of-seven World Series.

Chase Utley belted two home runs to support the pitching of Cliff Lee, the same combination that produced victory in last week's Fall Classic opener.

"It's the World Series, it's a do-or-die game," Utley told reporters after last year's World Series winners cut the Yankees' lead to 3-2 ahead of Wednesday's Game Six.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, whose team needs to sweep two games in New York to retain the MLB trophy, hoped Utley could stay in his groove.

"Chase, when he gets hot, definitely he can get hot and stay hot for a month or two," said Manuel. "Knock on wood."

A New York fightback that produced four runs in the last two innings fell short as Phillies reliever Ryan Madson struck out Mark Teixeira, representing the tying run, to end it.

Utley blasted a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the seventh, giving him a total of five round-trippers in the championship showdown to tie the Series record set by Reggie Jackson for the Yankees in 1977.

The Phillies charged to an early 6-1 lead after Utley's first-inning contribution, followed by another three-run burst in the third against New York starter and loser A.J. Burnett.

Burnett, pitching on three days' rest for the first time this season, went two innings plus four batters, giving up six runs on four hits, four walks and one hit batsman.

The Yankees, who scored one run in the first, added another in the fifth but looked beaten after Utley and Raul Ibanez connected for solo homers in the seventh off reliever Phil Coke to push Philadelphia's lead to 8-2.

'DANGEROUS HITTER'

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he was not surprised by Utley's heroics. "He's a very dangerous hitter, and he puts up great numbers every year."

Girardi said the seventh-inning runs were a back breaker. Continued...