Marlins edge game one

Luis Castillo and Juan Pierre celebrate victory in game one

The Florida Marlins made light of their underdogs tag as they opened the World Series with a 3-2 win over New York at Yankee Stadium.

The home side looked jaded after a titanic championship series with Boston that only ended in the early hours of Friday morning, and they were always on the backfoot.

It was not until the ninth inning that the Yankees put the pressure on, trailing 3-2 but with two runners on base.

But somehow the Marlins held on, with pitcher Ugueth Urbina getting the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano on a called third strike and then retiring Nick Johnson on a fly ball.

The teams return to Yankee Stadium for game two of the best-of-seven series on Sunday, before heading to Miami for games three and four.

I wanted to send a message to them that I'm going to get on and drive in runs Juan Pierre, Florida Marlins

The decisive moment came when Juan Pierre hit a two-run single in the fifth innings with the score at 1-1, sending in Jeff Conine and Juan Encarnacion.

New York's Aaron Boone, whose home run gave the Yankees victory in the American League finals against Boston, looked to be at fault allowing Encarnacion to score.

Boone threw to first base instead of home plate, despite having an apparent easy play at home which would have prevented the Marlins' third run.

Bernie Williams hit a homer in the sixth to cut the score to 3-2 but from then on the Marlins pitchers held New York at bay.

It was very much Pierre's night, and appropriately he ended the game by catching a pop fly from New York's Nick Johnson.

"Hopefully this sets tone for the rest of the series," said Pierre. "I wanted to send a message to them that I'm going to get on and drive in runs."

Have Your Say World Series Fans' Corner - represent your team

Marlins manager Jack McKeon added: "He's quite a kid, he makes us go. I can't say enough about him."

Yankees manager Joe Torre defended Boone's decision to try and get Pierre at first.

"I couldn't tell from where I was sitting," said Torre. "He knows how to play third base.

"We tell our infielders in situations where there are 50,000 people in the stands that you pretty much can't rely on hearing somebody say 'cut it off'. You have to use your own judgement.

"I didn't ask him because it wouldn't have changed anything. If it's a young player who doesn't know any better, then you talk to him."

Left-hander Andy Pettitte will be New York's starting pitcher in game two, while left-hander Mark Redman opens for the Marlins.