The Yankees march past the Mariners and into another World Series.(AP)

So on Tuesday night, the pressure was obvious as the Mariners built an early 4-0 lead and seemed primed to get this series to a seventh game even though New York had already started preparing for the Subway Series.

By the time the night was over and the Yankees had pulled off their latest comeback, pressure was replaced by champagne.

For the fourth time in five years, the Yankees are the American League champions. They were propelled by a six-run seventh inning, in which they turned a 4-3 deficit into a 9-4 lead.

Finally, they settled for a 9-7 victory that gets them to the first Subway Series in 44 years where they will play the Mets.

"It's always pressure for us," said Yankees manager Joe Torre, "I don't care what the circumstances are. We could be ahead 3-0. We could be a .500 team. To me, the Yankees always have the need to win. So the pressure is always there."

But it is a lot lighter now. The Yankees are in the World Series again, where they have won 12 consecutive games.

Now New York braces for baseball's version of Armageddon.

But on this night, the Yankees just wanted to savor getting out of the American League.

"Well, they proved why they are world champions," said Piniella. "There's no quitting over there. They don't rattle easily and they play with a lot of confidence."

These Yankees, even as they are getting vulnerable and old in key places, just don't break.

All the doomsday forecasts that came with 15 losses in their final 18 regular-season games and their harrowing struggles against the A's in a Division Series that went the distance evaporated.

It wasn't as pretty, or as easy as in years past, but once again, the Yankees got there. They did it with pitching, timely hitting and defense. It's an old story, but one that won't be stale as long as it leads to the World Series.

Give the Mariners credit. They made it interesting, thanks to superstar Alex Rodriguez, who went 4-for-5 in what might be his final game in a Mariners uniform.

They hit Orlando Hernandez hard, which nobody ever does in the playoffs.

But their nice little ride ended when lefty Arthur Rhodes wilted for the second time in the series, as David Justice took him deep for a 3-run homer in the bottom of the seventh that put the Yankees up 6-4.

Justice, who was named MVP of the series, scorched the ball into the Bronx night in right-center field. The second it left his bat, everybody knew it was gone. Everyone knew the series was over.

After the Yankees had sliced the lead to 4-3 in the fourth, it seemed just a matter of time before someone was going to strike the big blow. It was a night every Yankee seemed to have a big hit.

You want to talk about pressure performers?

Justice, who has played in more playoff games than anyone else, has now won a World Series and a pennant with home runs. His homer against the Indians in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series gave the Braves their lone world championship during the 90s.

And Tuesday, he struck the defining blow of an exhilarating game.

"This is right behind the World Series home run," said Justice. "It was magical rounding the bases, the way the place erupted."

Just wait and see how it erupts Saturday night when the Mets invade for Game 1.

"I really believe this is going to be unbelievable," said Justice. "This hasn't happened in a long time and New York can't lose. I think this series will be remembered for a long time."

As always, the Yankees were gracious in victory.

"You saw what kind of team Seattle had by continuing to put the pressure on us," said Justice.

In the end, all that pressure might have been just what the Yankees needed.