PHILADELPHIA -- Whenever the Phillies used to win games at Citizens Bank Park in their final at-bat, Shane Victorino would build a shaving cream pie and stuff it in the hero's face. But then he stopped - until he became aware of the antics of A.J. Burnett, the Yankees' pie-crafting ringleader.

Burnett put the finishing touch on the Yankees' repeated walk-off hits this season. Pie after pie ended up on some Yankee hitter's face.

"I was like, `OK,"' Victorino said.

Victorino was back in action Monday night in a manner that would make Burnett proud. As Jimmy Rollins conducted an on-field interview after his two-out, game-winning double off the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, Victorino sneaked behind him and slammed a loaded towel in his face.

"Hey, this is a big situation, here's a big win, I think he deserves it," Victorino said. "He hasn't gotten it from me in a while. He deserves to get that pie in his face."

The Phillies may be most often linked with their division rivals, the Mets, but the Yankees are a more suitable comparison. Both teams have developed a well-deserved reputation for being tough-minded, their tenacity and fortitude manifested in practically every game this postseason.

Already, the Phillies and Yankees have each notched four come-from-behind victories in October. In three of them, the Phillies have scored the winning runs in the ninth inning.

The Yankees, meantime, twice have received game-tying home runs from Alex Rodriguez - once in the ninth inning and once in the 11th. He hit them off two of baseball's best relievers, Joe Nathan of Minnesota and Brian Fuentes of the Angels.

"They have a flair for the dramatic, we have a flair for the dramatic," infielder Greg Dobbs said of the Yankees, whom the Phillies just may meet in the World Series. "They don't give up, we don't give up. More often than not, they've come out on top and more often than not, we've come out on top, too."

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Yankees led the majors with 51 come-from-behind victories this season. The Phillies, in turn, led the National League with 43. The Yankees led the majors with 28 victories in their final at-bat, including a staggering 25 at Yankee Stadium. The Phillies, by contrast, had 18, which tied them with Colorado for the fourth most in the National League.

If the Phillies and Yankees do meet in the World Series, then their three-game series at Yankee Stadium in May served as a worthy appetizer. After the Phillies captured the opener, the Yankees overcame a two-run deficit in the ninth inning to win the second game, 5-4. The next afternoon, Brad Lidge blew another save opportunity, but Carlos Ruiz ripped a double in the 11th that propelled the Phillies to a 4-3 win.

"I don't ever try to compare ourselves to anybody else, you know what I mean?" Victorino said. "Definitely you pay attention to what they're doing, but we have to worry about us and not worry about anyone else. I think that's what we do so well. We only worry about the Phillies."

The Phillies developed their comeback persona in September 2007 and 2008, overcoming late deficits in the National League East to stun the Mets.

This season, the Phillies had five wins in their final at-bat within the first 18 games, including one on April 24 in Florida, when a seven-run ninth inning, keyed by a Victorino grand slam, led to a 7-3 victory. As the best road team in the National League - their 48-33 record ranked tied with the Angels - the Phillies, not surprisingly, had many dramatic moments away from Citizens Bank Park.

But they managed six walk-off victories at home - paling to the Yankees' major-league-leading 15 - including a memorable 8-7 win against Pittsburgh on July 11 after entering the ninth inning trailing, 7-3. Perhaps fittingly, the Phillies finished the regular season by scoring the winning run of their 7-6 comeback victory against the Marlins in the bottom of the 10th.

If their teams advance to the World Series, Burnett or Victorino will be ready.

"Nothing gets old, especially when you win," Victorino said. "It's always fun."