The fans who left Yankee Stadium before the ninth inning yesterday should have checked with David Justice before trying to beat the traffic on

the Major Deegan. Everyone should have known the Yankees still had a good shot of winning – Justice did.

“[The Yankees] didn’t show me anything today,” Justice said after the Bombers came back twice against the dreadful Phillies in a 9-8, 10-inning victory. “They didn’t show me anything I didn’t already know.”

But it was the slugger’s first chance to see a rally like that while being in the right uniform, and he made his presence felt.

After the struggling Mariano Rivera gave up a two-run homer to Brian Hunter – whom the Phillies claimed off waivers earlier in the year – the Yankees redeemed him quickly. Bernie Williams tied the game 8-8 with an RBI single and then Justice followed with his biggest hit in Pinstripes.

“I feel good for David Justice,” Joe Torre said of his new player, who drove in the game-winning run with a long single to left that scored Paul O’Neill from second. “He’s had some good at-bats for us here in the last five or six games. It doesn’t surprise me.”

Just like nothing seems to surprise Justice.

“Why wouldn’t they be confident?” Justice said about the Yankees’ attitude even when games seem to be lost. “That’s why they win championships. They can flat out play. Give them credit for their talent. There ain’t no luck involved.”

Actually, there was some yesterday. They got to face Philadelphia closer Jeff Brantley in the ninth and 10th. Brantley (1-4, 6.59 ERA), apparently, is trying to redefine the term “closer”- he brings the other team closer to victory.

“That pitch was like chest or waist high,” said Justice, who went 2-for-4. “I just tried to get a base hit. I knew I hit it hard, I just didn’t know if [leftfielder] Ronnie [Gant] was going to catch up to it.”

When he didn’t, the game was over and the Yankees showed again why they have won three of the last four World Series.