The City That Never Sweeps?

“Hell’s Bells” one minute, a living hell the next.

That was the story for the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, when a Qualcomm Stadium crowd of 64,667 rose to a thunderous crescendo as closer Trevor Hoffman entered to his favorite AC/DC song in the eighth inning, only to be hushed by a New York Yankee dagger minutes later.

Third baseman Scott Brosius, who homered to lead off the seventh, ripped a 2-2 Hoffman pitch over the wall in center field for a three-run home run to lead the Yankees to a 5-4 victory in Game 3 of the World Series.

Brosius’ homer, his fourth of the postseason, erased a 3-2 deficit to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead and spark a wild celebration in front of the New York dugout, where Brosius was mobbed by his teammates.

The Padres scored in the bottom of the eighth when Quilvio Veras doubled, took third on Tony Gwynn’s single and scored on Greg Vaughn’s sacrifice fly. But Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, who has not given up a run in the postseason, struck out Andy Sheets with runners on first and third to end the game and give the Yankees a a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Paul O’Neill opened the eighth with a walk against Padre reliever Randy Myers, and Manager Bruce Bochy didn’t hesitate going to Hoffman, who retired Bernie Williams on a fly ball to the wall in right.

But Hoffman walked Tino Martinez, putting runners on first and third, and then Brosius came through with his clutch homer.

Yankee starter David Cone had a no-hitter through five innings, with four strikeouts and two walks, but Padre pitcher Sterling Hitchcock broke it up with a single to right-center to lead off the sixth, and the Padres went on to score three runs, the key play being a bad throw by Paul O’Neill.

NEW YORK vs. SAN DIEGO

TONIGHT’S GAME 4

Yankees’ Pettitte (16-11, 1-1)

at Padres’ Brown (18-7, 2-1)

5:20 p.m, FOX