NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez rescued the Yankees with a home run in the 11th inning and Maicer Izturis committed a game-ending throwing error in the 13th as the Yankees defeated the Angels, 4-3, in an instant classic on Saturday in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
It was a game that neither team was sure could be played, thanks to a threatening forecast, but the rain held off long enough for a full game -- plus some -- to be played, as the Bombers grabbed a commanding 2-0 ALCS lead and remained undefeated in this year's postseason.
After the Angels pushed ahead on Chone Figgins' RBI single off Alfredo Aceves in the top of the 11th, A-Rod crushed his third late-inning homer of the postseason the opposite way off closer Brian Fuentes, a line drive that just cleared the right-field wall.
Dave Robertson pitched out of trouble in the next two innings, and Cabrera hit an Ervin Santana grounder to Izturis that sent home Jerry Hairston Jr. with the winning run, giving the Yankees their second walk-off victory of the postseason at Yankee Stadium after celebrating 15 such wins during the regular season at the new Bronx ballpark.
The Yankees leaned on their bullpen late after getting a two-run ALCS debut from A.J. Burnett that was mostly crisp over 6 1/3 innings, though he came unhinged in the fifth -- his only troublesome frame -- as the Angels scored twice to tie the game.
Angels starter Joe Saunders was just as sharp, limiting the Yankees to a Robinson Cano RBI triple and a Derek Jeter solo home run over seven innings.
Challenging a stiff, driving wind, Jeter's drive made it over the right-field wall and was his 19th in the postseason, moving him past Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle for third place on the all-time list. He trails only Manny Ramirez (29) and former teammate Bernie Williams (22).
| Gm. 1 | NYY 4, LAA 1 | Wrap | Video |
| Gm. 2 | NYY 4, LAA 3 | Wrap | Video |
| Gm. 3 | NYY@LAA | Mon., Oct. 19 | 4:13 ET |
| Gm. 4 | NYY@LAA | Tue., Oct. 20 | 7:57 ET |
| Gm. 5* | NYY@LAA | Thu., Oct. 22 | 7:57 ET |
| Gm. 6* | LAA@NYY | Sat., Oct. 24 | 4:13 ET |
| Gm. 7* | LAA@NYY | Sun., Oct. 25 | 8:20 ET |
| | | |
Izturis led off the fifth with a ground-rule double and stole second, then Erick Aybar drove him in with a one-out single before Burnett hit Chone Figgins in the foot.
Allowing the Angels to tie the game on a wild pitch that caromed off catcher Jose Molina and sent the game-tying run home, Burnett completed his effort after 6 1/3 innings, leaving to a loud ovation but scowling after his 114-pitch outing.
Phil Coke and Joba Chamberlain escaped trouble in the seventh, and the Yankees also had to evade trouble in the eighth, which included a rare Jeter postseason miscue. The shortstop flubbed a routine 6-4-3 double play that hit the heel of his glove, his leg and then fell to the ground.
With Kendry Morales representing the go-ahead run at second base, Phil Hughes worked toward escaping that two-on, one-out situation, getting Gary Matthews Jr. swinging at a tight curveball before Mariano Rivera was summoned from the bullpen for 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Facing rookie Kevin Jepsen in the ninth, Hideki Matsui connected for a line-drive single to right field and immediately yielded to pinch-runner Freddy Guzman. Brett Gardner followed with a looping single that bounced into left field, putting the winning run 90 feet away, but Cano managed only a soft tapper that sent the game into extra innings.
After Jeter had been ruled out on a fifth-inning double play in which he appeared to be safe, there was more controversy in the 10th. Second-base umpire Jerry Layne ruled Cabrera safe on a double play, saying that the shortstop Aybar had been off the bag. The call became a footnote when Darren Oliver got the next two outs to move the game forward.
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Darren Moore, right, poses with his brother, Derek and the 13-point buck that Darren shot Sunday with his bow.Darren Moore shot this monster, 13-point buck with his bow Sunday (Oct. 18) in Moravia.
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