Mark Teixeira’s homer won it in the 11th inning.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Teixeira hit a leadoff homer in the 11th inning to give the New York Yankees a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.

Teixeira’s drive off Jose Mijares hit the top of the left-field wall and skipped over as the Yankee Stadium crowd roared. Teixeira tossed aside his batting helmet as he approached home and was mobbed by teammates.

“I don’t think there’s anything better in sports,” he said as his teammates celebrated around him. “I got chills right now.”

Alex Rodriguez hit a tying, two-run homer off Joe Nathan in the ninth after a leadoff single by Teixeira. Rodriguez also had a two-out RBI single for the Yankees, who are off to their first 2-0 postseason start since 1999 against Texas.

Minnesota was hurt by a blown call by left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi in the top of the 11th. Joe Mauer started the inning with a drive down the line that appeared to go off Melky Cabrera’s glove before clearly landing about a foot inside the line and bouncing into the stands.

Cuzzi said it was foul — it’s been a tough week for umpires, with several missed calls — and Mauer ended up with a single when he should have had a ground-rule double. The Twins went on to load the bases with no outs but failed to score when David Robertson retired three straight to end the inning.

Teixeira then hit his first career postseason homer in the bottom half. It was New York’s first game-ending shot in the postseason since Aaron Boone’s drive against the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

Andy Pettitte will try to close out the series when he faces former Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano in Game 3 on Sunday at the Metrodome.

The Yankees improved to 9-0 against the Twins this season. Minnesota has led in all six games at the Bronx, but has failed to win any of them.

Instead, the Twins saw the Yankees’ 16th walkoff win of the season, most in the majors.

The Twins left 17 runners on base and have stranded 26 in the series. They also gave away a run when Carlos Gomez committed a baserunning blunder in the fourth.

Nick Blackburn held New York’s lineup to one run and three hits in 52‚Ñ3 crisp innings and three relievers retired seven in a row before Nathan imploded in the ninth.

Teixeira led off with a single and Rodriguez followed with a mammoth drive into the Yankees’ bullpen in left-center for his first postseason homer since Game 4 of the 2007 division series against Cleveland.

After a quick celebration with his teammates, Rodriguez popped his head out of the dugout for an October curtain call. The enigmatic slugger has five RBIs in the series after entering the postseason hitless in his previous 18 playoff at-bats with runners in scoring position.

It was the eighth homer allowed by Nathan this year but first with a runner on base.

———

MinnesotaNew York

abrhbiabrhbi

Span rf6021Jeter ss4110

OCarer ss5000Damon lf4000

Mauer c4020Cervelli c0000

Kubel dh6010Teixeir 1b5221

Cuddyr 1b6030ARdrgz 3b4123

DlmYn lf4100HMatsu dh3000

Gomez cf4100Swisher rf4000

Tolbert 3b2010Cano 2b4010

BHarrs ph-3b4121MeCarr cf-lf4000

Punto 2b3011JMolin c1000

Posada ph-c3010

Gardnr pr-cf0000

Totals443123Totals36474

Minnesota00000102000—3

New York00000100201—4

No outs when winning run scored.

E—Nathan (1). DP—Minnesota 1. LOB—Minnesota 17, New York 5. 2B—Jeter (1). 3B—B.Harris (1). HR—Teixeira (1), A.Rodriguez (1). SB—Delm.Young (1), Gardner (1).

IPHRERBBSO

Minnesota

Blackburn5 2-331123

Mahay1-300000

Rauch100000

Guerrier H,1100001

Nathan BS,1-11 1-332210

Mijares L,0-1 2-311100

New York

A.Burnett631156

Chamberlain2-310000

Coke1-300001

P.Hughes2-322211

Ma.Rivera1 1-320003

Aceves110011

D.Marte020000

D.Robertson W,1-0110000

D.Marte pitched to 2 batters in the 11th. Mijares pitched to 1 batter in the 11th. HBP—by A.Burnett (Delm.Young, Gomez). Umpires—Home, Chuck Meriwether; First, Mark Wegner; Second, Paul Emmel; Third, Jim Joyce; Right, Tim Tschida; Left, Phil Cuzzi. T—4:22. A—50,006.