Rodriguez, Yanks edge Angels on error in 13th
NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Rodriguez is putting all those playoff failures behind him. The Los Angeles Angels are turning the AL championship series into a defensive debacle.
Coming through under pressure once again, Rodriguez hit a tying homer in the 11th inning and the New York Yankees edged Los Angeles 4-3 Saturday night on Maicer Izturis’ error in the 13th for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“Wow, what a game,” Rodriguez said.
After the rain came and went on another chilly night, New York pulled out its latest late-inning thriller and remained unbeaten in this year’s playoffs. The game ended at 1:07 a.m. when Izturis threw away Melky Cabrera’s grounder to second base.
“Izzy just tried to do too much,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You’re not going to turn two.”
Pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. opened the 13th with a single off losing pitcher Ervin Santana in his first postseason at-bat. Brett Gardner sacrificed and Robinson Cano was intentionally walked as the crowd chanted “Melky! Melky!”
Cabrera hit a bouncer in the hole between first and second, and Izturis made an ill-advised attempt to throw back across his body for a force at second. The low toss skipped past shortstop Erick Aybar and rolled behind third, where Chone Figgins tried to pick it up.
Figgins fumbled the ball and Hairston, who had slowed up, sped home and slid in with the winning run.
“It hit my glove and kind of kicked off,” Figgins said.” It’s one of those crazy things that I was backing up but the ball slipped out of my hands.”
It marked another sloppy performance by the Angels, and finished a game that lasted 5 hours, 10 minutes.
“I was a little aggressive there,” Izturis said. “I’m not scared to be aggressive. Unfortunately, it cost us the game.”
---
Los AngelesNew York
abrhbiabrhbi
Figgins 3b3011Jeter ss5111
BAreu rf5000Damon lf6020
TrHntr cf6020Teixeir 1b5000
Guerrr dh7010ARdrgz 3b6111
KMorls 1b5000HMatsu dh4010
JRiver lf4010FGzmn pr-dh1000
Willits pr0000HrstnJr ph1110
JMaths c2010Swisher rf2110
MIzturs 2b5110Gardnr pr-cf2010
Napoli c3000Cano 2b5011
MthwsJ ph-lf2100MeCarr cf-rf6020
EAyar ss5111JMolin c2010
Posada ph-c3010
Totals47382Totals484133
Los Angeles0000200000100—3
New York0110000000101—4
One out when winning run scored.
E—Figgins (1), M.Izturis (1), Jeter (1), Cano 2 (2). DP—Los Angeles 3, New York 1. LOB—Los Angeles 16, New York 12. 2B—Tor.Hunter (1), J.Mathis (1), M.Izturis (1). 3B—Cano (1). HR—Jeter (1), A.Rodriguez (1). SB—E.Aybar (1). S—Figgins, E.Aybar, Gardner.
IPHRERBBSO
Los Angeles
J.Saunders762215
Jepsen220001
Oliver110010
Fuentes BS,1-1111101
E.Santana L,0-11 1-331021
New York
A.Burnett6 1-332224
Coke1-300011
Chamberlain1-310001
P.Hughes2-310001
Ma.Rivera2 1-310002
Aceves1 1-311120
D.Marte1-300000
D.Robertson W,1-01 1-310021
HBP—by A.Burnett (K.Morales, Figgins). WP—A.Burnett. Umpires—Home, Laz Diaz; First, Bill Miller; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Fieldin Culbreth; Right, Tim McClelland; Left, Dale Scott. T—5:10. A—49,922.
The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.