Sunday, October 18, 2009

Yankees Grab 2-0 ALCS Lead by Beating Angels 4-3

Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The New York Yankees grabbed a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on a 13th-inning throwing error by second baseman Maicer Izturis.
With runners on first and second base with one out, the Yankees’ Melky Cabrera hit a ground ball to Izturis, whose throw to second sailed past Angels shortstop Erick Aybar and allowed Jerry Hairston Jr. to race home with the winning run.
A game that started with the threat of heavy rain from a nor’easter finally ended after 5 hours, 10 minutes, with Hairston mobbed in celebration by his Yankee teammates at 1:07 a.m. New York time. It marked the 22nd time the Yankees have won a Major League Baseball playoff game in their final at-bat.
“When we went to bed last night we didn’t think we’d play,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said during his post-game news conference. “We were fortunate to come out on top because it was a great game.”
New York’s winning rally came after Alex Rodriguez hit a solo home run for the Yankees in the 11th inning to erase a 3-2 deficit.
The ALCS now moves to Anaheim, California, for Game 3 tomorrow. Since the best-of-seven playoff format was adopted in 1985, 17 of 20 teams to take a 2-0 lead in a league championship series have reached the World Series.
Perfect in Playoffs
The National League Championship Series resumes today at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park with the Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers tied at one game each. Philadelphia took the opener 8-6, with the Dodgers winning the second game 2-1.
The Yankees led all major-league teams during the regular season by winning 15 games on their final swing and last night’s victory makes them 5-0 this postseason.
Hairston led off the 13th with a single off Angels reliever Ervin Santana and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Gardner. After Robinson Cano was intentionally walked, Cabrera hit a grounder to Izturis, whose throw sailed into left field for the Angels’ fifth error in two games.
“I think he was trying to make a little too much of that play,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. “You’re not going to turn two. In that situation, the force isn’t really an advantage. Izzy just tried to do too much.”
It was the Yankees’ longest postseason game since Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS against Boston went 14 innings.
While New York was held scoreless for seven innings after opening an early 2-0 lead, the Yankees’ bullpen allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings in relief of starting pitcher A.J. Burnett.
Rodriguez’s Homer
Mariano Rivera tossed 2 1/3 shutout innings, keeping the score tied 2-2 before the Angels’ Chone Figgins had a run- scoring single off New York’s Alfredo Aceves in the top of the 11th to snap an 0-for-18 drought this postseason.
The go-ahead run came after the Yankees missed scoring opportunities in the ninth and 10th innings.
Rodriguez then led off the bottom half of the 11th inning with an opposite-field homer on a 0-2 pitch that landed in the first row of seats in right field. It was the third homer of the playoffs for Rodriguez, who also had a game-tying, ninth-inning homer in Game 2 of the AL division series against Minnesota.
“It’s pretty unbelievable what he’s done for us so far,” Girardi said. “He’s been huge for us.”
Derek Jeter also added a homer last night, a solo shot in the third inning that gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
It was Jeter’s 19th career postseason homer, moving him past Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle for third place all-time.
The Angels rallied to tie the game in the fifth inning after a bout of wildness by Burnett, who gave up two runs on two hits, a walk, a hit batter and a wild pitch. It was the lone bad stretch for Burnett, who allowed three hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Angels starting pitcher Joe Saunders allowed two runs over seven innings, while relievers Kevin Jepsen and Darren Oliver combined for three scoreless frames before the Yankees rallied against closer Brian Fuentes and Santana.
“I thought we pitched pretty well and for the most part we made plays notwithstanding the last play of the game,” Scioscia said. “But we did a lot of good things out there. And hopefully we’ll carry them over into Game 3.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski at Yankee Stadium in New York at 8797 .
Source bloomberg.com

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