Jeff Mathis smacked a two-out double in the 11th inning to plate the winning run for Los Angeles on Monday as the Angels narrowed the gap on the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
The Angels won 5-4 to make it 2-1 to the Yankees in the best-of-seven series that will send the winners to the World Series.
After Ervin Santana pitched a perfect top of the 11th, David Robertson recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the inning before Yankees manager Joe Girardi sent in reliever Alfredo Aceves.
Howie Kendrick, who had a home run and a triple, singled up the middle off Aceves. Mathis then drove a fastball to deep left that was out of the reach of Jerry Hairston and Kendrick crossed home ahead of a throw.
Vladimir Guerrero also homered as the Angels rallied from a 3-0 deficit.
The Yankees couldn’t get the victory despite four solo homers from their marquee players, including an eighth-inning shot from Jorge Posada that knotted the score at 4-4.
Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon also homered for New York.
The Angels were to try to level the series in Los Angeles yesterday, with Scott Kazmir on the mound, while the Yankees were to give the ball to ace CC Sabathia, who was to throw on three days’ rest.
In the second game of the series to go to extra innings, the Angels dealt the Yankees their first defeat of these playoffs.
On Saturday, the Yankees pulled off a 13-inning, five hour victory in New York.
Los Angeles had a great chance to put it away in the 10th, putting runners at first and third with no outs against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.
Rivera got out of trouble, however, retiring Torii Hunter and Guerrero with the bases loaded.
After the homers from Jeter, Rodriguez and Damon, Yankees starter Andy Pettitte appeared headed for his 16th postseason win and the Yankees toward a commanding 3-0 lead in the series that would put them one victory from reaching the World Series for the first time in six years.
Jeter ripped Jered Weaver’s third pitch into the bullpen beyond the left-field fence. Rodriguez connected in the fourth for his 11th career playoff homer, and Damon then found the short right field porch in the fifth for his first homer since August 30.
But Kendrick homered in the fifth, and Guerrero leveled the score with a two-run blast in the sixth.
Kendrick tripled off Joba Chamberlain before scoring on Maicer Izturis’ sacrifice fly in the seventh to give the Angels a 4-3 lead.
“Man, that was one of the craziest games,” Angels outfielder Hunter said. “It was an emotional roller coaster, man. We were up, we were down. I’ve got a headache right now, but it was a lot of fun.”
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