A-Rod ties it in 11th, Halos defense gives Yankees win in 13th
NEW YORK – Dramatic victories has been one big theme in this Yankees season. It’s almost as if they specialize in them.
The find all kinds of ways to get it done, and in the postseason, “Pie time in the Bronx” continues.
It took the help of another uncharacteristic Angels defensive lapse to do it, but the Yankees will take it. An errant throw by Macier Izturis to second base went wide, allowing Jerry Hairston to score the winning run as the Yankees walked off with a classic 4-3 victory in Game 2 to take a two game advantage in the American League Championship Series.
For days, the weather reports had stated that the chances of this game being played were minimal. Both teams talked with MLB officials before the game on whether they would play. The forecast called for heavy rains throughout the night with no concrete window for the game. Radars showed that once it rained, it would not stop. However, each team wanted to play and take their chances with the weather.
The 49.922 in attendance were able to brave the elements for the second straight night and they were treated to one of the best postseason games in years.
That moment would not have been possible if not for more postseason heroics by Alex Rodriguez. For the second time in the postseason, Rodriguez tied the game in the bottom of the 11th with another dramatic homerun on a 0-2 fastball from Angels closer Brian Fuentes that just barely cleared the wall in right.
In the top half, the Angels broke the 2-2 deadlock when Chone Figgins picked up his first hit of the postseason when his shallow flare into left field dropped in for single off Alfredo Aceves to score Gary Matthews Jr., who opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice.
The Yankees started the scoring in the bottom of the second when after a two-out walk to Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano tripled to the gap in left center, scoring Swisher to the give the Yankees a 1-0 lead of Angels starter Joe Saunders. Derek Jeter increased the lead to two when he hit an opposite field homerun to right, his second of the postseason.
For a while, it looked as if that would be all that Yankee starter AJ Burnett would need. Early on, he was unhittable and Angel hitters walked back to the bench not feeling comfortable.
Outside of a bloop double that landed inside the right field foul line, not one Angel hitter reached base on a hit.
Burnett appeared as if he was going to cruise, but then came the fifth inning where he was on the verge of a complete meltdown. Cesar Izturis lead off the inning with a ground rule double and after Mike Napoli struck out, Erick Aybar hit a solid single up the middle to make it 2-1. Chone Figgins reached when a pitch hit him, and after Bobby Abreu flied out for the second out, Torii Hunter walked to load the bases. On a 2-2 pitch, Burnett threw his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Aybar to score from third with the tying run.
Burnett would pitch into the seventh inning after that 33 pitch fifth that saw two wild pitches, a hit batter and six mound visits from Jose Molina. He got the first out in the seventh, but when Aybar reached on an error by Cano, his night ended. In 6 1/3 innings, Burnett only allowed those two fifth inning runs on three hits, walking two and striking out four.
Phil Coke entered and walked Figgins and struck out Abreu for the second out. Joba Chamberlain entered and after yielding an infield single to Hunter to load the bases, he struck out Vladimir Guerrero on a slider to end the inning.
Saunders was able to match Burnett after giving up those two runs early by keeping the Yankees off balance for most of the night. In seven innings, he gave up those two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out five.
Mariano Rivera relieved Phil Hughes with two outs in the eighth and got Aybar to ground out to end the inning. Rivera would stay in to pitch both the ninth and the tenth, pitching scoreless frames in each.
With Alfredo Aceves pitching, the Angels took the lead on Figgins’ two out single. Rodriguez tied the game in the bottom half with the homerun. He could have won the game in the twelve when with first base open, Angels manager Mike Scioscia elected to walk Mark Teixeira to pitch to Rodriguez with Erwin Santana. He swung at a 0-1 pitch, getting under it and flew out to center.
That all set up the dramatics in the very next inning.
The Yankees now head to Anaheim as the series shifts west for the next three games (if necessary). Andy Pettitte takes the ball for the Yankees and Jared Weaver goes for the Angels.
NEW YORK – Dramatic victories has been one big theme in this Yankees season. It’s almost as if they specialize in them.
The find all kinds of ways to get it done, and in the postseason, “Pie time in the Bronx” continues.
It took the help of another uncharacteristic Angels defensive lapse to do it, but the Yankees will take it. An errant throw by Macier Izturis to second base went wide, allowing Jerry Hairston to score the winning run as the Yankees walked off with a classic 4-3 victory in Game 2 to take a two game advantage in the American League Championship Series.
For days, the weather reports had stated that the chances of this game being played were minimal. Both teams talked with MLB officials before the game on whether they would play. The forecast called for heavy rains throughout the night with no concrete window for the game. Radars showed that once it rained, it would not stop. However, each team wanted to play and take their chances with the weather.
The 49.922 in attendance were able to brave the elements for the second straight night and they were treated to one of the best postseason games in years.
That moment would not have been possible if not for more postseason heroics by Alex Rodriguez. For the second time in the postseason, Rodriguez tied the game in the bottom of the 11th with another dramatic homerun on a 0-2 fastball from Angels closer Brian Fuentes that just barely cleared the wall in right.
In the top half, the Angels broke the 2-2 deadlock when Chone Figgins picked up his first hit of the postseason when his shallow flare into left field dropped in for single off Alfredo Aceves to score Gary Matthews Jr., who opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice.
The Yankees started the scoring in the bottom of the second when after a two-out walk to Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano tripled to the gap in left center, scoring Swisher to the give the Yankees a 1-0 lead of Angels starter Joe Saunders. Derek Jeter increased the lead to two when he hit an opposite field homerun to right, his second of the postseason.
For a while, it looked as if that would be all that Yankee starter AJ Burnett would need. Early on, he was unhittable and Angel hitters walked back to the bench not feeling comfortable.
Outside of a bloop double that landed inside the right field foul line, not one Angel hitter reached base on a hit.
Burnett appeared as if he was going to cruise, but then came the fifth inning where he was on the verge of a complete meltdown. Cesar Izturis lead off the inning with a ground rule double and after Mike Napoli struck out, Erick Aybar hit a solid single up the middle to make it 2-1. Chone Figgins reached when a pitch hit him, and after Bobby Abreu flied out for the second out, Torii Hunter walked to load the bases. On a 2-2 pitch, Burnett threw his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Aybar to score from third with the tying run.
Burnett would pitch into the seventh inning after that 33 pitch fifth that saw two wild pitches, a hit batter and six mound visits from Jose Molina. He got the first out in the seventh, but when Aybar reached on an error by Cano, his night ended. In 6 1/3 innings, Burnett only allowed those two fifth inning runs on three hits, walking two and striking out four.
Phil Coke entered and walked Figgins and struck out Abreu for the second out. Joba Chamberlain entered and after yielding an infield single to Hunter to load the bases, he struck out Vladimir Guerrero on a slider to end the inning.
Saunders was able to match Burnett after giving up those two runs early by keeping the Yankees off balance for most of the night. In seven innings, he gave up those two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out five.
Mariano Rivera relieved Phil Hughes with two outs in the eighth and got Aybar to ground out to end the inning. Rivera would stay in to pitch both the ninth and the tenth, pitching scoreless frames in each.
With Alfredo Aceves pitching, the Angels took the lead on Figgins’ two out single. Rodriguez tied the game in the bottom half with the homerun. He could have won the game in the twelve when with first base open, Angels manager Mike Scioscia elected to walk Mark Teixeira to pitch to Rodriguez with Erwin Santana. He swung at a 0-1 pitch, getting under it and flew out to center.
That all set up the dramatics in the very next inning.
The Yankees now head to Anaheim as the series shifts west for the next three games (if necessary). Andy Pettitte takes the ball for the Yankees and Jared Weaver goes for the Angels.
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