ALCS: Angels Top Yankees in 11 Innings

Jeff Mathis' RBI Double Gives Angels Needed Win at Home; Yankees Lead Series 2-1

(AP)  Jeff Mathis hit a two-out double in the 11th inning to drive home the winning run and the Los Angeles Angels survived a second straight thriller, beating the Yankees 5-4 Monday and trimming New York's lead in the AL championship series to 2-1.

In a game full of missed chances for both sides, the Angels eventually rallied to hand the Yankees their first loss of this postseason.

Howie Kendrick homered, tripled and then singled with two outs in the 11th. Mathis followed with his drive up against the left-field wall, and Kendrick slid home well ahead of a desperate throw.

Mathis, the Angels' backup catcher, came up with his third late-inning, extra-base hit of this crazy series.

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Vladimir Guerrero also homered as the Angels overcame a midgame 3-0 deficit and four solo homers by the Yankees' stars, including Jorge Posada's tying shot in the eighth.

Game 4 is Tuesday night, with CC Sabathia pitching on three days' rest against Angels newcomer Scott Kazmir. Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday.

For the second straight game, the Angels and Yankees played into tense extra innings, stretching nerves and bullpens still frayed from Saturday's 13-inning, 310-minute Yankees' victory in New York.

Los Angeles wasted a golden opportunity in the 10th after putting runners at the corners with nobody out against Mariano Rivera, but the ace closer came through yet again, getting Torii Hunter and Guerrero with the bases loaded.

Fans gathered across the country at Yankee Stadium erupted in cheers when Rivera retired the side - but the Angels came through in the 11th after Ervin Santana pitched the 11th for Los Angeles.

The winning run came quickly after David Robertson retired the first two Angels in the 11th. He got pulled, and Alfredo Aceves became the Yankees' eighth pitcher. Kendrick singled and Mathis followed with a drive to left-center, hit far too hard to allow a play on the speedy Kendrick.

Mathis, a .211 hitter in the regular season, entered Game 3 in the eighth inning and hit a leadoff double in the 10th.

The Angels ended their six-game ALCS losing streak. The Yankees had been 5-0 in this postseason, starting with a sweep over Minnesota.

Playing in balmy Orange County temperatures after a frigid weekend in the Bronx, the Yankees had a 3-0 lead midway through the fifth inning on homers by Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon. Andy Pettitte also appeared to be cruising toward his record 16th career postseason victory, which would have put New York one win away from its first World Series in six years.

Instead, Kendrick hit a fifth-inning homer, Guerrero tied it with a two-run shot in the sixth, and Kendrick tripled off Joba Chamberlain before scoring on Maicer Izturis' sacrifice fly in the seventh to put the Angels ahead 4-3.

But Posada tied it again in the eighth, connecting to deep center field off Kevin Jepsen. Jeter stranded two runners to end New York's eighth, and Los Angeles' Bobby Abreu was tagged out moments later while retreating to second base after his long drive to center.

[roseypro]

Who are the Angles? (Please check your headline) You may need a new individual to proof your news.

[roseypro]

Who are the Angles? (Please check your headline) You may need a new individual to proof your news.