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yankees angels game 2



Alex Rodriguez belted a game-tying homer in the 11th, setting the stage for Jerry Hairston Jr. to score the winning run two frames later.

The Angels had seized their first lead of the series heading to the bottom of the 11th, when Rodriguez drilled Brian Fuentes' 0-2 pitch just into the first row of seats in right field to tie the game.

Big number
19: Derek Jeter's third-inning home run to right field was the shortstop's 19th in the playoffs. That's one more than both Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson, and Jeter now trails only Manny Ramirez (29) and former teammate Bernie Williams (22) on the all-time list of postseason homers.

Game balls

Mariano Rivera

Perhaps the only surprising thing about Rivera's 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief was that he -- gasp! -- allowed a leadoff single to Vladimir Guerrero in the 10th. Rivera worked around that easily and recorded his seven outs economically, requiring just 24 pitches.


Alex Rodriguez

Rodriguez's amazing postseason continues. The third baseman hit his third game-tying home run in the seventh inning or later in five playoff games.


Melky Cabrera

The Yankees' king of walk-offs delivered again -- sort of. With two on in the 13th, Cabrera's grounder to the right side was thrown away by Maicer Izturis, allowing Hairston to score the winning run.

Sense of October
You know it's October when manager Joe Girardi is bringing in Rivera in the eighth inning. And why not? Rivera entered the game with two on and two out and got Erick Aybar to ground out to second on his first pitch.