Alex Rodriguez celebrates his game-tying home run on Friday for New York while rounding the bases. (Julie Jacobson/Associated Press)

Meet the new Alex Rodriguez, clutch post-season hitter.

Rodriguez crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the New York Yankees into extra innings, and teammate Mark Teixeira finished off the Minnesota Twins in the 11th with a solo blast.

Teixeira's walk-off homer made the final 4-3 for New York, coming after the Twins failed to score with the bases loaded and none out in the top of the inning. The Yankees lead the best-of-five series 2-0.

Game 3 of the American League Division Series takes place Sunday night at the Metrodome in Minnesota. The Twins will have to win three straight against the Yankees, against whom they've lost all nine meetings this season.

Rodriguez entered the series with a reputation as a playoff underachiever as he was riding a hitless streak of 29 at bats with runners in scoring position. In the sixth, he tied the game 1-1 with his third run-scoring single already in the series.

"This whole year I'm playing with no expectations," said Rodriguez. "I'm going out and having fun doing the best that I can."

It was a crazy game that featured a pitchers' duel, usually stingy relievers failing to do their job, and key contributions from guys who weren't even in the starting lineup.

And one blown call.

Minnesota led off the 11th with three consecutive singles to load the bases but didn't cash in a single runner. While the Twins will have a legitimate gripe on a blown foul ball ruling in left to lead off the inning, Young, Gomez and Harris each failed to drive in a go-ahead run.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire didn't mince words when it came to left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi's ruling.

“You can’t see at all from the dugout, but I think we all know the ball was fair by a long ways,” said Gardenhire.

Added reliever Joe Nathan: "You don't know how he missed it. There's no red flag we can throw out there to get an instant replay."

Crew chief Tim Tschida said he looked at Mauer's ball after the game and admitted it was a blown call.

"There's a guy sitting over in the umpire's dressing room right now that feels horrible," Tschida said. "Nobody feels it worse than the umpire."

The Twins had a chance for a series split after scoring runs off both Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera in the eighth inning for a 3-1 lead.

Nick Punto and Denard Span hit the run-scoring singles, with Brendan Harris accounting for the first run of the game with a triple in the sixth.

Harris also jump-started the rally in the eighth with a hit, and then made a terrific defensive play in the bottom half of the inning to deny Derek Jeter a hit. Harris only got into the game after Twins third baseman Matt Tolbert left with a strained abdominal muscle.

The game moved at a brisk clip through six innings, with Nick Blackburn and A.J. Burnett impressive on the mound for their teams.

Each allowed just one run and three hits while working into the sixth. Burnett of the Yankees had the more precarious outing, walking five and hitting two batters while striking out six.

Blackburn was efficient, striking out three and walking two.

Of the two pitchers, Burnett drew most of the pre-game attention. He was working his first-ever playoff game, and he was again paired with reserve catcher Jose Molina. Burnett and starting catcher Jorge Posada — who would come into the game after Burnett left — reportedly clashed after an August game.

Burnett lost control with two out in the fourth, hitting Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez in succession.

Gomez negated what should have been a 1-0 Twins lead by overrunning second base on Tolbert's hit. Jeter applied the tag for the third out before Young could touch home plate.

"It's a mistake," Gomez said. "A mistake I made today cost us one run. It's my bad. That's it."

Burnett again flirted with danger in the fifth, issuing two-out walks to Orlando Cabrera and Joe Mauer before inducing Jason Kubel into a ground ball to end the threat.

Meanwhile, Blackburn was humming along. He allowed a two-out hit to Robinson Cano in the fifth but whiffed Melky Cabrera to end the inning.

Harris hit his triple just past Johnny Damon's outstretched glove in the top of the sixth, but the Yankees finally got on the board in the bottom half of the inning after Jeter hit a ground-rule double and Damon walked.

Teixeira crushed a Blackburn pitch, but it was just wide of the right-field foul pole. Teixeira would commit an out, but Rodriguez hit safely between third and short for a run-scoring single.

Relievers can't shut door

Minnesota got to Hughes with two out in the top of the eighth. Gomez walked and then took off on a hit-and-run play with Harris at the plate.

The Twins had runners at first and third for Punto, who found a soft spot in centre for the go-ahead run. The Yankees brought in Rivera, but he ceded a Span single and a two-run Twins lead.

It was time for Minnesota's shutdown reliever to underachieve, however.

Nathan served up Rodriguez's resounding shot in the bottom of the ninth, which landed in the right-centre bullpen for a two-run homer to erase the deficit.

"The fun part is I was just thinking base hit," said Rodriguez. "Hit the ball hard somewhere. And it went to the seats."

The Twins put two runners on in the 10th with two out but New York pitcher Alfredo Acevedes didn't break.

The Yankees squandered a chance after Posada's broken bat single in the bottom of the 10th. Brett Gardner came in to run for Posada, stole second and then took off for third on Nathan's wild pick-off attempt. Even after nearly stumbling onto his face, Gardner was able to make it to third ahead of the tag.

But Gardner made a crucial gaffe by taking off for home instead of waiting to see if Cabrera had a play on Damon's liner. The second baseman made the play and subsequently threw to third for the inning-ending double play.

David Robertson bailed out fellow New York pitcher Damaso Marte by shutting the door and earned the win after Teixeira's liner just cleared the left-field wall to send the Yankee Stadium fans into delirium.

With files from The Associated Press