Angels rally to win Game 3 in 11 innings
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 | 1:54 AM ET
CBC Sports
Jeff Mathis doubles to drive in the winning run on Monday. (Harry How/Getty Images) The Los Angeles Angels failed to outslug the New York Yankees on Monday afternoon, but they did outlast them.
Jeff Mathis drove in the decisive run with a two-out double in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Angels pulled out a 5-4 victory over the visiting Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
"Obviously, it is the biggest hit of my life," said Mathis, a .211 hitter this season.
Mathis doubled to the the wall in left-centre field, beyond the reach of Yankees outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., to score Howie Kendrick, who had singled with two out.
"For Howie to have the at-bat he did right there and to get on base and put one in the gap to win the game, it is a pretty good feeling," Mathis said.
Kendrick homered, tripled, singled and scored three times as Los Angeles rallied from three runs down.
Kendrick homered to left field off New York starter Andy Pettitte to trim it to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Vladimir Guerrero belted a two-run home run to roughly the same spot in the sixth to tie it 3-3.
One inning later, Kendrick ripped Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain's first offering off the wall in right-centre for a triple and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis.
"There was a lot of great baseball on that field this afternoon," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "There were a lot of twists and turns.
"Both teams played a terrific game. We just got it done at the end."
Ervin Santana (1-1) was credited with the win and Yankees reliever Alfredo Alceves (0-1), brought in from the bullpen to face Mathis, absorbed the loss.
"That was one of the craziest games," Angels centre-fielder Torii Hunter said. "It was an emotional roller coaster, man.
"We were up. We were down. I have got a headache right now. But it was a lot of fun.
"Both teams were battling and we came through in the end. As long as you have innings and outs left, you have got a chance to make something happen."
'Our guys will be fine'
Pride of the Yankees
New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter opened Game 3 with a solo home run, the third time in his storied career that he homered to lead off a post-season game. Jeter's first leadoff homer was off Kent Mercker of the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the 1999 ALCS. He hit the second one off Bobby Jones of the New York Mets in Game 4 of the 2000 World Series against the Mets. Jeter has 20 playoff homers, trailing only Manny Ramirez (29) and Bernie Williams (22) in that category. Jeter holds the major-league playoff records for career hits, runs, at-bats, plate appearances, total bases and games played. He has hit safely in 43 of his last 51 post-season games.
Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada hit solo home runs in a losing cause for the Yankees, who still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Game 4 goes Tuesday at Anaheim (5 p.m. PT), with Game 1 winner CC Sabathia scheduled to pitch on short rest for the Yankees and Scott Kazmir starting for the Angels.
"We didn't really stretch out any of our pitchers too far today out of the bullpen, so I believe our guys will be fine tomorrow," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
The Angels have never lost a playoff series to New York, beating the Yankees in the AL Division Series in 2002 and 2005.
"Anyone who thought we were going to breeze through a series with the Angels is crazy," said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who finished last season in a Los Angeles uniform. "This is a great team and they came to play today."
"This is the type of series we expected it to be," Girardi noted.
Los Angeles starter Jered Weaver lasted five innings, surrendering three runs and five hits with three walks with four strikeouts.
Pettitte didn't factor in the decision, either.
Bidding to break the major-league record of 15 post-season wins he shares with John Smoltz, the stylish left-hander was charged with three runs on seven hits with one walk with two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings pitched.
Jeter staked New York to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, cranking Weaver's third pitch of the contest into the left-field seats for a leadoff home run.
Rodriguez homered to left on a 3-1 changeup from Weaver in the fourth, and Damon drilled a solo home run to right to make it 3-0 in the fifth.
After Los Angeles took a 4-3 lead in the seventh, Posada evened proceedings in the eighth with a solo home run to centre off reliever Kevin Jepsen.
With files from The Associated Press
