Rodriguez, Yankees edge Angels on error in 13th

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez is turning this postseason into his personal showcase.

Coming through under pressure once again, Rodriguez hit a tying homer in the 11th inning and the New York Yankees edged the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Saturday night on Maicer Izturis' throwing error in the 13th for a 2-0 lead in the AL championship series.

After the rain came and went on another chilly night, New York pulled out its latest late-inning thriller and remained unbeaten in this year's playoffs. The game ended when Izturis threw away Melky Cabrera's grounder to second base.

Pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. opened the 13th with a single off losing pitcher Ervin Santana in his first postseason at-bat. Brett Gardner sacrificed and Robinson Cano was intentionally walked as the crowd chanted "Melky! Melky!"

Cabrera hit a bouncer in the hole between first and second, and Izturis curiously tried to throw back across his body to get the force at second. The low throw skipped past shortstop Erick Aybar and rolled behind third, where Chone Figgins tried to pick it up.

Figgins fumbled the ball and Hairston, who had slowed up, sped home and slid in with the winning run. It marked another sloppy performance by the Angels, and finished a game that lasted 5 hours, 10 minutes.

The Yankees poured out of the dugout to celebrate, knocking over Hairston behind the plate.

Moments later, he took a pie in the face from starter A.J. Burnett, which has become a fan-favorite tradition for the Yankees after walk-off wins this year. They led the majors with 15 such victories and have added two in the playoffs -- the Yankees are 5-0, including a first-round sweep over Minnesota in which Rodriguez went 5 for 11 with two home runs.

Rodriguez saved them in this victory, hitting a leadoff shot against major league saves leader Brian Fuentes to keep the game in extra innings.

After a travel day, the best-of-seven series shifts to Anaheim, Calif., for Game 3 on Monday. Jered Weaver is scheduled to pitch for the Angels against Andy Pettitte, with a forecast of 73 degrees and partly cloudy skies.

The warm weather will allow players to ditch the ski masks and hoods some have sported under their baseball caps in New York. It was 47 degrees at game time, 2 degrees warmer than Friday night, with 15 mph winds gusting to 23 mph.

Most of the crowd of 49,922 still was around for the finish, though many were huddled in bright ponchos under the overhangs.

It was the longest postseason game by innings since Houston beat Atlanta 7-6 in 18 innings Oct. 9, 2005.

The Angels, normally sound on fundamentals, have been betrayed by their defense in this series.

Chone Figgins gave Los Angeles a short-lived 3-2 lead with an RBI single in the 11th off Alfredo Aceves, his first hit in 19 at-bats this postseason.

With rain falling as the clock ticked past midnight, Figgins dumped a looper into left field that scored Gary Matthews Jr. from second. Matthews, who entered in the eighth as a pinch hitter, had drawn a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice.

Fuentes came on to try and close it out, but Rodriguez led off and lined an 0-2 pitch into the front-row of right-field seats, sending the crowd of 49,922 into a frenzy.