Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Jerry Hairston Jr. scored on Maicer Izturis's throwing error in the bottom of the 13th, giving the Yankees a 4-3 win over the Angels and a commanding lead in the American League Championship Series.  The victory gave New York a 2-0 lead in the series, which continues Monday in Anaheim with Game 3.  Saturday's matchup could have gone either way, as each team had a number of scoring opportunities in the late innings and left numerous runners on base. The Angels stranded 16, while the Yankees left 12 on the basepaths. But in a wet, cold marathon game that lasted over five hours, New York came out on top.  Ervin Santana (0-1), who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 12th, was on the mound for the Angels to begin the 13th. Hairston came up as a pinch-hitter and roped a single into left-center, then moved to second on Brett Gardner's sacrifice bunt.  Santana intentionally walked Robinson Cano to get to Melky Cabrera, who hit a grounder to second. Izturis ranged to his left and had a chance to go for the routine out at first. However, he somewhat inexplicably chose to try for a force out at second, but sailed the throw well wide of the bag, and Hairston raced home to score the game-winning run for a Yankees team that is well used to thrilling wins.  "I think he was trying to make a little too much of that play," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "You're not going to turn two. If we get an out on any base we're in good shape. It's a way out of the inning."  New York recorded 15 walk-off victories during the regular season, and had another one in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Twins. In that contest, Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning before Mark Teixeira's homer won it in the 11th.  Rodriguez provided a similar moment Saturday, as he smacked an opposite-field solo homer in the bottom of the 11th to even the contest, after Chone Figgins' RBI single in the top half put the Angels in front.  David Robertson (2-0) got the win for throwing 1 1/3 scoreless relief innings, while Derek Jeter also homered for the Yankees, who took the victory despite committing three errors. They took advantage of three Angels errors to win Game 1 of this ALCS on Friday. Los Angeles committed two more Saturday in tumbling to the loss.  "We're fortunate to come out on top in this game because it was a great game. And there were some miscues," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Fortunately we were on the right side of it."  The Angels looked to have the advantage after taking the lead in the 11th. With rain falling more heavily than it had in prior innings, New York sent Alfredo Aceves to the mound to start the frame, and he dealt a leadoff walk to Gary Matthews Jr., who moved to second on Erick Aybar's bunt.  Figgins then came up and flared a single into left field. Johnny Damon came up firing, but his throw was too late to catch Matthews, who slid in to make it a 3-2 game.  Brian Fuentes came on for the Angels in the bottom half, looking to notch the save. Fuentes led the majors during the regular season with 48 saves, but couldn't lock down Saturday's contest, as Rodriguez hit a ball to right that cleared the wall by a few rows.  "You're definitely not thinking home run," Rodriguez said. "And you are certainly not thinking home run after you're down 0-2. You are just trying to get on base. You definitely don't want to make the first out in that inning. And he made two tough pitches on me. Got me in the hole 0-2. I finally got a pitch I could handle and hit it well."  The Yankees had a chance to win the game against Santana in the 12th, after Jorge Posada singled on a shallow fly to right. Jeter grounded into a fielder's choice despite Aybar bobbling the ball, and Damon roped a single to right to put runners on the corners.  Damon took second on defensive indifference, and Teixeira walked to load the bases, but Rodriguez flied out to center to end the threat.  Aybar then reached base leading off the 13th, when his grounder went under Cano's glove. Aybar moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Bobby Abreu was intentionally walked, but Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero each grounded out, leading to the decisive bottom half.  There was a question as to whether Saturday's contest would even be played, as rain was in the forecast, which included a game-time temperature in the 40s. But with winds whipping, the teams got underway with A.J. Burnett on the mound for the Yankees and Joe Saunders going for the Angels.  New York struck first, after Nick Swisher walked with two away in the second inning. Cano followed with a drive to right-center that went for a triple, plating Swisher for a 1-0 lead.  Jeter's one-out solo blast to right in the third pushed the Yankees' lead to two, but the Angels evened the game in the fifth, when Burnett got into a jam.  Izturis led off by slamming an inside fastball to right for a ground-rule double, then scored two batters later on Aybar's hit back up the middle. Aybar stole second, and Burnett lost some of his control, hitting Figgins on the foot.  After Abreu flied out deep to the left field corner, Hunter walked to load the bases with two away. Burnett then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Aybar to race home to even the game at 2-2.  But that was the extent of the scoring for a long while, as Saunders gave up the two runs on six hits in seven innings, while Burnett was pulled after 6 1/3, having allowing two runs on three hits.  Despite the lack of runs, each team had scoring chances. The Yankees put two on with no outs in the fifth, but Jeter grounded into a double play before Damon struck out.  The Angels threatened in the eighth, putting two on with one out after Jeter botched fielding an Izturis grounder. But they came up empty again, as Phil Hughes struck out pinch-hitter Matthews before Mariano Rivera came in and induced a groundout from Aybar.  The Yankees had a chance to end the contest in the bottom of the ninth, with Kevin Jepsen on the mound for Los Angeles. However, with runners on the corners and two outs, Cano grounded out to the catcher.  The Yankees had two on with one away in the 10th, but Damon popped out to Figgins in foul territory before Teixeira grounded out.
Preview, Summary and Individual and team statistics for the matchup on Saturday, October 17, 2009  between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees