NEW YORK, Oct. 6 -- It always seems to happen this way in New York in the playoffs. A sure Yankees loss turns into a Yankees win. Yankee Stadium roars like no other, and so do its inhabitants.
Alex Rodriguez, the highest-paid player in baseball who was brought to New York to deliver a championship, tied a game that had appeared lost in the 12th with his fourth hit. Hideki Matsui, the imported superstar from Japan who carries the gargantuan nickname "Godzilla," gave the Yankees a 7-6 win with a sacrifice fly against Joe Nathan, scoring Derek Jeter, saving the Yankees from an 0-2 hole in an American League Division Series. Instead the series heads to Minnesota tied at 1.
Derek Jeter scores the game-winning run in the 12th inning as the Yankees win 7-6 in the 12th inning.
(Frank Franklin II - AP)
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"It's a better trip now," muttered Yankees adviser Reggie Jackson as he wearily exited the stadium, nearly six hours after Wednesday's game began. "It would have been one long trip."
The game will certainly be hailed as Rodriguez's arrival in New York, his signature game as a Yankee. The day he appeared at ease in pinstripes. In his first year in New York, Rodriguez hit .286 with 36 home runs, but batted just .252 with runners in scoring position.
"Alex had a little trouble settling in here, but when you do this at Yankee Stadium in a postseason game, especially coming from behind, God only knows what it will do for him," Manager Joe Torre said. "This is obviously the biggest hit he's had for us."
Rodriguez went 4 for 6, including the game-tying double, and three RBI.
"I think it's important to win games," Rodriguez said. "What I do, to me, is a backdrop or a secondary story. Although it's fun to write about or get really into what guys are doing individually, it's all about winning games."
It will likely take the Twins some time to forget about a game they had appeared to win. It was a game that would have sent them to Minnesota with a stranglehold on the series.
"We're greedy," center fielder Torii Hunter said. "We wanted to be 2-0. But we have to accept 1-1."
Hunter's solo home run in the top of the 12th against Tanyon Sturtze sent his team into a celebration. It did not last long. Nathan, who had already pitched two scoreless innings of relief, appeared tired in the 12th. With one out, he walked Miguel Cairo and Jeter, setting up the dramatic comeback. It was the only bad mark for the Minnesota bullpen, which had pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings before the 12th.
"I told [the coaches] I felt good," Nathan said. "I was more disappointed in the walks. I got the first out, then I lost it for the next two hitters."
"He told us he wanted it," Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's our closer. We know we tried to extend him a little bit, but it's the time of year you have to do that."
The Yankees' sense of urgency in Game 2 rang loudly when Torre brought in Mariano Rivera to pitch with one out in the eighth inning and two men on base.
Rivera inherited a mess left by reliever Tom Gordon. Jacque Jones had reached base against Gordon when a third strike got past Jorge Posada. Hunter singled, sending Jones to second. Against Rivera, rookie Justin Morneau hit a bloop single over second baseman Cairo, scoring Jones. Corey Koskie followed with a double, scoring Hunter and tying the game at 5.
