Yankees Stage Comeback for the Ages

Yankees 14, Rangers 13

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees were down nine runs in the second inning without three big boppers.

Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter never stopped playing.

Posada hit a game-winning, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth after withstanding a violent collision at the plate, and Jeter helped drive New York to a 14-13 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night -- matching the biggest comeback in Yankees history.

"It's hard to beat that one," manager Joe Torre said.

Jeter went 4-for-5 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs. He also threw out a runner at the plate and stole third base.

Posada knocked in five runs and dusted himself off after getting bowled over by Mark Teixeira in the sixth.

"Right now, I feel great. Back then, I didn't feel too good about it," Posada said. "It's the hardest I've ever got hit. I know if I drop the ball, he would be safe. But he was not going to get the plate. I had it blocked. I never played football in my life, but that's what I think it feels like."

Mariano Rivera (1-2) got the win after giving up a go-ahead double to Rod Barajas in the top of the ninth.

Posada connected in the bottom half off Akinori Otsuka (0-1) after Johnny Damon reached on a bad-hop single to start the inning. Otsuka had not allowed a home run since Arizona's Craig Counsell took him deep on May 24, 2005.

"It had everything," Teixeira said. "It had a lot of runs. It had good pitching, at times. It had defense. It had balls caroming off runners."

The Yankees overcame a nine-run deficit for the fourth time in their storied history. The last time was a 12-11 win in 10 innings against the rival Red Sox on June 26, 1987. Boston's starting pitcher in that one was Roger Clemens.

It was the largest lead Texas has squandered in its 35-year history.