Yanks score four runs to tie in 13th, beat A's in 14th

In their recent two-week stretch of good play that's allowed them to keep the division lead, the Yankees won in a variety of ways.

Pitchers' duels, shootouts, grabbing the lead early and hanging on, grabbing the lead late and keeping it.

But nothing like Saturday.

Nothing close.

Trailing the A's by four runs going into the bottom of the 13th inning yesterday afternoon, the Yankees scored four times to tie it, then won it, 10-9, in the 14th when Eduardo Nuñez cued a two-out bases-loaded grounder that A's first baseman Brandon Moss couldn't handle.

"Remarkable,'' Joe Girardi said of the 5 hour, 43-minute game.

According to Elias, it was the second time in franchise history the Yankees overcame a four-run deficit in extra innings and went on to win (the first being Sept. 17, 1980 vs. Toronto).

Raul Ibañez's two-run homer, his second home run of the day, off Pat Neshek tied it at 9, sending what was left of the Stadium crowd of 44,026 -- not to mention the Yankees dugout -- into hysterics.

That scene repeated itself in the 14th as Ichiro Suzuki scored the game-winner, the seventh straight victory for the Yankees (88-63), who kept their one-game lead over the still-hot Orioles in the AL East. Baltimore beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-6, in 12 innings Saturday. Cory Wade (1-1) pitched a scoreless 14th for the victory.

"Every game, obviously, matters all year long but right now every game's magnified,'' said Ibañez, in an 0-for-18 slump coming into the game. "We know the situation, and it's a lot of fun.''

Or as Ichiro, who had three hits and is 14 for his last 20, put it: "It's crunch time.''

Alex Rodriguez appeared as if he won it before Nuñez, singling to center with one out. But pinch runner Melky Mesa, making his major league debut, stumbled going around third and completely missed the base, immediately retreating as the crowd groaned.

"It was a bad time for a mistake,'' said Mesa, surrounded by teammates offering encouragement in the dugout after Robinson Cano grounded into a forceout, with Mesa out at home.

And while at that point it appeared the game would go on, Moss misplayed Nunez's grounder for an error, allowing the Yankees to pull off the improbable victory.

Bizarre doesn't begin to describe the game, one in which the teams totaled 29 position players -- 17 Yankees, 12 A's -- and 18 pitchers, nine by each team.

Additionally, neither starter made it through the third inning. A's lefty Travis Blakely allowed four runs, two earned, and four hits in two innings and Ivan Nova couldn't put back-to-back good starts together as he was awful in allowing three runs and five hits in 21/3 innings.

"Not good,'' Nova said, not at all pleased. "But the bottom line is we got the win and stayed in first place.''

The A's (85-66), who have lost five of six, looked like a shoo-in winner in the top of the 13th. Freddy Garcia, who pitched three scoreless innings before the 13th, allowed a two-run homer by Jonny Gomes and a solo shot by Yoenis Cespedes to make it 8-5. Chris Carter's homer off lefty Justin Thomas made it 9-5 and, with the Orioles game having just ended, a first-place tie in the East looked likely.

"I like the fight in these guys,'' Girardi said. "That's what they did again today.''

Said Ichiro: "It was tough but nobody was giving up.''

Plenty happened in the 13th inning,, started by A's lefty Pedro Figueroa, before Ibañez tied it.

Ichiro led off with a single and Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano each followed with hits to load the bases for Nuñez. A's manager Bob Melvin brought in the righthander Neshek, who uncorked a wild pitch that brought in Ichiro to make it 9-6. Nunez's sacrifice fly brought in A-Rod to make it 9-7, setting it up for Ibañez, who crushed a 2-and-2 pitch into the second deck in right for his 17th homer.

"I don't remember a game quite like that that I've ever been a part of,'' Melvin said. "Certainly extra-inning games, long games, games where there were comebacks. But nothing quite like that.''