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Mark Teixeira hit a leadoff homer in the 11th
inning to give the New York Yankees a 4-3 victory over the
Minnesota Twins on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff
series.

      Teixeira's drive off Jose Mijares hit the top of the left-field
wall and skipped over as the Yankee Stadium crowd roared. Teixeira
tossed aside his batting helmet as he approached home and was
mobbed by teammates.

      "I don't think there's anything better in sports," he said as
his teammates celebrated around him. "I got chills right now."

      Alex Rodriguez hit a tying, two-run homer off Joe Nathan in the
ninth after a leadoff single by Teixeira. Rodriguez also had a
two-out RBI single for the Yankees, who are off to their first 2-0
postseason start since 1999 against Texas.

      Minnesota was hurt by a blown call by left-field umpire Phil
Cuzzi in the top of the 11th. Joe Mauer started the inning with a
drive down the line that appeared to go off Melky Cabrera's glove
before clearly landing about a foot inside the line and bouncing
into the stands.


      Cuzzi said it was foul - it's been a tough week for umpires,
with several missed calls - and Mauer ended up with a single when
he should have had a ground-rule double. The Twins went on to load
the bases with no outs but failed to score when David Robertson
retired three straight to end the inning.


      Teixeira then hit his first career postseason homer in the
bottom half. It was New York's first game-ending shot in the
postseason since Aaron Boone's drive against the Boston Red Sox in
Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.


      Andy Pettitte will try to close out the series when he faces
former Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano in Game 3 on Sunday at the
Metrodome.

      The Yankees improved to 9-0 against the Twins this season.
Minnesota has led in all six games at the Bronx, but has failed to
win any of them.

      Instead, the Twins saw the Yankees' 16th walkoff win of the
season, most in the majors.

      The Twins left 17 runners on base and have stranded 26 in the
series. They also gave away a run when Carlos Gomez committed a
baserunning blunder in the fourth.


      Nick Blackburn held New York's lineup to one run and three hits
in 5 2-3 crisp innings and three relievers retired seven in a row
before Nathan imploded in the ninth.

      Teixeira led off with a single and Rodriguez followed with a
mammoth drive into the Yankees' bullpen in left-center for his
first postseason homer since Game 4 of the 2007 division series
against Cleveland.

      Rodriguez dropped his bat, looked into his dugout and clenched
his fist as he started to trot around the bases. He raised his
right arm as he rounded first while the sellout crowd of 50,006
cheered wildly, shaking New York's first-year home.

      After a quick celebration with his teammates, Rodriguez popped
his head out of the dugout for an October curtain call. The
enigmatic slugger has five RBIs in the series after entering the
postseason hitless in his previous 18 playoff at-bats with runners
in scoring position.

      It was the eighth homer allowed by Nathan this year but first
with a runner on base.
      

Gallery

Mark Teixeira hit a leadoff homer in the 11th
inning to give the New York Yankees a 4-3 victory over the
Minnesota Twins on Friday night and 2-0 lead in their AL playoff
series.

11th-inning homer gives Yankees 4-3 win over Twins

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