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Twins' gamble fails; Yanks tie series
October 6, 2004

Derek Jeter celebrates scoring the game winning run off a sacrifice fly by Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees to defeat the Minnesota Twins 7-6 in the 12th inning of Game 2 of the American League Division Series. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

New York, NY — (AP) The New York Yankees waited all season for that huge hit from Alex Rodriguez. Boy, did he deliver just in time.

	Going....going....

Rodriguez hit a tying double in the 12th inning, then Derek Jeter dashed home on Hideki Matsui's sacrifice fly and the Yankees bailed out Mariano Rivera with another improbable postseason comeback, beating Minnesota 7-6 Wednesday night to even their series at a game apiece.

The Yankees responded with a championship-caliber rally after falling behind in the 12th on Torii Hunter's home run.

Corey Koskie keyed an eighth-inning rally with a tying double against Rivera, who blew a save in the postseason for only the third time in 33 chances.

Game 3 in the best-of-five AL series will be Friday night at the Metrodome, with Kevin Brown starting for the Yankees against Carlos Silva.

	Safe at third!

This game went to extra innings tied at 5, and it stayed that way until Hunter connected on the 49th pitch from reliever Tanyon Sturtze, who had worked 2 2-3 hitless innings to that point.

But Twins closer Joe Nathan was running out of gas, too. He walked Miguel Cairo and Jeter with one out in the 12th, bringing up Rodriguez, who struggled in clutch situations for most of his first season with the Yankees.

He's changing all that in October. A-Rod hit a ground-rule double to left-center on Nathan's 49th pitch, tying the score at 6 with his fourth hit of the game.

	An early run

Gary Sheffield was intentionally walked before J.C. Romero replaced Nathan.

With the outfield drawn-in, Matsui hit a liner directly at right fielder Jacque Jones that appeared to be too shallow to score Jeter from third.

But Jeter took off for the plate, and Jones' throw didn't have much on it. First baseman Matthew LeCroy, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the 10th, relayed the ball to the plate, but Jeter slid in safely.

Paul Quantrill got one out in the 12th for the win, retiring rookie Jason Kubel with two on in the 12th.

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