Raul Ibanez's late-game heroics Saturday helped the New York Yankees earn a come-from-behind victory, 10-9, over the visiting Oakland Athletics in a 14-inning thriller at Yankee Stadium. Eduardo Nunez collected the walk-off hit for New York, which used a two-run home run from Ibanez to overcome a four-run deficit in the 13th inning.
The victory helped the Yankees (88-63) earn their seventh straight victory and maintain a one-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles (87-64) in the AL East Division standings -- the Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox, 9-6, earlier in the day.
Corey Wade (1-1) earned the win on the mound, as he pitched a scoreless 14th inning and the Yankees rallied to win behind Nunez's hit that led to a fielding error by A's first baseman Brandon Moss. The gaffe allowed Ichiro Suzuki to cross home plate and end a contest that lasted more than five hours.
New York almost dropped into a first-place tie with Baltimore as its bullpen blew up in the top of the 13th inning allowing three home runs. Jonny Gomes, Yoenis Cespedes and Chris Carter all homered in the inning to help the A's earn a 9-5 lead.
Freddy Garcia gave up two of the three home runs in the 13th, including Gomes' two-run shot. After Garcia allowed another homer to Cespedes and was pulled, relief pitcher Justin Thomas surrendered a home run to Carter to cap the inning's scoring and seemingly all but end the Yankees' chances of a win.
New York never gave up, however, as it mounted a rally in the bottom of the 13th loading the basses with no outs off A's reliever Pat Neshek. The Yankees tied the game using a wild pitch from Neshek that scored Ichiro, a sacrifice fly from Nunez that scored Alex Rodriguez and Ibanez's one-out blast to right field.
Yankees reliever Derek Lowe was a small key in the victory as he tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. Lowe came in after Yankee starter Ivan Nova lasted just 2 1/3 innings allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.
Rodriguez went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, while Derek Jeter finished 1-for-7 extending his hitting streak to a season-best 16 games. Ichiro was sensationa;, again, for New York as he went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
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