A heavenly dose of relief

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Angels were down and their ace was out. In came a 22-year-old rookie with a defiant look in his eye and the season on the line.

Ervin Santana pitched 5 1/3 gutsy innings in his postseason debut, Adam Kennedy hit a go-ahead triple that sent Yankees outfielders crashing to the ground, and Los Angeles beat New York 5-3 Monday night in the decisive Game 5 of their A.L. playoff series.

“It was tough. We didn’t have a lot of options,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We had a lot of confidence in Erv. Ervin Santana is the story for us.”

Less than 24 hours after arriving in California, the Angels got ready to leave for the start of the ALCS against the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday night.

George Steinbrenner’s $203 million Yankees once again learned that money doesn’t buy success. Even with Randy Johnson coming out of the bullpen for 4 1/3 shutout innings, New York was eliminated by the Angels in the first round for the second time in four seasons, scoring 20 runs in the five games with four homers – all solo shots.

“It was a street fight,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “I’m more disappointed than last year. I felt deep down that we would get it done.”

Just like last season, when the Yankees lost four straight against Boston after taking a 3-0 ALCS lead, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield were virtually invisible when New York needed their bats most. Rodriguez, New York’s $252 million man, hit into a double play after the Yankees got their leadoff runner on in the ninth.

“I left my guts on the field, I left my heart out there,” Rodriguez said. “So I’m not going to hang my head. I’m just going to go out and learn from it.”

With two on and two outs in the ninth as the Yankees mounted one more threat, Francisco Rodriguez retired Hideki Matsui on a sharp grounder to first.

New York staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory Sunday night at Yankee Stadium, forcing one more game across the country in Anaheim. The teams traveled all night, both landing around 3:30 a.m.

Santana, who started the season at Double-A, entered after Bartolo Colon departed in the second inning with a stiff right shoulder. Santana got the win by allowing three runs and five hits, leaving to a standing ovation with one out in the seventh after allowing a leadoff homer to Derek Jeter.

Santana never questioned his ability in big games.

“I’ve heard that question the whole season,” he said. “I don’t have to be nervous. It’s a baseball game.”

Garret Anderson homered and hit a sacrifice fly, and Francisco Rodriguez got four outs for his second postseason save and second this series. He allowed Jeter’s third hit of the game starting the ninth, and, after K-Rod got the double play on A-Rod, Jason Giambi singled to right and Sheffield reached on an infield hit.

Matsui grounded out to first baseman Darin Erstad, who made a diving stop and slipped the ball underhand to Francisco Rodriguez, who just beat Matsui to first for the final out.

The Angels threw their arms into the air in celebration and formed a group hug near first base, fireworks going off behind them beyond the outfield and streamers coming from the upper bleachers.

Bernie Williams, in perhaps his final game of a Yankees’ career that began in 1991, went 0 for 3 with a walk, flying out to left in the eighth in what could have been his final at-bat in pinstripes.

The Yankees’ best chance at a comeback against Santana was ended on a disputed call in the fifth inning. With runners on first and second and two outs, Robinson Cano swung at a third strike in the dirt. Cano ran to first and catcher Bengie Molina’s throw got past first baseman Darin Erstad, apparently loading the bases for Williams.

But plate umpire Joe West called Cano out for running inside the baseline, prompting an unsuccessful argument by Torre.

“The rule states that he has to stay in that running lane during the last half of the distance, which he was not,” West said. “So whether the ball hit him or not, he interfered with Erstad trying to catch the ball.”

Kennedy insisted the Angels would get through this one on Adrenalin after the long flight – no need for the jumping rally monkey that shows up on the big screen at in the late innings. The monkey showed up afterward to celebrate.

Angels 5, Yankees 3

a-grounded out for Crosby in the 8th.

1-ran for Giambi in the 9th. 2-ran for Sheffield in the 9th.

LOB—New York 11, Los Angeles 7. 2B—JaGiambi (3), Erstad (2). 3B—AKennedy (1). HR—Jeter (2), off ESantana; GAnderson (2), off Mussina. RBIs—Jeter 2 (5), Crosby (1), GAnderson 2 (7), Erstad (3), AKennedy 2 (2). SB—Crosby (1). CS—Cano (1). S—SFinley. SF—Jeter, GAnderson. GIDP—ARodriguez. Runners left in scoring position—New York 5 (ARodriguez, Matsui 3, Cano); Los Angeles 4 (Figgins, OCabrera 2, SFinley). DP—Los Angeles 1 (Figgins, AKennedy and Erstad).

Colon pitched to 1 batter in the 2nd.

Inherited runners-scored—RaJohnson 2-0, FrRodriguez 1-0. HBP—by ESantana (ARodriguez). T—3:29. A—45,133 (45,037).