NEW YORK, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Alfonso Soriano hit a 1-0 pitch over the right-field wall with one out in the ninth inning for a two-run homer Sunday night, finishing off yet another gritty performance by the New York Yankees, giving them a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners and moving them within one step of their fourth straight appearance in the World Series.
New York did not get a hit until the sixth inning, trailed with five outs left in the game and then managed to rally on homers by Bernie Williams and Soriano to take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
The Yankees, World Series winners the past three years and in four of the past five seasons, can capture another league title Monday night when Andy Pettitte takes the mound against Seattle's Aaron Sele. Pettitte won the opening game of the series.
Seattle starter Paul Abbott did not give up a hit during his five-inning stint, but he walked eight and was consistently pitching in trouble.
And when Norm Charlton came on to relieve Abbott in the sixth inning, he immediatly got into a jam, which reliever Jeff Nelson inherited when he came to the mound with one out and two on. Charlton walked pitch-hitter Shane Spencer to load the bases, but escaped when Scott Brosius grounded into a double play.
New York left eight runners on through the first six innings while New York starter Roger Clemens and reliever Ramiro Mendoza were blanking Seattle on one hit through seven. Clemens left the game after five innings with an apparent flareup of a hamstring problem.
New York's wasted chances appeared ready to haunt the Yankees when Bret Boone hit a two-out homer in the eighth to give Seattle a 1-0 lead.
With one of the strongest bullpens in baseball, Seattle seemed set to even the ALCS and force a Game 6, just as Mariners manager Lou Piniella said would happen even after his team lost the first two games of the series at home.
Arthur Rhodes came on to pitch the eighth for Seattle, but Williams tied the game with a one-out homer.
And in the ninth, Seattle turned to outstanding closer Kazuhiro Sasaki only to have him fall victim to another bit of Yankees magic.
With one out, Scott Brosius hit a sharp grounder up the middle that shortstop Mark McLemore was able to stop with a diving grab. But McLemore's hurried throw to first pulled John Olerud off the bag and Brosius had an infield hit.
Two pitches later, the game ended on Soriano's home run.
Since losing the first two games of the division series against Oakland, New York has won six out of seven.
