MLB: LA Angels 7, N.Y. Yankees 6

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A clutch ninth-inning effort by Brian Fuentes saved the Los Angeles Angels' season Thursday and preserved a bizarre 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees.

Los Angeles held a four-run lead before being stunned by a six-run New York outburst in the seventh inning that moved the Yankees to the brink of the World Series. The Angels rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh and held on to cut their deficit in the American League Championship Series to 3-2.

A night of drama ended when Fuentes, after loading the bases with two away in the ninth, finally got Nick Swisher to pop out to shortstop on a 3-2 count.

That sends the teams to New York for the sixth and, if necessary, seventh games of the series. Game 6 will be played Saturday.

Four of the first five Angels who batted in the first against A.J. Burnett came in to score and Los Angeles maintained its lead into the seventh behind a seven-strikeout effort from starter John Lackey.

Lackey, however, loaded the bases in the seventh with two away and gave way to Darren Oliver. Oliver promptly gave up a double to Mark Teixeira that cleared the bases and, after Alex Rodriguez was walked intentionally, Hideki Matsui produced an RBI single and Robinson Cano doubled home the fifth and sixth runs of the inning.

The Angels immediately battled back, putting their first two men on base in the bottom of the seventh and eventually getting the go-ahead run on a single by Kendry Morales.

Fuentes retired the first two batters in the ninth. Los Angeles Manager Mike Scioscia then ordered Rodriguez to be walked intentionally with the bases empty, after which Fuentes issued another walk and hit a batter to load the bases before getting Swisher to end the game.