OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Jorge Posada's fifth-inning homer was one of only two hits New York could muster, but the clutch pitching of Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera along with an amazing defensive play by shortstop Derek Jeter kept the Yankees' season alive Saturday night with a 1-0 win over the Oakland Athletics.
Oakland still holds a two games to one lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series and will try to finish off the three-time defending champion Yankees Sunday in Game 4. New York is trying to do something no team in baseball history has achieved -- lose the first two games of a five-game series at home and then come back to win the next three.
Orlando Hernandez will go to the mound for the Yankees Sunday while Cory Lidle will pitch for Oakland.
The only two hits New York managed came back-to-back with one out in the fifth off Oakland's Barry Zito.
On a 1-0 pitch, Posada launched a home run to left. Shane Spencer followed that blast with a double, but he was stranded at second base.
That turned out to be enough for Mussina and Riviera, who combined to allow six hits.
Oakland put runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, but Eric Chavez grounded into a force play and Jeremy Giambi grounded to second.
The Athletics could not produce another base runner until the seventh, when with two out Giambi singled and set up the play of the game.
Terrence Long lined a shot down the right-field line with Giambi running on contact. The slow-footed Giambi was waved home as Spencer frantically dug the ball out of the corner and launched it toward the infield.
The throw had far too much on it, however, and sailed over the head of both cutoff men -- second baseman Alfonso Soriano, who was stationed on the outfield grass, and first baseman Tino Martinez, who was near the first base bag.
Giambi seemed certain to score, but Jeter came racing across the infield from his shortstop position, grabbed the ball cleanly on a bounce and, with his momentum carrying him in the wrong direction to throw the ball in a normal fashion, backhanded it about 25 feet toward Posada as the New York catcher guarded the plate.
The ball arrived just as Giambi was taking his last stride toward the plate and Posada's swipe tag caught the inside of Giambi's right leg an instant before his right foot touched home.
"Actually, I am supposed to be there," Jeter said. "I'm supposed to read the throw and be there if needed. I flipped it to Jorge and he made a great tag.
"Everyone out here is trying to play hard. I enjoy trying to come out and perform under pressure. This is a big win for us today.
"We have to focus on tomorrow. If we get back to New York (for Game 5), you never know what is going to happen."
There was still some drama reserved for the ninth, when Jermaine Dye doubled off Riviera with one out. But Chavez struck out and Giambi grounded to second to end the game.
