YANKEES WIN AMERICAL LEAGUE PENNANT

YANKEES 5
ANGELS 2

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The Yankees are heading back to the World Series for the first time since 2003.

In a year full of memorable moments and games, the Yankees added to the memories with a 5-2 Game Six victory over the L.A. Angels of Anaheim to capture their 40th American League pennant and send the team to the Fall Classic, where they will meet the world champion Philadelphia Phillies.

With the Angels up 1-0 in the fourth, Angels starter Joe Suanders began to cough it up. He had been struggling with his control the whole night. In the second inning he loaded the bases full of Yankees but found a way out of it; this time he wasn't so lucky.

After walking Derek Jeter for the second straight time to load them up, Johnny Damon finally cashed in on some post season success, when he laced a single to left to drive in two runners to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Two batters later, Saunders walked Alex Rodriguez to bring home another run to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. Saunders was pulled out of the game at this point for Darren Oliver, who did a wonderful job in relief for Anaheim, pitching two and two-thirds scoreless innings.

Andy Pettitte was brilliant for New York. The veteran lefty went six and a third innings, scattering seven hits, while giving up only one run, and striking out six. With the win, Pettitte became the winningest pitcher in series clinching games, with five, and surpassed John Smoltz as for post season wins with 16.

Mariano Rivera came into the eighth for a six out save, and surrendered a run in the eighth to make it interesting. However, the Yankees were able to get a couple of more runs on the board thanks to RBI hits by Damon and Mark Tiexeria.

Rivera then closed the door in the ninth, striking out Gary Matthews Jr. swinging for the final out. Unlike most players who jump up and down after clinching ticket to the World Series, Rivera calmly pumped his fist, and gave his catcher Jorge Posada a big huge - as the two old veterans from the Yankees past championship days in the late 1990's were on their way back to the Fall Classic. Box Score.