Yankees outlast Angels in 13 innings

Jerry Hairston Jr. scored on a throwing error by second baseman Maicer Izturis in the bottom of the 13th inning last night as the Yankees came away with a 4-3 victory in a game last lasted 5 hours 10 minutes and ended just after 1 a.m. in a cold rain.

The series moves to California with the Yankees leading, 2-0. Game 3 will be tomorrow with Jered Weaver facing the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte.

With runners on first and second and one out, Melky Cabrera hit a grounder to Izturis’s left. He eschewed the easy play at first base and tried to get Robinson Cano at second. However, the throw was well wide of shortstop Erick Aybar, the ball headed for short left field, and Hairston headed for home.

“I just kept going,’’ said Hairston, playing in his second postseason game after 12 seasons in the majors. “What a break for us. But we made it happen.’’

Third baseman Chone Figgins might have had a play at the plate, but dropped the wet ball.

“I’m not going to change the way I play, I wanted to be aggressive,’’ Izturis said. “I take full responsibility.’’

It was the Angels’ second error of the game and their fifth of the series.

“I think [Izturis[ was trying to make a little too much of that play,’’ Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You’re not going to turn two. If we get an out at any base, we’re in good shape.’’

It was the 17th walkoff victory of the season for the Yankees, and the second of the postseason. The rally started when Hairston singled off Ervin Santana and advanced on a sacrifice by Brett Gardner. The Angels then intentionally walked Cano.

The Angels left two runners on base in the top of the 13th inning. Dave Robertson, the seventh Yankees reliever, was the winning pitcher.

Alex Rodriguez tied the game for the Yankees when he led off the 11th inning with a home run to right field that eluded the leap of Bobby Abreu. Rodriguez has three home runs and eight RBIs this postseason.

Brian Fuentes left an 0-and-2 pitch over the plate to Rodriguez, despite two players who had been inserted into the game as pinch runners, Freddy Guzman and Gardner, coming up next.

“It has been an incredible month,’’ Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez had a chance to win it in the 12th, but popped to center with runners on second and third and two outs.

The Angels grabbed their first lead of the series the in the top of the 11th inning on an RBI single by Chone Figgins, who had been 0-for-19 in postseason games dating to last season.

Gary Matthews Jr. drew a walk off Alfredo Aceves, advanced to second on a bunt by Erick Aybar, and scored when Figgins dropped a single into shallow left.

The Yankees squandered several other chances, leaving runners stranded in scoring position in the ninth and 10th innings and the bases loaded in the 12th.

“We battled the entire game,’’ said Angels starter Joe Saunders, who allowed two runs over seven innings. “We did whatever we could and it wasn’t enough.’’

The Yankees hit .286 with 76 home runs against lefthanders during the regular season, the best in the majors. That continued against Saunders early in the game.

Nick Swisher drew a two-out walk in the second inning then scored on a triple to right-center gap by Cano. Down 0-and-2 in the count, Cano kept his hands back and lined a slider to the base of the wall.

Derek Jeter made it 2-0 in the third inning with a solo home run to right field, the ball cutting though the brisk 15-mile-per-hour wind. It was Jeter’s 19th postseason home run; only Manny Ramirez (29) and Bernie Williams (22) have more.

The Angels had scored one run over 13 innings in the series before getting to A.J. Burnett in the fifth inning.

Izturis started it with a double that hopped into the stands in right field and he scored on a single to center by Aybar. After Aybar stole second, Burnett hit Figgins with a 2-and-2 pitch. Abreu fouled out to left field for the second out. After Torii Hunter walked to load the bases, Burnett threw a wild pitch that allowed Aybar to score. He escaped further trouble by getting Vladimir Guerrero to ground to shortstop.

After throwing 54 pitches over the first four innings, Burnett needed 33 to get through the fifth.

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com.