Fortune Smiles on Yankees in 5-4 Extra-Inning Victory

For more than six innings Monday, the New York Yankees were simply hoping to get a hit. They ended up with a victory.

The Yankees overcame a strong outing by Darren Oliver and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 11th with the help of an umpire’s call to defeat Texas, 5-4, at Arlington.

Tino Martinez tied the game with a run-scoring single in the ninth off John Wetteland and won it with a single in the 11th.

The Yankees, who were held hitless into the seventh inning, blew a lead in the 10th and nearly did again in the 11th before getting a favorable call from home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg to win their sixth in a row.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Luis Alicea appeared to foul a ball off his foot. The ball rolled in front of the plate and Kellogg ruled it a fair ball. Catcher Jorge Posada picked it up, stepped on home and tagged Alicea for a double play.

Kellogg said he saw the ball roll foul and then spin into fair territory. He said he never saw Posada tag the plate, but got help from his fellow umpires who confirmed the tag.

“Our objective is to get it right. If the ball hits foul and rolls fair, it’s a fair ball,” Kellogg said.

Like the umpires, New York Manager Joe Torre said he never saw the ball hit Alicea in the batter’s box, which would have made it a dead ball. Television replays showed conclusively otherwise.

“I’m glad it’s over, you don’t want to replay that sucker,” Torre said.

After the wild play, Todd Erdos got Scott Sheldon to ground out to end the game and earn his first career save.

Oliver pitched 6 1/3 hitless innings before Paul O’Neill’s bloop single to left with one out in the seventh. Bernie Williams followed with his third homer to tie the score, 2-2.

After Texas regained the lead in the eighth, Martinez tied the score in the ninth off Wetteland, who blew his second consecutive save after converting 18 in a row.

Oakland 1, Boston 0--Gil Heredia and two relievers combined on a four-hitter, and John Jaha had a run-scoring single in the sixth inning as the Athletics defeated the Red Sox at Boston on Patriots’ Day.

Olmedo Saenz went three for three with two singles and a double and scored the only run for the A’s, who split the four-game series.

Oakland broke through in the sixth when Saenz led off with a double and scored on Jaha’s grounder up the middle that got under the outstretched glove of Garciaparra at shortstop.

Heredia gave up three hits and struck out four in seven innings for his first victory. Jeff Fassero gave up one run on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.