Yankees fall in Game 5 to Angels, 7-6

Yankees-Angel Game 5, It would have ranked among the greatest of their all-time postseason comebacks, an improbable six-run seventh-inning charge that turned a four-run deficit into a two-run lead.

But it was still a bit too soon for the Yankees to bring in closer Mariano Rivera, and therein was the problem.

The Yankees, after storming back, saw their bullpen, shaky at times during this postseason, falter again in a 7-6 loss to the Angels Thursday night in an almost description-defying Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Angel Stadium.

Appropriate for this night, it finally ended with Nick Swisher popping out to short with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.

Game 6 is scheduled, weather permitting, for Saturday night at the Stadium as Andy Pettitte will take on Joe Saunders with the Yankees still leading the best-of-seven series, three-games-to-two.

A victory away from their first World Series appearance since 2003, the Yankees, controlled much of the way by John Lackey and in the 4-0 hole A.J. Burnett put them in in the first inning, scored six runs in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead.

Mark Teixeira, slumping all series, hit a base-clearing double to make it 4-3, Hideki Matsui tied it at 4 with a single and Robinson Cano’s two-run triple gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead.

But the Angels put two on against Burnett to start the bottom half of the inning and scored three runs, with Burnett getting charged with two and Phil Hughes giving up another, on a Kendry Morales single that made it 7-6.

Burnett allowed six runs and eight hits. Lackey pitched better than his final line – three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings – indicated.

Rivera would get in the game but it was with the Yankees trailing 7-6 in the eighth and runners at first and third, put there by Joba Chamberlain. Rivera got out of the jam.

Brian Fuentes, who gave up Alex Rodriguez’s game-tying homer in the 11th inning of Game 2, got the first two outs of the ninth before intentionally walking A-Rod. Matsui walked, moving Freddy Guzman, who pinch ran for A-Rod, to second. Fuentes hit Cano with a pitch to load the bases. But this rally would fall short as Swisher popped out.