ALDS: Angels take advantage of Yankees errors

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Orlando Cabrera, Bengie Molina and the Angels' slick gloves got Los Angeles even against the New York Yankees.

Cabrera scored the tying run after a costly error by Alex Rodriguez and hit a go-ahead single, Molina got two big hits and the Angels beat the Yankees 5-3 Wednesday night to tie their AL division series at one game apiece.

New York went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position - 0-for-8 after Robinson Cano doubled in the first run - and made three errors that led to three unearned runs.

The Angels saved two runs with sparkling defense.

The series shifts to Yankee Stadium, where Randy Johnson starts for New York on Friday night against Paul Byrd.

With New York leading 2-0 on Cano's second-inning double and Gary Sheffield's run-scoring grounder, Angels third baseman Chone Figgins dived toward the foul line to make a backhanded stop on a hard-hit ball by Hideki Matsui to end the fifth with Jason Giambi on third.

Juan Rivera homered off Chien-Ming Wang leading off the bottom half. Then, with Bernie Williams on second base in the sixth, Jorge Posada hit a grounder down the first-base line that Gold Glove first baseman Darin Erstad knocked down and flipped to pitcher John Lackey, who went to his knees at first to make the grab. Williams was stranded when Jeter grounded out off Scot Shields.

Los Angeles tied the score in the bottom of the sixth when Rodriguez let Cabrera's leadoff bouncer hit off the webbing of his glove for an error, and Molina singled Cabrera home with two outs.

The Angels then went ahead in the seventh on Cabrera's two-out, two-run single off Wang, and Molina homered in the eighth off Al Leiter - Molina's second homer in as many nights - to make it 5-2.

Posada hit a homer in the ninth against Francisco Rodriguez, who got the save.

CHACON HAPPY: Shawn Chacon still has a hard time believing he's in the playoffs with the Yankees after spending his first four years in the big leagues losing in Colorado.

"It's just unbelievable for me. I still can't really explain it," said Chacon, acquired by the Yankees at the trading deadline. "It's kind of a crazy road you take to get where I am."

He's slated to be the Game 4 starter. Manager Joe Torre originally planned to use Chacon for Game 2, but opted for Wang.

"We've been very fortunate," Torre said. "(General manager) Brian Cashman did a great job in getting Shawn Chacon."

[Last modified October 6, 2005, 01:32:02]