Derek Jeter watched New York Yankees teammate Jose Molina get hit by a pitch and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Molina's pain, endured with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning, brought Jeter home from third to give the Yankees a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.
"I've never been so happy to see someone get hit," Jeter told reporters. "I really don't think I would've scored if he hit it anywhere else. I was too tired."
New York prevailed in a tight game that lasted 4 hours, 45 minutes in 34-degree Celsius heat.
Molina had replaced catcher Jorge Posada in the 10th and ground out with his first chance to win the game. However, in his next at-bat, Oakland relief pitcher Lenny DiNardo plunked him with the ball to bring Jeter home.
Elsewhere in the American League, it was: Indians 9, Mariners 6; Angels 4, Red Sox 2; Rays 6, Blue Jays 4; Orioles 11, Tigers 10 (in 10 innings); Royals 9, White Sox 1; and Twins 14, Rangers 2.
In the National League, it was: Marlins 9, Phillies 5; Cardinals 6, Padres 5; Brewers 8, Giants 5; Astros 4, Cubs 1; Nationals 8, Braves 2; Reds 7, Mets 2; Rockies 7, Pirates 1; and Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2.
In New York, the Athletics blew the chance to win the game in the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead but reliever Huston Street could not close the door.
New York first baseman Wilson Betemit delivered a clutch two-out single to force extra innings.
"I guess if I could have the pitch back I would have bounced it instead of throwing it at his ankles," said Street of Betemit's 0-2 hit. "I tip my hat. He put a pretty good swing on what I thought was a good pitch."
Both teams received quality efforts from their starting pitchers.
The Athletics' Sean Gallagher went five innings and struck out seven while allowing two runs.
Joba Chamberlain pitched six innings, allowing one run and striking out eight for the Yankees (52-45), who have won three of their last four.
The Athletics (51-46) have lost four in a row and will try to avoid being swept by New York.
In Miami, rookie catcher John Baker drove in four runs and hit one of three homers for the Marlins, who tightened the race in the NL East by beating the Phillies.
Dan Uggla added a two-run homer, his 24th, and Jeremy Hermida hit his 11th. The Marlins lead the majors with 138 home runs.
Cody Ross went 3-for-5 with a single, double and triple. Needing a homer to complete the first cycle by a Florida player, he struck out on three pitches in the seventh and grounded out in the eighth.
Baker singled in a run and hit a three-run homer, tripling his season RBI total to six since being recalled from the minors on July 8. Third baseman Jorge Cantu made two errors on one play but went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs.
The Marlins remained in third place but are only 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia, which began the day with a one-game lead over the Mets.
Pat Burrell hit two solo homers for Philadelphia, giving him 25 this year. He has 243 career homers, which ties him with Chuck Klein for third on the Phillies' all-time list.
Florida's homers came off Kyle Kendrick (8-4), who allowed 10 hits and seven runs in 4 1-3 innings.
Scott Olsen (6-4) allowed four runs, three earned, in five innings. Four relievers limited Philadelphia to one run over the final four innings.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily July 21, 2008)