Budde knocks in winner in 10 for Angels

Angels 7, Yankees 6 (10 innings)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The firsts just keep on coming for Ryan Budde.

Three weeks after making his major league debut, Budde doubled in the winning run in the 10th inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees 7-6 Monday night, improving their major league-leading home record to 41-17.

"It feels great, a dream come true. Wow!" a grinning Budde said. "To do it against the Yankees is awesome."

Budde hit a 2-0 pitch from Sean Henn (2-1) into right-center to score Howie Kendrick, who had doubled to right with one out. It was Budde's first RBI and first extra-base hit in the majors.

"I didn't know much about him, just some of the stuff that we went over before the game," Henn said. "I missed on the first couple, and it put me in a hole. When you start a guy off 2-0, they're definitely standing there a little bit more comfortable. I'm just trying to throw strikes, and I'm not a guy that's going to put it exactly where I want it."

Budde entered the game at catcher in the ninth after Maicer Izturis batted for Jeff Mathis. Budde had collected his first major league base hit in the second game of a doubleheader at Boston on Friday.

His latest effort came in front of his Little League coach from Oklahoma.

"I was just trying to get a base hit," Budde said. "We never give up."

The AL West-leading Angels' second straight victory kept them two games ahead of Seattle, which beat Minnesota 9-4. The Yankees dropped five games behind Boston in the AL East and had their three-game winning streak snapped.

"Both teams are good and both teams know what it takes to win," Yankee designated hitter Johnny Damon said. "They just happened to put it together. We know they're a tough team, but we need to swing the bats better."

Darren Oliver (0-1) pitched a perfect 10th to get the victory. The Angels overcame two-run homers by Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada en route to their eighth walkoff victory of the season.

"It's tough to take, but both teams can't win," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It's tough to lose games like that, but you understand it's going to happen. We didn't beat ourselves, they beat us."

Posada's 16th homer off Justin Speier tied it at 6 in the eighth after a leadoff single by Rodriguez, who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

The Angels had the potential go-ahead run tagged out at the plate in the bottom half when Izturis grounded into a fielder's choice to first baseman Wilson Betemit with the infield drawn in.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was ejected for arguing a checked-swing third strike against Reggie Willits earlier in the inning.

Posada appealed to third base umpire Dan Iassogna, who gave the emphatic call. Scioscia argued vehemently from the dugout and was quickly tossed by Iassogna. He then ran out to third base to continue the argument. Scioscia kept jawing for several minutes after the inning ended.

"This is never a good feeling when you have to watch it in here," Scioscia said from his office in the clubhouse, "but it's much easier to watch a win."

The Angels had another potential go-ahead run at third base in the ninth, but Gary Matthews Jr. grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Angels scored three runs in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead. Chone Figgins singled in the tying run and Orlando Cabrera followed with an RBI single before Vladimir Guerrero's groundout drove in the third run.

"Our team's had trouble trying to control Chone Figgins," Damon said. "It seems like every game he's in the middle of something."

Rodriguez hit his major league-leading 40th homer on a 1-0 pitch from Chris Bootcheck in the sixth, a drive into the Angels' bullpen in left that gave the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

The Angels took a 3-1 lead in the second on Jeff Mathis' three-run double into the left field corner.

Rodriguez singled in New York's first run in the first. Guerrero came running in from right field and thought he made a clean grab at his shoetops, but first base umpire Ron Kulpa ruled the ball was trapped. Scioscia came out to argue to no avail.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes gave up five runs and four hits over 6 113 innings, walking five and striking out four.

Game notes
Angels RHP Dustin Moseley gave up two runs and six hits in five innings, struck out four and walked none in his last start before returning to the bullpen now that RHP Ervin Santana has returned from the minors. Five of Moseley's last six starts resulted in no-decisions. ... The announced crowd of 44,249 was the Angels' 28th sellout and included a huge contingent of Yankee fans. ... Scioscia was ejected for the third time this season and 19th of his career.