Yankees, Mariners march on

NY coach Joe Torre thanks his match-winner Derek Jeter

New York Yankees 5-3 Oakland Athletics
(Yankees win best-of-five series 3-2)

Seattle Mariners 3-1 Cleveland Indians
(Seattle win best-of-five series 3-2)

The New York Yankees added to their remarkable post-season record by beating a talented but inexperienced Oakland Athletics side to earn a berth in the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners.

The Yankees became the first team to win a five-game play-off series after losing the first two at home, and remain on course for their fifth World Series title in six years.

Shortstop Derek Jeter had two hits, a run batted in, a run scored and a sensational catch of a foul ball diving into the stands to lead the Yankees.

Jeter made a great catch in the eighth innings

With his 87th post-season hit, Jeter passed Hall-of-Famer Pete Rose for the all-time record.

Reigning AL Most Valuable Player Jason Giambi went 4-for-4 with two RBI for Oakland, but the Athletics, who had the second best regular season record in the majors, were hampered by three errors and two hit batsmen.

New York's ninth batter, Alfonso Soriano, singled in two runs in the second inning to even the score at 2-2 and David Justice hit a solo pinch-hit home run in the sixth for the final score of a tense game.

Chuck Knoblauch had two hits and a run, and Jorge Posada and Shane Spencer each had a hit and a run for New York.

Mike Stanton, who came on in relief of starter Roger Clemens in the fifth inning, got the win for 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball.

Ramiro Mendoza pitched a scoreless seventh inning and star reliever Mariano Rivera threw the final two innings for the save.

Game One winner Mark Mulder took the loss for Oakland.

Seattle's Moyer won games two and five

Earlier on Monday, the Seattle Mariners kept their record-breaking season alive by beating the Cleveland Indians to clinch a place in the AL Championship Series.

Mariners starter Jamie Moyer and relievers Jeff Nelson, Arthur Rhodes and Kaz Sasaki limited the powerful Indians offence to just four hits.

Seattle, winner of an AL-record 116 regular season games, will host the New York Yankees in the opener of the best-of-seven championship series on Wednesday.

The National League Championship Series begins on Tuesday in Arizona with the Diamondbacks hosting the Atlanta Braves.

The winners of the championship series match-ups will meet in the World Series.

Suzuki single

Shortstop Mark McLemore provided Seattle's runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single in the second inning to score Edgar Martinez and John Olerud.

Cleveland came back with a run in the top of the third on Kenny Lofton's RBI-single, but missed a chance to score more when Roberto Alomar hit into a double play with the bases loaded and one out.

Seattle added another run in the seventh when Ichiro Suzuki opened with an infield hit, was bunted over to second by Stan Javier and scored on a single to center by Martinez.

Moyer, who also won Game Two, gave up just three hits and one run in six innings and struck out six. Nelson struck out four in registering five outs, and Rhodes retired Lofton to end the eighth.

Relief ace Sasaki finished off the game by retiring Omar Vizquel, Alomar and slugger Juan Gonzalez in order in the ninth.