It was the Halos' eighth career comeback playoff win over the Yankees, including both wins in this year's ALCS.
"You never know what will happen," Angels third baseman Chone Figgins said in the locker room after Thursday's win. "There is always a chance."
The Angels realize that while they staved off elimination, beating the Yankees twice at their ballpark won't be easy. The Yankees took the first two games in this series at home.
The Angels' challenge is even more pronounced in tonight's 7:57 game, when they will try to beat a pitcher who is tied for the most wins in postseason history.
The Yankees' Andy Pettitte will oppose Joe Saunders in a battle of accomplished lefthanders.
Pettitte, 37, has a career 15-9 record in the postseason. He is tied with John Smoltz for the most career postseason victories.
This will be Pettitte's third start of the postseason and second in this series. He is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in the two starts. Pettitte got a no-decision in a 5-4 loss in 11 innings to the Angels in Game 3 on Monday.
He allowed three earned runs in 61/3 innings. The key hit against Pettitte was Vladimir Guerrero's two-run home run in the sixth inning.
Pettitte, who was 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA in the regular season, is making his 38th career postseason start, but he downplays his wealth of experience.
"All that experience or whatever is not going to help me when I go out in the first inning and help my pitches be where they need to be," he said after Thursday's loss. "Hopefully, I get everything going and give this team a quality start, a good start, and give us a chance to win that game."
Saunders, an all-star in 2008, was 16-7 with a 4.60 ERA this season. He is making his second start this postseason. Saunders got a no-decision in Game 2 when the Yankees scored a 4-3 win in 13 innings. He allowed two earned runs in seven innings.
"It's going to be the usual Yankee hostile environment," the 28-year-old Saunders said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."
A postseason hero this year has been Angels catcher Jeff Mathis.
After batting .211 in 237 regular-season at-bats, Mathis is hitting .600 (6 for 10) in the ALCS. He went 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's win and set a team record with six consecutive postseason hits. The string was snapped when he struck out in the eighth inning.
Mathis, who has split time with Mike Napoli, has four doubles in this series.
"When you get in the rhythm and you're getting pitches to hit, luckily the ball is finding the hole," Mathis said.
Whether that continues against Pettitte will be the big story. And while all this is unfolding, the Phillies are watching with interest - not minding that both teams are expending energy before the World Series begins.
Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225 or mnarducci@phillynews.com.
