Yankees book post-season spot after Angels win

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The New York Yankees clinched a post-season berth with a tense 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

The Yankees made up for missing last year's playoffs after a tie-breaking sacrifice fly from Alex Rodriguez in the top of the ninth inning secured a hard-earned road win.

"A-Rod" also smacked a two-run home run in the third inning for the Yankees, who led 5-0 before the Angels rallied to tie the game in the eighth.

Los Angeles scored two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings, and New York committed two errors in the eighth leading to Maicer Izturis' game-tying RBI single.

Closer Mariano Rivera shut down the ninth for his 41st save of the year.

"We still haven't accomplished what our mission was," Yankees captain Derek Jeter told reporters. "We wanted to win the division and we haven't done that."

The Major League-best Yankees (96-56) have a six-game command of the American League East Division with just 10 games left to play.