Bernie Williams drove in five runs Sunday in Game 4 of the ALDS.

More on Game 4:
Box score
Williams' impatience pays off
Browne: Inexperience caught up with A's
Foul ball fractures Dye's left leg

Game highlights: 56K | 300K
Photo gallery: Game 4

OAKLAND -- Suddenly, the Yankees don't look so old.

After losing the first two games of the ALDS in New York, the three-time defending World Series champs appeared ready for an offseason tune-up. But, after beating the A's in Oakland two straight games and forcing a Game 5 Monday night in New York, the Yankees may have found their spark.

"The one thing you have to keep reminding yourself is when you're ahead, you're never comfortable until you get that last win,'' said Yankees Manager Joe Torre. "You have to keep battling, you really do."

The Yankees, who batted .194 and scored four runs in the first three games, broke loose with 11 hits in beating Oakland, 9-2, before 43,681 fans at Network Associates Coliseum. Game 1 starters Roger Clemens and Mark Mulder will pitch in Game 5.

But the A's will be without right fielder Jermaine Dye, who suffered a broken leg on Sunday after fouling off a pitch in the third inning. Dye has been a vital component in the Oakland offense since being acquired from Kansas City in midseason and inserted into the lineup behind Jason Giambi.

Yankees starter Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez continued his playoff mastery. He is now 9-1 in the postseason after pitching 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits and walking two. He struck out five and threw 111 pitches, 73 for strikes.

"(Hernandez) kept battling it," Torre said. "He pitched to who he wanted to pitch to and pitched around who he wanted to. He was able to fight his way through. He had a couple of short innings, because early on I wasn't sure how long he was going to go."

The key for Hernandez was escaping the first inning without giving up a run after facing Giambi with two runners on base. Hernandez got Giambi to foul out to third and then was able to get his rhythm after missing much of the regular season with injuries.

"Today, I was trying to concentrate on every moment because Oakland is a very good team," Hernandez said. "To me, every game is the same. I try to focus on the first game of the season the same as the last game and the last game of the World Series. I continued to do the same things (I always do). I just got better results."

Bernie Williams, who entered the game hitting .091 in the series, went 3-for-4 with five RBIs.

"We knew that we were down two games to one and it was a must-win situation," Williams said. "We have been in this situation before and we know what we need to do to win ballgames. And I think, for the most part, we're playing with just a fearless mentality.

"I think we were pretty tight in those first couple of games. And we were out there thinking we're just going to go all out, and whatever happens, happens. We didn't want to worry so much about the results but worry about the approach. It seemed to work."

The Yankees started the scoring in the second inning. Williams and Jorge Posada walked and Paul O'Neill hit a double-play ball that F.P. Santangelo let go into the outfield for an error. Williams scored on the play and Posada then scored on a double play grounder.

"I messed up, no excuses," said Santangelo. "I didn't lose the ball in the sun, I didn't slip on a rock, I just messed the play up. Bottom line."

In the third inning, Williams drove in two more runs with a double that Johnny Damon misjudged in center.

With no outs in the third and runners on first and second, Dye fouled a ball off his left shin. He was carried off the field and later discovered to have a broken tibia.

Oakland Manager Art Howe said his team is going to have to go on without Dye.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Jermaine has done a tremendous job ever since he's joined us, and we're going to miss him," Howe said. "But the other guys have to step up. We won a few games this year when he wasn't here, so we're going to have to find a way to get it done tomorrow. The other guys are going to have to pick him up."

Pinch-hitter Ron Gant inherited Dye's 1-2 count and went down on strikes. Terrence Long followed with a single to right to score one run. It was Oakland's first hit with a runner in scoring position in the series, breaking an 0-for-27 string. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Jeremy Giambi then grounded out to first as another run scored to make it 4-2.

O'Neill doubled to left center to start the fourth. Scott Brosius sacrificed O'Neill to third. Alfonso Soriano singled to left to make it 5-2, and A's starter Cory Lidle was relieved by Erik Hiljus. One out later, Soriano stole second. Derek Jeter and David Justice walked. Hiljus was then replaced by Mike Magnante. Williams immediately singled to center to make it 7-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jeremy Giambi singled and went to third on a ground-rule double by Santangelo. Hernandez was relieved by Mike Stanton, who got Johnny Damon to ground out to Stanton.

The Yankees scored again in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Williams and an RBI single by Posada.

The game was played in 4:13, an ALDS record.

The A's did not want to have to go back to New York or use Mulder again but Howe said they will be ready.

"We're not shaken at all," Howe said. "I expected this to go five games, and we were pretty fortunate to come in here two up. I wish I wasn't a soothsayer but I thought it would go five. Hopefully, we can turn the table on them (Monday), against them the way they did against us last year."

Paul C. Smith is a regional writer for MLB.com