NEW YORK -- Robinson Cano bounded around the bases sporting a huge grin, wildly slapping hands with his teammates before popping back into the sunshine to acknowledge a roaring curtain call.
It was a huge price to pay for a crucial error, and Cano charged that bill, blasting a seventh-inning grand slam to lead the Yankees to a 6-5 victory over the Angels on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
"It's a great feeling," said Cano, who collected his fifth career grand slam and his 20th homer of the season. "They made a mistake, and those are the situations you come through and help the team win the game."
Cano's drive off Scott Downs struck the facing of the second deck in right field, immediately following a flub by Angels second baseman Maicer Izturis, who booted a routine ground ball that could have been the final out of the inning.
"It's a big lift for us, because obviously this is one of the teams we're competing against for a playoff spot," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "That extra out cost them the game. They don't make many mistakes, and Robbie Cano really took advantage of it."
Izturis hung his head after rushing the play, yet the Yankees nearly had to sweat out a problem of their own in the ninth inning, as Mariano Rivera served up a three-run homer to pinch-hitter Russell Branyan.
Rivera regrouped and recorded his 30th save, but the legendary closer has now allowed runs and extra-base hits in three straight outings. Rivera was glad the Yankees won, but he wasn't happy.
"It doesn't matter who it is, nobody likes this," Rivera said. "Nobody wants to go out there and give up the game and throw pitches for home runs. Nobody likes it, but you have to fight it and find a way to get it done."
The Yankees preferred to highlight Cano's exploits. He enjoyed a 7-for-12 series against the Angels, homering twice within a span of 24 hours after slugging a seventh-inning blast on Wednesday.
"It was great," Curtis Granderson said. "I think it's one of the things again to put him out there and show how good of a hitter he is. The thing that's probably going to get overshadowed is how good his defense was. He made some excellent plays today and over the course of this series."
The late blast made a winner of Rafael Soriano, who hurled a scoreless seventh around his first hit since returning from the disabled list on July 29, ending a string of 15 straight batters retired since being activated.
"To me, I feel a lot of confidence right now," Soriano said through an interpreter. "I feel very comfortable the way they're using me. That makes the difference."
Granderson tied the game in the sixth inning, slugging his 32nd home run, and his fourth in the last three games, a two-run blast to right field off right-hander Tyler Chatwood.
Granderson thought it might have been wind-aided, but that was enough to hand Chatwood a no-decision in his first career game against the Yankees, finishing with eight hits allowed in 5 1/3 innings.
"I squared it up, I hit it up high, and thought, 'Man, I missed it,'" Granderson said. "Then it started drifting, and looking out at the flags today during the course of the game, they were blowing out heavy -- especially to right field."
Angels manager Mike Scioscia acknowledged both the wind and Yankee Stadium's cozy dimensions played a factor in sending his club out of town with a series loss.
"This is not an easy place to pitch," Scioscia said. "It's not a forgiving park, not a forgiving lineup. You've got to pitch well."
Bartolo Colon took a no-decision for New York, making one glaring mistake over six innings -- Alberto Callaspo's two-run homer in the fifth.
Otherwise, Colon was sharp against the club with whom he won his 2005 American League Cy Young Award, logging a quality start. Girardi said he pulled Colon after 90 pitches due to a long sixth inning.
"He's been the biggest surprise all year, a pleasant surprise," Girardi said. "When he came to Spring Training, we had no idea what we were going to get from him. When we started the season, we didn't know know many games we were going to get from him. He's probably exceeded every one of our expectations. He's one of the reasons we are where we're at."
It seems funny now, but there had been whispers about Cano after his winning performance in the State Farm Home Run Derby, wondering if he'd be able to keep up his slugging form in the second half.
Cano laughed and shrugged that off, saying that he swings the bat at least 100 times per day during the winter, so one exhibition wasn't going to change much.
The Yankees would love him to keep on swinging just like this, and Cano promises there is more in the tank.
"Honestly, I feel good, but not what I want," Cano said. "I've been having great series and bad ones. You want to be consistent, but I'll go with what I have. I want to get more, for sure. I know I can do better."
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