updated 12:41 p.m. ET Oct. 11, 2005

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Moments after Bartolo Colon doubled over in pain, Ervin Santana calmly jogged to the mound with the same poise he’s shown so many times during his rookie season.

The Los Angeles Angels were down and their ace was out, and the 22-year-old rookie entered the game with a defiant look in his eye and the season on the line.

Santana pitched 5 1-3 gutsy innings in his postseason debut, Adam Kennedy hit a go-ahead triple that sent Yankees outfielders crashing to the ground, and Los Angeles beat New York 5-3 Monday night in the decisive Game 5 of their AL playoff series.

“I don’t have to be nervous,” Santana said, a blue towel draped around his neck. “It’s a baseball game.”

Less than 24 hours after arriving in California, the Angels got ready to leave for the start of the ALCS against the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday night.

George Steinbrenner’s $203 million Yankees once again learned that money doesn’t buy success. Even with Randy Johnson coming out of the bullpen for 4 1-3 shutout innings, New York was eliminated by the Angels in the first round for the second time in four seasons, scoring 20 runs in the five games with four homers — all solo shots.

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“It was a street fight,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “I’m more disappointed than last year. I felt deep down that we would get it done.”

After the game, New York’s charter flight was delayed, and the team didn’t get back to Yankee Stadium until around noon EDT Tuesday.

“Our team played hard, but we let our fans down,” Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. “We will do better.”

Just like last season, when the Yankees lost four straight against Boston after taking a 3-0 ALCS lead, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield were virtually invisible when New York needed their bats most. Rodriguez, New York’s $252 million man, hit into a double play after the Yankees got their leadoff runner on in the ninth.

“I had a great year, something I’m very proud of,” A-Rod said. “I left my guts on the field, I left my heart out there. I’m not going to hang my head. I’m going to learn from it and become a better Yankee.”

FREE VIDEO 'Toughed it out' Oct. 11: Yankees manager Joe Torre talks about why the team lost Game 5 against the Angels. NBC Sports

With two on and two outs in the ninth as the Yankees mounted one more threat, Francisco Rodriguez retired Hideki Matsui on a sharp grounder to first. After winning four World Series in its first five seasons under Torre, the Yankees are without a title since 2000.

“We don’t play to just make it to the playoffs, we’ve been to the playoffs before,” New York captain Derek Jeter said. “We play to win, and we fell short again.”

New York staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory Sunday night at Yankee Stadium, forcing one more game across the country in Anaheim. The teams traveled all night, both landing around 3:30 a.m.

Santana, who started the season at Double-A, entered after Bartolo Colon departed in the second inning with a stiff right shoulder. Santana got the win by allowing three runs and five hits, leaving to a standing ovation with one out in the seventh after allowing a leadoff homer to Jeter.

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“It was tough. We didn’t have a lot of options,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We had a lot of confidence in Erv. Ervin Santana is the story for us.”

Garret Anderson homered and hit a sacrifice fly, and Francisco Rodriguez got four outs for his second postseason save and second this series. He allowed Jeter’s third hit of the game starting the ninth and, after K-Rod got the double play on A-Rod, Jason Giambi singled to right and Sheffield reached on an infield hit.

Matsui grounded to first baseman Darin Erstad, who made a diving stop and flipped the ball underhand to Francisco Rodriguez, who just beat Matsui to first for the final out.

The Angels threw their arms into the air in celebration and formed a group hug near first base, fireworks going off behind them beyond the outfield and streamers coming from the upper bleachers.

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Bernie Williams, in perhaps his final game of a Yankees’ career that began in 1991, went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, flying out to left in the eighth in what could have been his final at-bat in pinstripes.

“It’s very hard to always expect to do the things we’re supposed to do as a team,” Williams said.

Los Angeles advanced to its first ALCS since winning the franchise’s first World Series title in 2002, and the Angels became the first team to eliminate the Yankees twice during Torre’s 10-year tenure.

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