BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Anaheim Angels manager Mike Scioscia bypassed his closer and the result was another thrilling win for the New York Yankees.

Bernie Williams' dramatic three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning capped a four-run rally as the Yankees posted an 8-5 triumph over the Anaheim Angels in the opener of their best-of-five American League Division Series.

After Jason Giambi's single off the glove first baseman Scott Spiezio tied the game, Williams crushed a 2-2 pitch from Brendan Donnelly over the right field wall for his 17th career postseason homer. The blast touched off a wild celebration at the ballpark, reminiscent of the Yankees' dramatic postseason home triumphs in 2001.

New York got home runs from Derek Jeter, Giambi and Rondell White over the first five innings but trailed, 5-4, entering the eighth as Anaheim got a pair of solo homers from Troy Glaus.

After Ben Weber (0-1) retired the first two batters in the eighth, Alfonso Soriano and Jeter each walked on 3-2 pitches.

Scioscia did not call on closer Troy Percival, who had struck out Giambi five times in five previous showdowns, and went with lefthander Scott Schoeneweis. Giambi ripped a one-hopper that deflected off the glove of Spiezio and past second baseman Adam Kennedy to tie the game.

Scioscia again bypassed Percival and instead turned to Donnelly, a 31-year-old rookie who was dominant following the All-Star break but making his first postseason appearance. The righthander got ahead of Williams 1-2 but grooved his sixth pitch, which Williams lofted over the right field wall for his seventh career Division Series homer.

"After I had two strikes I said, `Just cut down on your swing and try to put the ball in play,'" Williams said. "The one thing you don't want to do in that situation is strike out. You at least want to put it in play, make some things happen. I was able to hit a pitch. I think he was set up inside. He just stayed right over the middle of the plate. I was able to hit it out."

"We have some exciting games here," Jeter said. "We just never give up. That's the bottom line. We always think we have a chance to wins games and score runs. It's pretty magical."

Anaheim's bullpen had the best ERA in the American League this season. Percival converted 40 of 44 save opportunities in 2002, but two of his four blown saves came when he entered in the eighth.

Scioscia got a rude introduction to managing in the playoffs as the first three questions he was asked after the game revolved around his decision to keep Percival out of the game.

"(If) we had Web face Jeter, we'd still have the opportunity to bring Schoeneweis in for Giambi," Scioscia said. "I think with where we were, how Web was throwing the ball, we didn't mind that matchup. ... I don't mind Schoeny against Giambi; he's done a good job the times that he's faced Jason. He made a good pitch. Jason's strong. He didn't get all of it, but he got enough of it to hit it."

Scioscia continued to defend his decision and Yankees manager Joe Torre didn't second guess the decision.

"If we bring in Percy, we're going to start to extend him, I think, running into trouble later in the series," Scioscia added. "Our bullpen has done a fine job all year. I think they understand their roles; they've been very, very good at their roles and executing pitches. I thought Schoeny did a good job; I really did. After that, we wanted to switch Bernie around to have him hit from the left side. He beat us. It's tough going through their lineup. They've got big guys at every turn."

"To use your closer on the road in a tie game is not out of the question, but it doesn't happen very often," Torre said. "Mike has had confidence in his whole bullpen because they've done a great job as far as matchups and stuff."

Williams offered his take on the situation and attempted to put himself in Scioscia's shoes.

"I think Mike was just taking a chance on the fact that I had not faced Donnelly," Williams said. "It really affected my at-bat because I didn't know what to expect. It's not until you face a guy that you can formulate a plan to approach them."

"I thought maybe (Percival) would face Jeter," Giambi said. "I didn't know. I knew if Jeter got on, I was facing Schoeneweis. That's all I was concentrating on."

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera took over for Steve Karsay (1-0) in the ninth and worked around a one-out single by Darin Erstad for his 25th career postseason save in 27 opportunities.

Anaheim's bullpen cost starter Jarrod Washburn a chance at a win in his first postseason appearance. Washburn did gave up three of the four homers but little else over seven innings.

New York starter Roger Clemens survived 5 2/3 rocky innings. The veteran righthander was tagged for four runs and eight hits and did not help himself with three walks.

"They made me work hard," Clemens said. "I had one or two long innings. I found out firsthand how tough they are. ... I had good stuff. They are very stingy when they get two strikes (on them). They put the ball with two strikes."

The Angels turned four double plays and the Yankees two.

Game Two is Wednesday in New York, with the Yankees going with veteran lefthander Andy Pettitte. The Angels, who are making their first postseason appearance since 1986, counter with Kevin Appier.

The Angels must find a way to rebound from yet another playoff disaster. In 1982, they won the first two games of their best-of-five League Championship Series with Milwaukee, then lost the last three games. In 1986, they held a 3-1 lead on Boston before collapsing over the final three contests.

The Yankees, playing their first home postseason game since recording three thrilling wins against Arizona in the 2001 World Series, broke on top quickly as Jeter hit a solo homer with one out in the first.

The Angels got even in the third when a throwing error by catcher Jorge Posada led to a run, but Giambi hit his second career postseason homer, a two-run blast in the fourth.

The Angels got a two-out, two-strike double from Garret Anderson in the fifth that plated Kennedy and David Eckstein and knotted the score, 3-3.

After White hit his first career postseason homer in the fifth, Glaus led off the sixth against Clemens with a shot to left field. He opened the eighth with a blast to left-center field off Ramiro Mendoza and became the first Angel to hit two home runs in a postseason game.