Hudson threw 113 pitches, 74 for strikes. He retired 12 batters in a row after the first inning.

More on Game 2:
Box score
Leach: Damon exhausting Yankee arms
A's Notes: Giambi confident
Damon: This feels good, but it's not over
Gant HR underscores veteran's value

Video:
Game highlights: 56k | 300k
Hudson highlights: 56k | 300k
Izzy finishes off Yankees: 56k | 300k
Gant's homer: 56k | 300k

NEW YORK -- A right-hander pitching in Yankee Stadium can sometimes be a messy proposition. But Oakland Manager Art Howe did not hesitate to have right-hander Tim Hudson pitch Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees on Thursday night, instead of lefty Barry Zito. And Hudson was very impressive in proving Howe correct.

"The reason we went with him No. 2 is because is he's always been able to gut it up for us in the big games," Howe said. "It reminds me of the first year we went into Arizona. He faced the Big Unit (Randy Johnson), battled him tooth and nail and beat him. Another time, he faced Cy Young's Pedro (Martinez). (Hudson) beat him 2-0 that year. This kid gets up for big games.

Hudson combined with Jason Isringhausen on a seven-hit shutout and Ron Gant drilled a solo home run as the A's beat the New York Yankees, 2-0, and took a 2-0 lead in the AL Divisional Series. Game 3 will be Saturday in Oakland.

Since the start of the best-of-five Division Series in 1995, no team has rallied to win after losing the first two games at home. In the 1999 ALDS, Cleveland won the first two games and Boston came back to win the series 3-2. But the first two games were in Cleveland. Also, in 1995, Seattle lost the first two in New York but came back to win.

A crowd of 56,684 watched as Hudson retired 12 batters in a row after the first inning. In eight innings, Hudson walked only one batter and struck out three. He threw 113 pitches, 74 for strikes.

"Coming into Yankee Stadium and winning any game isn't an easy feat," Hudson said. "And to come in and take two from these guys, we totally didn't expect to. We were just trying to win and would have been very happy with a split in this series here.

"We were able to go up there and make some pitches and keep them off balance for the most part, and our guys from the offensive side, they have done just enough to get us a couple of wins."

The A's had several other chances to score against Yankees starter Andy Pettitte, but could not. They had runners on second base in the first, third, sixth and seventh innings but failed to score. They are now 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position in the series.

Gant hit his home run to left off Pettitte leading off the fourth inning. And the A's added an insurance run in the ninth as Johnny Damon, who is 6-for-9 in the series, tripled and scored on an error by Scott Brosius.

"Gant's hit was the difference for us in the game," Howe said. "He has been big for us ever since he came over, not only playing on the field but his leadership in the clubhouse. He's been a tremendous addition for us.

"(There are) other guys that have probably gotten a lot more innings since he's come over, but he's been just as big as anybody that we've acquired during the season.''

The Yankees also had chances to score, but failed, in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings.

"We had a couple of situations where one hit could have busted the whole thing open," Bernie Williams said. "When that doesn't happen, it's very frustrating. We have to tip our caps to them and hope to have better luck in the next game."

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Chuck Knoblauch beat out a grounder to third. Derek Jeter then singled to right. The crowd roared for Paul O'Neill, who worked a 2-0 count but ended up flying out to center field to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, Tino Martinez singled to right. One out later, David Justice singled to right on a 3-2 pitch, sending Martinez to third. But Scott Brosius grounded out to second to end the threat.

In the bottom of the ninth, with Isringhausen pitching, Bernie Williams led off with a double down the third-base line. Martinez drew a walk. But Jorge Posada struck out, Justice popped out to third and Brosius popped out to first.

There were several good defensive plays. In the top for the third, with one out, Miguel Tejada doubled and Jason Giambi walked. But Jermaine Dye hit a fly to right on which David Justice made a nice running catch. Eric Chavez struck out to end the inning.

And, with two outs in the fifth, Dye drilled a ball down the third-base line that Brosius dove for, gloved and threw on to first to get Dye.

With one out in the bottom of the first, Jeter singled to right. O'Neill hit into a fielder's choice that should have been a double play but Miguel Tejada threw behind second baseman Frank Menechino. Williams then hit a bouncer down the first base line that appeared to be going foul but spun fair past first baseman Jason Giambi. Menechino fielded it and was able to throw out Williams who didn't leave the batter's box until he saw it go fair.

"This is probably the toughest hole we've been in the last few years," Martinez said. "This and when we were down 0-2 to Atlanta in 1996. We have to take it one inning at a time. We have to remind ourselves that we have won three in a row before."

Paul C. Smith is a regional writer for MLB.com based in Tampa.