ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bernie Williams stood in the visiting clubhouse at Angel Stadium last October after his Yankees lost in the AL division series, unsure whether he’d play another game for New York.

The Angels are sorry he played in this one.

Williams homered twice and drove in six runs, and Derek Jeter also hit two home runs yesterday as the Yankees ended their longest road trip of the season with an 11–8 victory over Los Angeles.

“At this stage of my career, I just wanted to come out here and have fun,” said Williams, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract in December to play a 16th season with the Yankees.

“This year has taught me a lot. So obviously, I’ve got to be ready for anything. It was a great day because I’ve been playing a limited amount of time over the last couple of years. So in my mind, I was due for a day like this,” he said.

Jeff Karstens earned his first major league win, helping the AL East leaders salvage the series finale. The Yankees went 7–4 on their three-city swing, which started with an emotionally-draining five-game sweep at Boston.

Williams had four hits in his first multihomer game since August 26, 2005, against Kansas City. He also doubled home two runs in the seventh and singled in the fourth.

“Bernie accepted the fact that if he was back, he was going to take on a role like this, and it took him a little time to come to terms with that,” manager Joe Torre said. “But Bernie had expressed interest to be back, and I knew financially, it wouldn’t be a burden for the Yankees.”

Jeter homered twice in a game for the eighth time in his career and first time since June 18, 2005, against the Chicago Cubs. Robinson Cano also had four hits for New York.

Adam Kennedy had three hits for the Angels, who trailed 8-0 by the third inning.

“I’m a little angry with the Angels. At least they can let us have one once in a while without making us work so hard,” Torre said. “They don’t quit. They keep coming at you. The score doesn’t matter to them.”

Karstens (1–0) won in his second major league start, allowing three runs and six hits over six innings. The 23-year-old righty was born less than three years before Williams signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent on September 13, 1985.

“I’m just trying to soak it all in right now,” Karstens said. “I wasn’t too nervous. I was kind of relaxed and was just trying to be myself and not try to do too much _ because that’s when I usually get in trouble.”

Alex Rodriguez, 1-for-15 with 10 strikeouts in the three-game series, singled during the Yankees’ five-run third inning.