Yankees Struggle in First Two Games Against Tigers

Since the American League Championship Series got underway, the New York Yankees haven't been able to find that certain stroke or whatever you want to call it, that they had in the Divisional Round against Baltimore.

Game 1 was one of the wildest ALCS games in recent memory. The Yankees threatened in the first inning when they loaded the bases, but Jhonny Peralta robbed Alex Rodriguez of an RBI single with a diving stop to end the inning. Peralta also took away a run in the second when, with the bases loaded and two outs once again, Robinson Canó hit a ball that glanced off the wrist of Tiger starter Doug Fister and caromed to shortstop. Peralta fielded it and just nipped Canó at first. The Yankees left 13 men on base in this game, which wound up costing them in more ways than one. Remarkably, it was the first time in the lengthy history of the Yankees franchise that they loaded the bases three times in a postseason game but failed to score.

Fister threw shutout ball into the seventh inning, scattering six hits. Postseason veteran Andy Pettitte almost matched him, pitching five shutout innings for the Yankees before giving up RBI singles to Prince Fielder and Delmon Young in the sixth. With a seemingly comfortable 4–0 lead going into the bottom of the 9th, Detroit brought in José Valverde to get the final three outs.

Russell Martin led off with a single, and Ichiro Suzuki followed two batters later with a home run. Canó then struck out for the second out, and Valverde got to 0–2 on Mark Teixiera before walking him. Raúl Ibañez, who had played the hero in this postseason already, blasted a game-tying homer, sending the remaining crowd into a frenzy and forcing extra innings.

Rafael Soriano and David Robertson each pitched one scoreless inning out of the bullpen, but the Yankees could not capitalize off Tiger relievers Octavio Dotel and Drew Smyly. Detroit finally broke through in the top of the 12th on a Delmon Young double off David Phelps, to score Miguel Cabrera. Six pitches later, Derek Jeter broke his left ankle while stopping a groundball from Peralta, forcing him to miss the rest of the postseason. One batter later, Andy Dirks drove in an insurance run on a chopper that glanced off Phelps' pitching hand for an infield single. The Tigers held on to their 2-run lead in the bottom of the 12th, to take the series' first game. Despite the loss, Ibañez's clutch homers in both the ALDS and ALCS brought him distinction as the only player to ever hit 3 HRs in the 9th inning or later in one postseason stretch.

Game 2 was a sleeper for the struggling Yankees hitters. Hiroki Kuroda retired the first 15 Detroit Tigers he faced before Jhonny Peralta singled, and New York pressed ahead without injured captain Derek Jeter and remained scoreless with Detroit after six innings. Kuroda, pitching on three days rest for the first time in his big-league career, dominated with a mix of fastballs, sliders and splitters. He allowed only one hit through six innings, walked none and struck out eight -- including seven of the first nine batters.

The Tigers' Anibal Sanchez was nearly as efficient, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking two.

Robinson Cano, batting second for only the first time since September 2010, grounded out in the first, third and sixth innings, and would end the game hitless in 26 postseason at-bats--the longest such barren streak in any one year of postseason play in MLB history. Alex Rodriguez took a called third strike on a changeup in the second and struck out on a foul tip in the fourth, dropping to 2 for 21 with no RBIs in the postseason, including 0 for 17 with 12 strikeouts against right-handers. Curtis Granderson fanned twice, falling to 3 for 25 with 13 Ks. Mark Teixeira doubled with two outs in the first and streaking Raul Ibanez walked. Russell Martin had a soft comebacker that Sanchez gloved behind his back before throwing to first. Nick Swisher reached with two outs in the second on an infield hit, a liner that second baseman Omar Infante dived for, but allowed to squirt out of his glove. Jayson Nix flied out to the left-field warning track on a ball Quintin Berry at first misjudged. Suzuki reached on an error leading off the sixth when Sanchez missed his spinning bouncer and Infante slapped the ball to first, too late to retire the speedy runner. Suzuki advanced to third on Cano's comebacker and Teixeira's grounder to shortstop. Ibanez was intentionally walked, and Peralta made a barehanded pickup of Martin's slow three-hopper to shortstop and threw to first for the inning-ending out.

The Tigers finally broke through with a run off Kuroda in the seventh. Quintin Berry doubled to lead off the inning, and advanced to third on a single by Miguel Cabrera. After Kuroda struck out Prince Fielder, Delmon Young hit an RBI force out, on which the potential double play relay throw was mishandled by Cano.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi was ejected by second base umpire Jeff Nelson in the top of the 8th after arguing a call at second base which television replays confirmed was incorrectly ruled.[11] The play would have resulted in the inning's third out, and the Tigers took advantage by getting two insurance runs on RBI singles by Avisail García and Miguel Cabrera.

Prior to the game, Tiger manager Jim Leyland stated that struggling closer José Valverde, who had allowed seven runs in his last two postseason appearances, would not close Game 2 if the situation called for it. He instead used Phil Coke over the final two innings in this game, and Coke earned the save.


Now here's what I've taken from the first two games of the ALCS. Alex Rodriguez still has trouble hitting, that was evident in the opening round of the playoffs against Baltimore. Why A-Rod is slumping, I don';t think anybody really knows. He has had a history of not putting up as consistent of numbers in the postseason as he does in the regular season. As for the guys who have come up big in the playoffs there have been really only two for the Yanks, at least on offense, Raul Ibanez and Ichrio Suzuki. In the ALCS Ichrio is hitting .400 with a homer and two RBI's. Same thing with Ibanez. Hell Raul Ibanez for the playoffs is hitting .438 with three homers and five runs batted in. As far as big disappointments go there have been a few from the Yankees. A-Rod we have already talked about. Jeter Fractured his ankle on a freak play in game one and is done for the playoffs, which really hurts the Bombers as he has been one of their best players for a long time now. Cano is hitting under 100 for the playoffs. Both Granderson and A-Rod are hitting under .150 for the playoffs and both have more than ten strikeouts, Granderson has 14 A-Rod has 12. For the Yankees to be able to stay alive in the playoffs, Granderson and Cano REALLY need to wake up and start hitting, and so does Rodriguez. Manager Joe Girardi might find it a wise decision to play Raul Ibanez the rest of the playoffs with how hot a hitter he has been the last two weeks.

As for Yankee Pitching there isn't really much else to be talking about CC has been their ace as usual and it doesn't seem, at least from my point of view, like anybody else has been able to contain opposing hitters.

Coming from the Tigers perspective you really have to be impressed with the way things have gone at the start of the series. Prince Fielder and Miguek Cabrera have been a bit quiet so far in the playoffs, at least from a power and run production standpoint. Delmon Young is currently leading the club with six runs batted in so far. Right now comparing the two clubs Detroit has by far the more balanced lineup and looks like they might possibly run away with the series.

Game three of the series is set for tomorrow night in Detroit with first pitch coming at 8pm on Fox. The pitching matchup will see Justin Verlander go for the Tigers and Phil; Hughes go for the Yankees. Game four will be Wednesday night at 8 from Detroit and once again will be on Fox. Pitching that night will be CC Sabathia for the Yankees and Max Scherzer goes for the Tigers. If it gets farther then four games, game five will be Thursday afternoon at 4pm in Detroit, with Game six back in the Bronx Saturday the 20th and game seven on Sunday also in the Bronx.

Based on the way the series has played out through the first two games, I say Detroit takes game three, CC steals one for the Yankees in game four, but the Tigers close the deal out and win the series in five.