Pennant pending
DETROIT — Justin Verlander was done for the night, and for the first time all game, the New York Yankees looked threatening at the plate.
Mark Teixeira singled, then Robinson Cano followed suit for his first hit in 30 at-bats. Up stepped Raul Ibanez, who had already rescued New York a couple times this postseason with dramatic home runs in the late innings.
“Usually when I am out of the game like that, I head to the locker room and go through my normal routine, but obviously I wanted to stay for the last out there,” Verlander said. “Made it a little nerve wracking, so I sprinted up to the locker room and went through my routine as fast as I possibly could. Obviously I am superstitious a little bit. So I watched the last out from up top on the TV.”
Reliever Phil Coke struck out Ibanez and the Detroit Tigers held on for a tense 2-1 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the AL championship series. After halting New York’s rally in the ninth inning, the Tigers are a win away from their second pennant in seven years.
Detroit is in this position because of a stellar starting rotation that hasn’t needed much help from the bullpen or the offense.
“You see somebody go out there and have a good game, and you want to one-up that guy. He is your friend, I know, but it still gives you the urge to go out there and do better,” Verlander said. “I think that’s a great thing when you can get your entire rotation doing that, and I think we’re starting to click at the right time.”
Seeking their first World Series title since 1984, the Tigers were on a historic pitching run even before their ace took the mound Tuesday. With the exception of a four-run ninth inning against Detroit closer Jose Valverde in Game 1, New York had been shut out for the entire series.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi benched Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher for Game 3, but it was no use. Verlander allowed only a pair of singles by Ichiro Suzuki and a leadoff homer by Eduardo Nunez in the ninth. Delmon Young hit a solo home run for the Tigers, and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double.
Nunez’s homer snapped a scoreless streak by Detroit starters of 30 1-3 innings. That’s a record for a single postseason, according to STATS LLC. The previous mark of 29 innings was set by Oakland in 1974.
“You don’t want to be in this situation, but this is the game of baseball,” Cano said. “All you can do is not put our head down and just prepare ourselves for (Wednesday). It’s not over yet.”
New York sends C.C. Sabathia (15-6) to the mound in Game 4 and Detroit counters with Max Scherzer (16-7).
