El Bronx,
Yankee Stadium – Raúl Ibañez, given it
was only the bottom of the fourth, thought of something other than hitting late
innings come from behind home runs: he attempted to steal a base after getting
a single up the middle; he would be thrown out. Alex Rodriguez who batted two
batters later (6th), on the other hand, was still doing the same thing with the
same results, not hitting and striking out for a second time.
Eventually
Alex would line out to Left and sharply hit a grounder in the bottom of the
ninth through the right side to get a single, but the offense, as highlighted
by Robinson Cano’s slump – hitless streak at 26 at-bats in the postseason is
endemic of a lineup that has failed to come up with a big hit with men on base
(and in scoring position in particular). The net result was a 4-hit, 3-0
blanking at the hands of Anibal Sanchez and reliever Phil Coke who combined to strike
out 10 Yankees.
Hiroko
Kuroda held the Tigers hitless through five until Tiger short stop Jhonny Antonio
Peralta singled up the middle on the top sixth. Removing the tension of a
no-no, the focus for Koruda was then to match Tiger’s starter, Venezuelan Anibal
Sanchez’s scoreless pitching. With Peralta moving to second on a ground out by
the next batter, Koruda would keep his shut out intact by getting out of the inning.
RAUL
GETS RESPECT
Raúl Ibañez
was intentionally walked in the Yankees half of the sixth after Ichiro Suzuki
got on an error by Sanchez. Suzuki got as far as third, but the Yankees are
somewhat not doing anything different in leaving man in scoring position by
producing a hit with men on base other than a home run – it seems.
TIGERS
BREAK SCORELESS DUEL
The
following inning, top of the seventh, Tiger left fielder Quintin Berry opened
the frame with a ground rule double to dead center and advanced to third on a
single by third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Prince Fielder struck out, and thorn on
the side of the Yankees, Delmon Young, almost hit into a double play, but
Robinson Cano could not get a handle the pivot-throw to first after getting the
ball from Derek Jeter’s replacement, Jason Nix. Berry scored the Tiger’s first
and only run of the inning.
YANKS DON’T KEEP UP WITH THE SANCHEZ’S
In
the bottom of the seventh, Alex Rodriguez did not strike out; in fact, hit it
pretty well to the Left Fielder. It was
followed by a Curtis Granderson walk, who then he dared put himself in scoring
position by stealing second base, but the next two batters, Nick Swisher and
Jayson Nix struck out. Business as usual, one may think. The game was
characterized by the lack of run support Koruda had seen many times during the
regular season.
KURODA 11K’S BUT UMPIRE BAD CALL ENDS HIS
NIGHT AS TIGERS BREAK GAME OPEN WITH 2 RUNS, REALLY!
Kuroda
began the top of the eight striking out the first two batters and skipper Joe
Giraldi paid him a visit and after a
brief consultation decides to go with him. Tiger’s Omar Infante then singles to center.
The next batter, Austin Jackson singles to right and Nick Swisher throws to Robinson
Cano covering second who clearly puts the tag on Infante scrambling to get back
to the base.
But
the second base Umpire, Jeff Nelson, and much to the surprise of Infante,
called the play safe. After the game and viewing an instant replay, the umpire
would admit he was wrong: “The hand (Infante’s on getting back to the bag) did
not get in before the tag, the call was incorrect,” said Jeff Nelson.
INSTANT REPLAY POR FAVOR
But
that instant replay viewing was after the game when it would not count. Joe
Giraldi thinks it should be part of the game, he said, “I just think it’s –
yeah, let’s have instant replay. And not just, not just home run, fair, foul.
Let’s have instant replay.”
Joe
Torre, who would have once been in Giraldi’s place, now Executive Vice
President of Baseball Operations explained the process of more instant replay
was being studied, but “… but right now we haven’t really com to any conclusion
on what’s the best way to go about it and not make the game drag and go longer
then they are going already,” he said.
Boon
Logan replaced Kuroda and gave up an RBI hit to pinch hitter Avasail Garcia,
scoring Infante. Joba Chamberlain replaced Logan and does what seems to be a
regular season trait since he got back from the DL; he allowed an inherited run
to score with Miguel Cabrera’s RBI hit to right.
With
that hit, Cabrera has reached base safely in all 18 career postseason games
with the Tigers tying Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg’s own 18-game streak with
Detroit.
In
the meantime skipper Joe Giraldi gets ejected from the game by 2B Umpire Jeff
Nelson, yes, the one who botched up the play accounting for the eventual two
Tiger runs. Clay Rapada came in and issued a walk to load the bases, but his
successor on the mound, Cody Eppley stops the bleeding – Ok, only 2 runs would
score, but the way the Yankees have been swinging, it must have looked like 10
runs instead – by striking out Delmon Young to end the top of the eight.
Kuroda’s
line: 7.2 IP, 5H, 3R (earned), 0BB, 11K and no Hr’s allowed. His counterpart,
Anibal Sanchez: 7IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB and 7K.
THE
MEEK WILL NOT INHERIT THE WOLRD. NO COMEBACK ATTEMPT
Ex-Yankee
Phil Coke put down the meekly Yankee bats in order (Suzuki, Cano and Teixeira)
in the bottom of the eighth. Coke would get a save with two scoreless innings
on just one hit, striking out 3.
José
Velvarde is not going to see action as a closer after anytime soon after the
debacle the night before (and an ALDS blown game) so instead, in a save
situation, Tiger skipper Jim Leyland left Coke to face Raúl Ibañez,
Russell Martin and Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth. The first two strike out. Then to a little
fan delight, Alex Rodriguez’ sharply hit grounder to right for a single gives
them a short reason to cheer, but Granderson strikes out ending the game.
The
Yankees, who led the mayors in comeback wins during the regular season, for the
second night, fail to do so to win the first two games of this ALCS. In a
pivotal game, they fail to go to Detroit even at one game apiece and in the
first post season Jetel-ess game in 17 years, Justin Verlander awaits a meek
Yankee offense to possibly give the Tigers a 3-0 advantage with one more win to
go and secure the AL Championship.
Post-Game Extra:
Joe
Giraldi will travel to Chicago for his dad’s funeral. He expressed his desire
not to have any players there as he told those who asked to be present to “enjoy
their off-day and come ready to play on Tuesday…rest, rest,” he said.
The
Yankees will get a needed day off after playing 5 straight postseason games.
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Photo Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
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