IT WAS A YANKEE RUN PARADE IN MOTOWN

Game three in the series with the Detroit Tigers had more twists, turns, and subplots than space or time will allow us to discuss.  The Yankees entered the night having lost their last eight one-run decisions; that is the longest such streak that the Yankees have endured since 1944.  New York was also a miserable 6-12 in their last eighteen games played.  Conversely, Detroit came in riding a ten game win streak in games played at Comerica Park.  That total represented the longest home winning streak for the Tigers since 1949.

 

The Yankees also had lineup issues.  Curtis Granderson was 2 for 20 in his five game stint as lead-off hitter in the New York order.  Manager Girardi dropped Granderson to the six-hole and returned Derek Jeter to the lead-off spot.  Girardi's move paid immediate dividends as Jeter went 2 for 6 and sored two runs.  An added benefit was Granderson's night.  He went 3 for 5 with four RBI and two runs scored.  Granderson's immediate turn-around suggests that he was uncomfortable in the lineup's top spot.

The Yankees scored early pushing across two runs in the first inning on RBI singles from Eric Chavez and the aforementioned Granderson.  Staked to the 2-0 lead, Yankee starter CC Sabathia struck out four in the first three innings.  Meanwhile the Yankee offense flourished against Tiger starter Anibal Sanchez.  The Yanks added three runs in the third inning on a three-run HR by Curtis Granderson.  The Granderson blast was preceded by a hit batsman (Cano) and a walk to Chavez.  When Sanchez hit Cano, the home plate umpire issued warnings to both teams.  Cano was the third batter hit by pitch in only two and a half innings of play.

 

In the fourth inning New York gave the Tigers a dose of their own medicine by beginning the inning with three consecutive hits.  Casey McGehee doubled, Jeter singled, and Nick Swisher singled to right scoring McGehee.  Jeter later scored on a sacrifice fly by Teixeira.  The Yankees were up 7-0 in the middle of the fourth inning.  The Tigers pushed across a single run in their half of the fourth on a single from Brennan Boesch that scored Jeff Baker who had doubled to right with two out.  Yanks led 7-1 through four.

 

In the sixth and seventh innings, disaster befell the Yankees.  Sabathia yielded two runs on three consecutive Tiger hits as Jeff Baker hit CC again, this time for a two RBI single to left that scored Prince Fielder and Delmon Young.  That action cut the Yankee lead to 7-3 after six innings.  In the seventh, CC faltered again allowing two more runs on a hit by Austin Jackson and an error by third baseman McGehee.  CC was removed by Girardi having thrown only 94 pitches.  David Robertson relieved.

Robertson's performance nearly cost the Yankees a shot at a victory.  He faced eight batters, five men got hits; the last hit was a solo HR by Omar Infante.  In fairness. one Robertson hit was an infield single and another glanced off Teixeira's glove, as he made a questionable decision in attempting to field a ball that appeared playable by Cano.  Nevertheless, three runs scored, and the Yankee lead was 8-7.  New York held the lead after seven only because the Yanks had added a run in their half of the seventh on a Granderson double, a fielder's choice, and an infield RBI single by Ichiro Suzuki.

 

The Yankees needed some help, and it came from the beleaguered Tiger bullpen.  Even though Robertson allowed the Infante home run in the eighth, Detroit pitchers Phil Coke and Bryan Villarreal each yielded two runs in the eighth and ninth innings.  In the eighth, Coke allowed three Yankee hits, in succession, and Swisher and Cano scored.  In the ninth, pinch-hitter Jayson Nix and Jeter had back to back, two-out singles.  A balk by Villarreal and a single by Cano scored both runners in the ninth inning.

 

Boone Logan and Rafael Soriano retired the last four Detroit batters.  The torture was over and the Yanks had a much needed win on a night when Sabathia and Robertson both gave sub par performances.  Thankfully the offense carried the day against the Tiger starter and bullpen.  

 

The Wednesday night final was New York 12  Detroit 8.      

 

 

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

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