Max Scherzer took a no hitter into the sixth inning, and Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs, as the Tigers defeated the Yankees 5-3 to even their series at one game apiece.
The Tigers built up a 4-0 lead early on, and New York rallied late to put the winning run at the plate in the ninth, but Jose Valverde got Robinson Cano to ground out to end the game. The story in the beginning of the game was Scherzer, who allowed just three walks in the first five innings. He allowed a single in the sixth to end his no hitter, and after putting the first two men on in the seventh, he was pulled from the game. Joaquin Benoit ended the Yankees threat in that inning before allowing a Curtis Granderson homer in the eight to make it 4-1.
Detroit would get an insurance run in the ninth on a Don Kelly single to make it 5-1, and the Yankees started getting runners on againsts Valverde. Nick Swisher started with a solo homer to make it 5-2, and following a Jorge Posada triple (yes, it really happened) and a Russell Martin walks, Andruw Jones hit a sac fly for the first out to make it 5-3. Valverde struck out Derek Jeter for the second out, and walked Curtis Granderson after some questionable calls with two strikes. That brought up Cano, who drove in six on Saturday. He battled Valverde, but ended the game with a ground out to second.
Detroit’s offense didn’t have much success early on against Freddy Garcia, scoring just twice in five innings on a two run homer by Miguel Cabrera. But Joe Girardi sent Garcia out for the sixth inning, and the Tigers put four of the first five hitters on base, scoring two of them, to chase Garcia. Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez both had three hits, with Ordonez being removed for a pinch runner in the sixth.
Girardi’s questionable tactics continued on, when he pinch hit for Brett Gardner in the seventh inning with Eric Chavez of all people with two on and one out. Chavez struck out, and Jeter struck out to end the threat. That put Jones in left field, and he came up in the ninth with a chance to deliver some damage…and he flew out on the second pitch. Sure, a run came in, but the out recorded was more crucial. Jones had just a .709 OPS against righties on the season, and facing the right handed Valverde, he had no chance.
Game three is tomorrow at 8:37, and will be the first game of the series in Detroit. The pitching matchup is the same as it was in game one: CC Sabathia vs Justin Verlander. I’m going to have an article up tomorrow on why it appears that the advantage in the series rests with the Tigers after today’s big win, so go ahead and look for that in the morning.
