Robinson Cano drove in six runs on three hits, two doubles and a grand slam in the six inning, and Ivan Nova allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings as the Yankees beat the Tigers 9-3 in the completion of their postponed game from last night.
Nova was the real story here tonight. Until the ninth inning, he had allowed just three baserunners in his six scoreless innings. He ran into trouble in the ninth and a pair of runs ended up scoring before Mariano Rivera came in and got a three pitch strikeout to end the game. Nova continued his miraculous unbeaten streak (no losses since June 3), which has featured solid albeit unspectacular pitching. Tonight was a fantastic postseason debut for the rookie.
He received offensive backing though, primarily from Robinson Cano. Cano’s three hits and six RBI carried the Yankees to the victory. He put the team in front with a double in the fifth to make it 2-1. In the sixth, Brett Gardner singled in a pair to make it 4-1, and when Cano came up with the bases loaded later in the inning, he punished an Al Albuquerque pitch into the right field seats to blow the game wide open. He’d add a run scoring double in the eighth to complete the scoring for New York.
As for the Tigers, they were inept offensively until the ninth, when they plated a couple of runs. Delmon Young, Ryan Raburn and Jhonny Peralta all had two hit games, with one of Young’s hits (a homer) coming in the first inning last night before the rains halted play. The Tigers just couldn’t get anything going.
Detroit starter (well….he started the game tonight, but was technically relieving Justin Verlander) Doug Fister alllowed six runs in 4 2/3 on seven hits and two walks, while he managed to strike out six. It was not a strong postseason debut.
Tomorrow’s game will be at 3:07 PM, and will pit Max Scherzer against veteran Freddy Garcia.
