Monday, October 22, 2012
Bronx News Sports: Clinton Beats Kennedy
Bronx News Sports: Clinton Beats Kennedy: (Photos by Gary Quintal) BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22 Dewitt Clinton beat Kennedy 24-21 to improve to 2-5 while Kennedy slip...
Clinton Beats Kennedy
(Photos by Gary Quintal)
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22 Dewitt Clinton beat Kennedy 24-21 to improve to 2-5 while Kennedy slips to 4-3. The game was capped with an exciting fourth quarter that highlighted by Clinton and Kennedy trading touchdown runs and two point conversions in the final 10 minutes of the game.
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
Bronx News Sports: Are Yanks Really Thinking of Keeping A-Rod??
Bronx News Sports: Are Yanks Really Thinking of Keeping A-Rod??: Fans Angry Over Slumping Sluggers By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, October 20- MLB will not be played in the Bronx again ...
Are Yanks Really Thinking of Keeping A-Rod??
Fans Angry Over Slumping Sluggers
By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 20- MLB will not be played in the Bronx again in 2012. Most Yankees fans felt a combination of surprise, disappointment, sadness and embarrassment after the team was swept by the Detroit Tigers in four games in the recently completed American League Championship Series (ALCS). This reaction was amplified by the comments in the daily press, sports talk radio and internet blogs.
The balanced statement issued by the Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner on Friday was very different than those heard or read in the above listed sites and also different in tone from the emotional responses remembered from his late father, George.
Steinbrenner started his statement with words that reflect the hurt of devoted fans of the club, “We fell short of our singular and constant goal which is a World Series Championship…this was a bitter end to our year.”
While the Steinbrenner family, the franchise and its fans hold to that goal every year, it is unrealistic. Even though the New York Yankees are the most successful organization in professional sports, they have won the World Series 27 times since 1923.
In recent years, the Yanks have been regulars in post-season baseball. Under the direction of three managers, Buck Showalter, Joe Torre and Joe Girardi, the Yanks have been in the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 seasons. If this pattern of continued success does not lead the followers of the club to unrealistic expectations, what can? It was this expectation of success for the Yankees that when not met led to the jeering of Yankees players during the final two games in the Bronx. Privately some Yankees players claimed the booing had a negative effect on their performances at home.
While past success may be forgotten or disregarded each year the Yanks are crowned champions, Steinbrenner included this year’s full record for deserved praise, “We earned the best record in the American League and were one of four teams to advance to the League championship Series (LCS).”
It’s clear that the loss in the ALCS can be blamed on the lack of batting prowess. Even in the victory over Oakland in the five game ALDS, the Yanks hit poorly. The team had an anemic batting average of .211 while the pitching staff of New York had an ERA of 1.76 and held Oakland batters to an average of .187. The average of the Yankees batters fell to .157 and the team only scored six runs in the four contests of the ALDS. Although Alex Rodriguez only hit safely three times is 25 at bats (.120) in the eight playoff games, he was not who failed offensively.
Curtis Granderson was 3 for 30 (.100) with 16 strikeouts. It was especially disturbing when one contrasts Granderson’s 0 for 11 in the ALCS with the two players who were traded to Detroit in exchange for Granderson in December 2009. Center fielder Austin Jackson batted .353 against the Yanks and reliever Phil Coke pitched in all four contests and earned two saves. He went a total of 5.2 innings without giving up a run. He fanned four, gave up three hits and did not issue a walk.
The others who were absent from the hit parade during the post-season included Nick Swisher, 5 for 30 (.167), Eric Chavez hitless in 16 at bats, Russell Martin, 5 for 31, Robinson Cano, 3 for 40, Gardner, hitless in 8 at bats and Chris Stewart, hitless in 4 at bats. Failure generally breeds a scapegoat and A-Rod has clearly been given that role in the 2012 post-season.
After game four concluded, Girardi attributed the series loss to a lack of hitting among many players, not just one, “We didn’t swing the bats. It wasn’t one guy, it wasn’t two guys, it was a bunch of guys, and it’s hard to win if you don’t score runs.”
He spoke of the unfairness of the all the blame being placed upon Rodriguez, “There were a lot of guys mightily struggling, not a little bit, a lot. He [Rodriguez] is going to be the one talked about the most.”
Another significant factor was the injury suffered by Yankee captain Derek Jeter. Jeter’s loss counted twofold, one of leadership and the second his high level of play. Jeter was one of the very few who hit well in the post-season, .333 in 2012. His return is not expected for five months, which means he will miss most if not all of the 2013 Spring Training.
Steinbrenner promised the fans to continue, “A long standing commitment to provide our fans a championship caliber team year after year.” The period of assessment and decision may not begin immediately, but one can be assured that many changes will be made in an attempt to improve the club before the 2013 season begins. As very few Yankees have contracts that extend beyond 2012, many of this year’s team may not return in 2013.
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Bronx News Sports: What Went Wrong?
Bronx News Sports: What Went Wrong?: Yankees Go Home and Revamp By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, October 20- Disaster could be harsh describing the disappointing and worst ...
What Went Wrong?
Yankees Go Home and Revamp
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 20- Disaster could be harsh describing the disappointing and worst performance in a post season for the New York Yankees. However, in baseball history, this was an all-time low in the post season for a team in baseball. It hurts, stings, and will be an everlasting memory of the 2012 New York Yankees.
Before it can be analyzed, as to what has to be done to make it better, this for the $200 million team of failure, answer what went wrong? And were the Yankees built as a team to hit the home run with failure to realize that good pitching in the post season will prevent the home run ball?
The Yankees obviously realize that hitting a team record and Major League Baseball record, 245 home runs will not deliver a world championship. Success to the Yankees is always reaching and winning the World Series, and if they want to win their 28th and first since 2009, they must have a better plan to get by a first or second round post season series.
Winning the divisional title is an accomplishment. But a fan of the New York Yankees, more so, management, is not content unless another championship flag is flying high at 161st Street and River Avenue. It does not matter that they won an American League high 95 games, second in baseball to the Washington Nationals who also went home early.
But the Nationals, who did not spend nearly as much money, were not expected to exceed expectations so soon. The Yankee were a different story
“We fell short of our singular and constant goal, which is a World Series championship,” said Hal Steinbrenner the Yankees’ managing general partner in a statement Friday afternoon. “Make no mistake this was a bitter end to our year.”
He went on to say, “We fully intend to examine our season in its totality, assess all our strengths and weaknesses and take the necessary steps needed to maintain our sole focus of winning the World Series in 2013.”
The son of the late George Steinbrenner is not like his father. Had George been in charge, heads would have been rolling and changes would have been implemented immediately.
However, this is a new hierarchy running the New York Yankees, and one or two changes will be made, not as fast and much differently the way “The Boss” used to do it.
Yankees fans should not expect much change from what they saw on the field in the eight games of a post season, one that fell short after defeating Baltimore and losing to the American League Champion Detroit Tigers that swept New York in four games.
To begin, the payroll has been projected to be significantly lower, not in 2013 but the year after. The goal is to get the best out of what they have because of contracts with incentives and options.
This same nucleus of players that combined for record post season lowest batting average of .188 will go home, and many are expected to return to Tampa Florida when spring training convenes in February.
Is this what the fans want, no, but the Yankees may have no other options. Because in this era of the player contract, the Yankees organization has been accustomed to spend and sign the long term deal and complicated options.
Since that final out in Detroit Thursday, manager Joe Girardi, the General Manger Brian Cashman, and baseball people in the know, are baffled and perplexed as to what went wrong with Robinson Cano. His .075 batting average, 3-for 40, in the post season are hard to explain after hitting over .600 the final five weeks of the season.
The absence of Derek Jeter, who will recover from a broken ankle and surgery, did not make a difference. The Yankees scored three runs in the 39 innings played in four games with the Tigers.
In the end it was a team failure, except for a pitching staff that finished with a post season ERA a little of 2.00, and that was supposed to be the question mark in a short series.
Girardi said, “It wasn’t one guy. It wasn’t two guys. It was a bunch of guys.”
A bunch with questions for next year, and maybe the years ahead as the Yankees are not getting younger. Jeter will be 39- years old, and do they bring back a veteran 40-year Andy Pettitte who returned after a brief retirement and will make the decision for 2013 to be on a veteran pitching staff?
It was a season of adversity, dealing with injuries and losing a 10-game lead to the Oriole s in the AL east. The lack of scoring runs was a season issue, with an occasional streak of the Yankees bats at times living up to expectations.
But in the end, adversity was with the Yankees failure to hit and drive in runs. Again, there is no answer as to how a team with so much ability to drive in runs failed to do so. Hitting is contagious, and the Yankees defined that definition.
Curtis Granderson and a 43- home run season means nothing with 16 strikeouts and going 3-for-30 at the plate in the playoffs. Do the Yankees re-sign Nick Swisher with three runs batted in and a .167 average in eight games? Do they bring back catcher Russell Martin with his one RBI and .161 average, and Eric Chavez coming off the bench and starting, going 0-for-16?
Some of the many issues facing Cashman will make this an interesting Yankees off season. He reportedly will take a few days off and return to his office at Yankee Stadium Monday, starting the many hours of a long process to get it right.
But, the major issue is Alex Rodriguez and his $114 million contract that includes incentives for another five years. One season, the championship year of 2009, is the lone one that stands out with the ten-year $250 million investment the Yankees made.
Girardi benched the slumping A-Rod in games three and four of the Tigers’ series, a move made because Rodriguez could not make contact with his .111 post season average and 12 strike outs. The denials still stand that he was punished for throwing a baseball with his phone number to a bikini model by the Yankees dugout as he took a seat for Raul Ibanez.
Rodriguez became a story of the New York Yankees 2012 post season.
Yes, there are tons of issues with the New York Yankees that goes along with a fan base that would rather see Rodriguez playing elsewhere next year. No team in their right frame of mind would want to take on a contract of his magnitude.
He is a player that obviously is on the decline who has difficulty handling a fastball. Girardi says everything is fine with him and his third baseman and believes the swagger will return with A-Rod’s bat.
Nothing is fine though with the New York Yankees, when they are not playing baseball deep in October. And to fix that will be the question for the next few months.
How to do it, that is another question that will take time to answer.
E-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com and listen and watch Rich Thursday evening live 8-10pm www.inthemixxradio.com also on your phone apps.
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Monday, October 15, 2012
Bronx News Sports: Lehman Continues Winless Ways
Bronx News Sports: Lehman Continues Winless Ways: Lehman High school lost Saturday to Thomas Jefferson Campus 32-14. After taking a 7-6 leading into the half, Lehman's defense surrender...
Lehman Continues Winless Ways
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Lehman High school lost Saturday to Thomas Jefferson Campus 32-14. After taking a 7-6 leading into the half, Lehman's defense surrendered 26 second half points. Lehman remains winless this season at 0-6.
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Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss: Hudson Valley capitalizes, 18-17 By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Monroe Mustangs' mistake and penalty-filled...
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss: Hudson Valley capitalizes, 18-17 By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Monroe Mustangs' mistake and penalty-filled...
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss: Hudson Valley capitalizes, 18-17 By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Monroe Mustangs' mistake and penalty-filled...
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss
Bronx News Sports: Mustang mistakes make for a loss: Hudson Valley capitalizes, 18-17 By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Monroe Mustangs' mistake and penalty-filled...
Mustang mistakes make for a loss
Hudson Valley capitalizes, 18-17
By Gary Axelbank
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Monroe Mustangs' mistake and penalty-filled performance against Hudson Valley turned a potential win into a frustrating 18-17 loss at Reinhart Field on Saturday night.
Beset by an inordinate number of miscues, including several offensive false starts and a crucial fumbled punt in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs could not capitalize on an outstanding game by hometown running back Justin Johnson and a sparking game by freshman linebacker Leonardo Myers. As a result, Monroe dropped to 2-5 in their inaugural season. This was the 1-6 Vikings' first win of the year.
"We shot ourselves in the foot too many times tonight and it hurt our chances in trying to beat Hudson Valley," said Coach Terry Karg.
Monroe had a whopping 13 penalties for 84 yards (HV had 9 for 55 yards) including six false starts and one delay of game that stifled a number of drives and called back several important gains. The yellow flags also contributed mightily to Monroe's 1/14 third down efficiency in the game, forcing Monroe to try and play out of a number of third-and-longs.
Monroe also had four fumbles in the game, losing three of them.
Monroe led 7-6 after one quarter, with the Mustangs' score coming on a five-yard run by QB Michael Campbell, a surprise starter since Manny Cortez has received acclaim for his multi-faceted game through the first half of the season. But Coach Karg wanted to put the versatile and productive Cortez in a number of different positions to make the best use of his remarkable talents.
Unfortunately for Monroe, even though Cortez had an eye-popping 44-yard punt return that featured some dazzling twists and turns, he had maybe the biggest gaffe of the game, fumbling a punt with just over nine-minutes left and Monroe leading 17-12. Moments later the Vikings scored the touchdown that was ultimately the game winner.
“We used Manny Cortez in a number of different looks today and had him running back punts to make the most of his abilities and also give Mike Campbell a chance to play the whole game at QB. Some things Manny did well and some we'll have to clean up a bit," said Coach Karg.
Halfback Johnson had an excellent game for Monroe. The New Rochelle native had 19 carries for 157 net yards, including an impressive 57-yard run from scrimmage in the third quarter. Myers was a force on defense, leading the team with 10 solo tackles.
Kicker Juan Gatti had a 27-yard field goal, the second-game in a row that he nailed one. He also was 2/2 on PAT's and made a solo tackle on a kickoff return. Campbell had a 15-yard TD pass to Gunner Majer, which temporarily gave Monroe the lead in the second half.
Bronx News Sports: Blown Call
Bronx News Sports: Blown Call: More than a blown call that has the Yankees against the wall as they leave for Detroit down, 2-0 By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, ...
Blown Call
More than a blown call that has the Yankees against the wall as they leave for Detroit down, 2-0
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- Cleary it was a blown call that was unacceptable in the Tigers eighth inning at Yankee Stadium Sunday in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Robinson Cano, in his own slump could not change it and neither could Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
But the call with two outs, that led to a two- run Detroit Tigers inning leads to questions about expanding the instant replay rule in baseball, and the continuing failure of the Yankees to hit and score runs.
Replay is another issue that may have to eventually be dealt with. For now, as the Yankees head to Detroit, trailing 2-0 in the best of seven series, their backs are against the wall and Girardi may be out of answers.
There is no telling what the result would have been had the Cano call at second to get Omar Infante went differently. With the Yankees bats going sour at the wrong time, that comeback seen so often in the Bronx during that four-time championship reign has been a futility.
But that call also opened the door for two more Tigers runs. And a one-run game may have been easier for the Yankees to overcome in the eighth inning than trailing by three.
“We have to make adjustments,” said Girardi about his team with a .205 batting average in seven post season games with the Baltimore Orioles and Tigers. “We are more than capable of scoring runs. We have done it before.”
It may mean Girardi sits Nick Swisher and his four hits in 26 at bats, along with eight strikeouts in the post season. Cano, batting .083 is hard to comprehend. However, this was a continuing problem for the Yankees the entire season with a few spurts of enthusiasm coming from their bats in late August and September.
“There is nothing you can do but keep your approach,” commented Cano who batted at a .615 clip at the end of the season. The funk now has him hitless in 26 at bats in the post season, whether or not he is hitting the ball and not getting the hit.
Bronx News Sports: STUNNED!
Bronx News Sports: STUNNED!: Yanks Shut Out by Tigers; Fall to 0-2 in ALCS By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Yanks now have their work cut...
STUNNED!
Yanks Shut Out by Tigers; Fall to 0-2 in ALCS
By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 15- The Yanks now have their work cut out for them after being shut out by the Tigers, 3-0, to fall to 0-2 in the ALCS. The two teams will now travel to Detroit to play games three and four and, if necessary, game five. If the Yankees fail to win two of the three, their season will end. If they manage the near impossible task on the road, the two clubs will return to the Bronx to play game seven in Yankee Stadium next Saturday night.
As most of the post-season contests in which the Yankees have played this year, the starting pitchers easily handled the opposing hitters they faced. Hiroki Kuroda pitched with short rest, three days between starts, for the first time in his career in the majors.
The hurler from Japan must not have found the effort too taxing as he retired the first 15 Tiger batters. He fanned seven of the first nine he faced. Jhonny Peralta’s single to lead off the sixth ended Kuroda’s bid for a perfect game and no-hitter.
The first run of the game was scored in the top of the seventh. Quinton Berry doubled and crossed the plate after a single to right by Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera.
After striking out two batters to begin the eighth, four straight singles and a walk led to two runs. Kuroda left the game after 7.2 innings with 11 K’s and five hits. Although all three runs scored were allotted to Kuroda, relief pitchers Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain each yielded a single that drove in a run.
Starter Anibal Sanchez and those who followed him to the mound collectively kept the Yanks scoreless. The righty gave up three scattered hits in seven frames. Mark Teixeira doubled with two out in the first. Nick Swisher singled with two gone in the second. Raúl Ibañez led off the fourth with a single.
The only other base hit for the Yanks was a single with two out in the ninth.
Detroit’s veteran skipper Jim Leyland commented on the two starters, “I think that both starting pitchers were absolutely terrific.”
According to the batting of the Yanks in the post-season, the name Bronx Bombers is outdated. Although Alex Rodriguez has received the brunt of the jeers from the fans in attendance for obtaining 3 hits in 23 at bats including 12 strikeouts without a run batted in the first seven post-season games, he is not alone in lack of success.
Robinson Cano has two hits in 32 at bats. He has been without a hit in his last 26 at bats, a single post-season record. Nick Swisher has four hits in 26 at bats. In 26 at bats, Curtis granderson has hit safely on three times. He has fanned 13 times. Russell Martin has hit safely five times in 26 ay bats. Eric Chavez has yet to get a hit in 11 times at bat.
The Yanks and Tigers will move to Comerica Park in Detroit for the next two or three games, depending on whether or not the Tigers can sweep the series. The difficulty will be intensified by the absence of Yankees captain Derek Jeter. The injured shortstop was batting .333 in the 2012 post-season.
To make matters worse, Tiger ace Justin Verlander will start in game #3 against Phil Hughes.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Bronx News Sports: Jeter is Done for the Season!
Bronx News Sports: Jeter is Done for the Season!: Yankees say they will move on By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, October 14- Now the question is can the New York Yankees survive and w...
Jeter is Done for the Season!
Yankees say they will move on
By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 14- Now the question is can the New York Yankees survive and win their ALCS series with the Detroit Tigers with the loss of their captain Derek Jeter? It is an answer the Yankees will have to answer on the field with game two in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees say they will move on, the same way they did when all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera went down for the season with a freak torn knee injury earlier this season. It has been a season of adversity, injuries to a pitching staff and position player at one time or another.
But this is Jeter, the captain, and he is hard to replace. Jayson Nix will replace Jeter at shortstop and Eduardo Nunez was added to the roster. The manager, Joe Girardi knows this is the most difficult dilemma to deal with as the Yankees try to even the series Sunday before heading to Detroit for what is hoped to be three more games.
“Just like Mo said, ‘we have to move on,’” commented Yankees manager Joe Girardi when asked about the impact on losing Jeter, the reference to what Rivera said to the team when he went down with his injury back on May 3rd shagging fly balls in the outfield at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City.
But it is hard to move on without a player like Jeter, especially this time of year as the Yankees try to move another step to their 28th world championship.
“Is it a big loss? Yes,” said Yankees General Manger Brian Cashman. “Is it something that’s going to stop us from dreaming about achieving our goal, no,” he said.
And perhaps the loss of Jeter won’t stop their goal. But Nix is not Jeter on the field, neither is Nunez. Girardi was asked about possibly utilizing the slumping Alex Rodriguez at short. “No I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “It’s just been too long.”
To hear Cashman say that Jeter will “No longer be a player for us this year,” is hard to comprehend but a broken ankle, that will take three months to recover, is that huge loss for the Yankees and perhaps for the game of baseball. They said Jeter will be well enough to be ready for spring training in February.
In the second inning, Jeter got his 200th career post season hit with a single. Later, in that 12th inning, when things fell apart for the Yankees, he made that play ranging toward second base, one that he has done so well over the years.
This time, he had to be helped off the field. And many of the 47,122 who remained on a long Saturday night, into a Sunday morning of baseball were silent. The captain was down and told Girardi, “No, don’t carry me.”
They chanted “Derek Jeter, Derek Jeter.” He heard them. And his teammates consoled him as he was helped to be immediately examined. That left ankle, that has been hindered one way or another this season could no longer take the punishment of wear and tear, though this fracture reportedly was in a different area.
Now without their captain, the Yankees will have to do this, themselves. Not that Jeter has been banging the ball all over the field, but he always seems to ignite a rally, get on base, and make the big play. Five championship rings in the same uniform are enough to state the value of Derek Jeter, especially in October.
Jeter did not have a reaction when he was examined and told by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad that he could no longer play. He was in the same room with Cashman, Joe Torre, his former manager who he played for on four world championship teams, Reggie Jackson, and former teammate Tino Martinez.
Twice with two-run home runs in the ninth inning, including one from Raul Ibanez, maybe the new “Mr. October” off Joe Valverde, it appeared this was going to be another one of those great October nights in the Bronx when the Yankees tied the important first game in a best of seven series.
However, the loss of Jeter now makes it that more difficult for the New York Yankees. They say the loss of their captain will be overcome. They will play for Jeter and are inspired to win that championship for their leader.
“It’s a tough moment for all of us because of what he means to our team,” said Ibanez.
And an obstacle that Cashman and the Yankees will know how to deal with in this season of adversity that continues at the most important time of October baseball.
“The job is to overcome every obstacle that comes our way,” said Cashman. “We have one team standing in our way to get to the World Series.” And one player short of that goal, the most important part of their quest to get there again.
e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com
Bronx News Sports: What a difference a day makes
Bronx News Sports: What a difference a day makes: Yank fans go from cheers to jeers about slumping Sluggers To Fears for Injured Jeter By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, Octo...
What a difference a day makes
Yank fans go from cheers to jeers about slumping Sluggers
To Fears for Injured Jeter
By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 14- After each successfully completing five-game series to win the ALDS, the Yankees and Tigers engaged in the opener of the ALCS on Saturday night. As in the previous post-season play this year, the starting pitchers on both clubs dominated the hitters.
Veteran Andy Pettitte, one of only six major leaguers in history to play in the post-season when younger than 24 and older than 40, did his usual impressive job. In only one inning did he allow more than one runner to reach base.
The sixth frame was the one in which the first runs of the game were scored. Austin Jackson, a former Yankee prospect, tripled to lead off the inning. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera was walked intentionally. The gambit did not work as singles by the next two Detroit batters, Prince Fielder and Delmon Young each knocked in a run.
Pettitte left the game after 6.2 innings having given up those two runs and seven hits.
Two more runs were scored by Detroit in the eighth off reliever Derek Lowe. The first was on a home run by Delmon Young.
Doug Fister, the winner of the final game over the Yankees in the 2011 ALDS, blanked the Yanks in 6.1 innings. He surrendered six hits and walked three batters, but none resulted in a run.
In the first, second and sixth innings, the Yanks threatened, left the bases loaded, but could not score. Fister walked three in the first, but Alex Rodriguez ended the inning with a ground out. Three Yankees, Russell Martin, Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki, singled, but the inning concluded as Robinson Cano grounded out. An error, a double by Raúl Ibañez and a walk to Nick Swisher filled the sacks in the sixth, but Curtis Granderson and Martin fanned to end the frame.
Game #1 was the first post-season game in the lengthy history of the franchise that the Yankees left the bases loaded three times in a single game.
Fister was removed after 6.1 innings having given up six hits and four walks, but most importantly, no runs.
The relief corps did not have the same success as the starters. Detroit closer Jose Valverde failed to close out the contest in the ninth. Two home runs tied the score. Martin singled and was driven in by a homer to right by Suzuki. The veteran from Japan was the batting star of the Yanks with four by hits. With two out, Mark Teixeira drew a walk and scored on a two-run homer by the usual suspect as hero Raúl Ibañez.
The score remained knotted until the twelfth. With David Phelps on the bump, Cabrera walked to begin the frame, but three other Tigers hit successfully to score two runs.
The loss of the game was not the worst loss the Yanks suffered in the game. Jeter fielded a ground ball by Jhonny Peralta, fell, rolled over and could not rise to his feet without assistance.
Manager Joe Girardi told a hushed group of reporters, “His [left] ankle is fractured. He’s out. He will not play for us anymore this year. They’re talking about a three month recovery period. It will not threaten his career. It’s a pretty emotional jolt.”
How much will the loss of the Yankee captain hinder the chances of the Yanks to win four of the next six contests. If they do not obtain those victories, the Yanks will be the losers of the three post-season series played between the two clubs since 2006.
Hiroki Kuroda, on three days of rest, will start the second game for the Yanks and righty Anibal Sanchez will start for Detroit.
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