If you needed further proof that pitching can carry a team in the MLB Postseason, Justin Verlander and the Tigers provided you with that Tuesday night.
In 37 straight innings, Tigers starting pitchers haven’t allowed a single run before Verlander yielded a home run to Eduardo Nunez in the 9th inning Tuesday.
By that time it was too late as the Tigers went on to a 2-1 victory over the Yankees and a 3-0 stranglehold on the ALCS. Verlander also continued to prove why he is the best pitcher in baseball and further cement what’s becoming legendary career.
Despite not having his best stuff, Verlander went 8.1 innings allowing only 1 run on 3 hits. Now he only had 3 strikeouts but proved he is more than just a one dimensional strikeout pitcher, something that makes him only more dangerous for the opposition.
But to simply say Verlander is dangerous when talking about the postseason is a tremendous understatement. In three starts the Detroit ace is has a 3-0 record with a 0.74 ERA, 25 strikeouts in 24.1 innings pitched.
And when he needed it, Verlander got the backup from his bullpen.
To get the final two outs in the 9th, Leyland called upon Phil Coke once again but not before the Detroit left hander made things a little more interesting putting two men on. However in the end Coke was able to get the Raul Ibanez, who has been so clutch for New York to strike out putting the Tigers on the cusp of their first World Series appearance since 2006.
“I’ve got faith in our bullpen. Coke did a great job in New York. He’s done a great job for us all year, so I was OK with it,” Verlander said. “And I was up around 130 pitches or so, so I don’t think they’re just going to leave me out there and sacrifice the rest of the postseason just for this game, especially when Coke’s been throwing the ball extremely well.”
But it hasn’t just been the Tigers starting pitching that’s been dominating the Yankees. Tigers DH Delmon Young has a total of of 7 home runs in the past two postseasons including five against the Yankees one of which that come tonight to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
The Tigers’ game winning run came in the 5th inning when Miguel Cabrera doubled to deep center field scoring Quintin Berry.
Now the Yankees turn to C.C. Sabathia for Game 4, looking to stay alive and do anything they possibly can to stretch this series out game-to-game.
