The Yankees lost much more than just Game One in the ALCS against the Tigers as team captain Derek Jeter was lost for the season with a fractured ankle.
The injury itself happened on what initially looked to be a very harmless play up the middle off a Jhonny Peralta ground ball. As Jeter motioned left he planted his foot and feel to his stomach, rolling on the ground and wincing in pain before being helped off the field by the Yankees trainer and manager Joe Girardi.
“They talked about a three-month recovery period,” Girardi said. “Won’t jeopardize his career, but he will not be playing any more for us this year.”
The injury came after the Yankees clawed their way back from four down in the 9th to tie the game up at 4. Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez each had two-run home runs off Detroit closer Jose Valverde who blew a 9th inning lead for the second time this postseason.
Valverde’s troubles also cost Doug Fister a win after a spectacular outing in which he went 6 and 1/3rd innings allowing zero runs on six hits with five strikeouts.
Delmon Young however was certainly the hero of the game for the Tigers who not only gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead with a solo shot in the 8th but it was his RBI double off David Phelps in the 12th that put Detroit ahead once again, this time though for good.
And as Detroit went on to take game one 6-4, the Yankees must now contemplate how they approach the rest of the series with Eduardo Nunez being added back to the roster to replace Jeter.
h/t: TheBigLead.com, Associated Press