YANKEES 9 TIGERS 3
Friday night's rain out did not deter the Yankees from victory. Sure the rain screwed up the Yankee's rotation, forcing CC Sabathia to pitch once in this series in Game Three; the Bronx Bombers were in good hands for the resumption of Game One when Ivan Nova took the hill.
Nova who won 16 games this season, matched up against his originally scheduled Game Two counterpart, Doug Fister, a young flame thrower with the Tigers who combined with Justin Verlander to go 14-0 with a 1.66 ERA since August 16.
With Verlander out of Game One because of the rain, it was up to Fister to hold the 1-1 tie, but he just couldn't handle the bright lights of the Bronx. Nova handled it like a veteran.
The two young starters held that 1-1 tie through four innings, making it clear that they could hold their own even with aces like Sabathia and Verlander out of the game. But, then in the bottom of the fifth, the Yankees finally got to Fister.
With two out, Curtis Granderson singled up the middle to get things moving for the Yankees. Next, Robinson Cano doubled to center, driving home a charging Granderson who scored from all the way from first, to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
In the sixth, after a Mark Tiexiera double and Jorge Posada walk, Brett Gardner slapped a single to the right center gap to drive in both Tiexiera and Posada to give the Bombers a 4-1 lead. The, Derek Jeter singled and Granderson walked; it was that Cano guy again. Cano blasted a grand slam homer into the second deck in right field, giving New York an 8-1 lead. It was the Yankees 11th grand slam of the season.
Cano would tally six RBI on the night with two doubles and the homer.
As for Nova, he was excellent. Heading into the ninth inning, he only gave up two hits and recorded five strikeouts. He grew tired in the ninth and was relieved by Luis Ayala, who couldn't shut the door on the Tigers, giving up two runs. Mariano Rivera came in with two out in the ninth and shut the door on Detroit, striking out former Yankee Wilson Betemet on three pitches.
On Sunday, the Yankees will trust Freddy Garcia, a guy who won 12 games but does not have great command, but a guy who doesn't fool hitters with any of his pitches. He will square off against Matt Scherzer who went 2-0 against the Yankees during the regular season.
Game Two will be huge with both Sabathia and Verlander rescheduled to pitch Game Three, and A.J. Burnett and Rick Porcello scheduled to pitch Game Four; the winner of Sunday's match-up will have a huge edge the rest of the series. Obviously, if New York wins and takes a 2-0 lead to Detroit, they will have their ace on the mound to end it. And even if the Yankees lose two games in Detroit, they would return home 2-2 with Nova and Fister scheduled for a game five.
If Detroit should win on Sunday, the Yankees face the prospect of possibly not returning home for a Game Five. Verlander, in addition to having a Cy Young season, was great at home. Also, the idea of Burnett pitching a Game Four with the Yankees possibly down two-games-to-one is something Joe Girardi doesn't want to think about.
Good win by the Yankees in Game One, but Game Two is mega important.
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