Dan Dickerson Recaps The Tigers 5-4 Win Over The Yankees
It wasn't easy - but the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS, 5-4, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five first round series. The game featured a matchup of aces - Justin Verlander against CC Sabathia, but it was the hitters who had the edge early: the Yankees scored two batters in on a Curtis Granderson triple that brought home Derek Jeter. A bounce out off the bat of Alex Rodriguez made it 2-0 two batters later. Sabathia walked five of the first ten batters he faced - but the Tigers couldn't take advantage until the third, when Ramon Santiago singled home Brandon Inge, and then Austin Jackson - who had walked - scored on a Miguel Cabrera double play grounder. The Tigers took the lead in the 5th on a Santiago RBI double, and added a run in the 6th on a Peralta RBI double that chased Sabathia. The Tigers lead 4-2 - and Verlander was cruising: at one point - from the 4th to the 7th - he struck out seven of the nine batters he faced. But in the 7th - Verlander walked Jorge Posada with two outs, hit Russell Martin with a pitch, and gave up a two-run double to Brett Gardner that tied the game. But then Delmon Young led off the bottom of the 7th with a home run to right field - the Tigers had the lead, 5-4, and weren't about to give it back. Verlander worked a scoreless eighth - recording his 11th strikeout along the way - and then Jose Valverde closed it out in the ninth, striking out Jeter with two on and two outs to end the game. The Tigers can now move on to the American League Championship Series - and eliminated the Yankees for the second time in five years in the ALDS - with a win tonight. Rick Porcello faces AJ Burnett in Game 4.
Listen below to Dan's call of the Delmon Young HR
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Listen below to Dan's call of Jose Valverde's final out
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