New York Yankees 1 — Detroit Tigers 8

The Yankees season comes to an end in tonight’s 8-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

CC Sabathia took the mound in tonight’s potential elimination game. The Yankees ace was not able to give the Yankees a quality effort. Sabathia’s start didn’t go well from the beginning when Delmon Young got the Tigers an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning with a run- scoring single to right field. The 3rd inning was a difficult inning for Sabathia as a usually reliable defensive player made a pair of poor plays. First baseman Mark Teixeira is known for having Gold Glove-caliber defense but a single by Prince Fielder took a bad hop that Teixeira couldn’t handle. Then with 2 on, a ground ball was hit to Teixeira again and he was unable to handle it either and was charged with an error. A run would score on the following at-bat when rookie outfielder Avisail Garcia hit a soft ground ball to center field. The 4th inning would be the last inning for CC Sabathia. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera connected for a two-run home run to left field, his first of this postseason. Jhonny Peralta would also go deep for a two-run home run. After a double, Sabathia would exit the game after 3.2 innings of work. Sabathia gave up 6 runs on 11 hits including the 2 home runs he gave up in the 4-run 4th inning. The Yankees bullpen would give up 2 more runs on a pair of home runs. Former Yankee Austin Jackson would go deep and Jhonny Peralta would hit his second home run of the night.

The Detroit Tigers send Max Scherzer to the mound and he pitched an outstanding game. The Yankees couldn’t handle the repertoire of Scherzer as he struck out 9 through the first 5 innings. The Yankees would get their first hit when Eduardo Nunez would hit a triple to deep left center. Nick Swisher would hit a double to right field to bring in the Yankees lone run of the game. After Mark Teixeira walked, Scherzer’s night would end and left-hander Drew Smyly would pitch. With a left-hander on the mound, Alex Rodriguez pinch-hit for Raul Ibanez in a run-scoring opportunity as there were runners on the corners as the Yankees made an attempt at cutting down the 6-run lead. Rodriguez would fly out to center field to end the inning and continue his struggles. The Yankees would not put together another threat through the remainder of the game as they would be swept by the Tigers.

Win – Max Scherzer (1-0)

Loss – CC Sabathia (0-1)

Notables

Yankees

*Nick Swisher – 1 for 4, 2B, RBI (1)

*Eduardo Nunez – 1 for 3, R, 3B

Tigers

*Jhonny Peralta – 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 HRs (2; 2-Run & Solo) in the 4th & 8th inning, 3 RBI (3)

*Miguel Cabrera – 1 for 5, R, 2-Run Home Run (1) in the 4th, 2 RBI (4)

Current series: Tigers win series 4-0.

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New York Yankees 1 — Detroit Tigers 2

Justin Verlander pitches a gem in tonight’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Phil Hughes started tonight’s game and appeared to be on his way to a quality outing. As Yankees fans have become accustomed to, Phil Hughes gave up a home run in the 4th inning. To lead off the 4th, Delmon Young went deep to left field as the 2nd in 2 postseason games that Hughes started. Hughes would walk the next batter before the trainer would come out with manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild to see Hughes. They would determine that their starting pitcher was injured in what was later revealed to be a stiff back. Hughes would last just 3 innings and would pitch to 2 batters in the 4th before exiting. The bullpen would need to put together the remaining innings. After a smooth 4th inning for David Phelps, an error and a stolen base would put the Yankees rookie in a difficult spot. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera would come to bat with a runner in scoring position and would cash-in with a double to center field, over the head of Curtis Granderson to put the Tigers ahead 2-0. Clay Rapada, Cody Eppley, Boone Logan, and Joba Chamberlain would piece together 4 innings. Notably, Boone Logan pitched 2.1 scoreless innings.

The Yankees had a tough task facing reigning Cy Young and MVP award winner Justin Verlander down 2-0 in the series. Through 8 innings, only one Yankee would get two hits, Ichiro Suzuki. The 9th inning for Verlander would include two battles and his eventual exit. To lead off the 9th inning, Eduardo Nunez would put up a 9-pitch at-bat that would result in the third hit of the game and the first run for the Yankees. Nunez would take Verlander deep to left field to cut the 2-run deficit in half. An 8-pitch at-bat by Brett Gardner would end Verlander’s night at 8.1 innings on 132 pitches. Former Yankee Phil Coke would come in for the final 2 outs and he would make it interesting. With 2 outs, Mark Teixeira would hit a single to center field. Robinson Cano would end his postseason record, 0 for 29 skid with a single to the opposite field, putting the tying run at 2nd base. Postseason hero Raul Ibanez would come up to face the left-handed reliever and would fight off fastball after fastball until he got the count full but would flail at a curveball tailing away and strikeout to end the game and put the Yankees one loss closer to elimination.

Win – Justin Verlander (1-0)

Loss – Phil Hughes (0-1)

Save – Phil Coke (2)

Notables

Yankees

*Eduardo Nunez – 1 for 3, R, Solo Home Run (1) in the 9th, RBI (1)

*Ichiro Suzuki – 2 for 4

Tigers

*Delmon Young – 1 for 3, R, BB, Solo Home Run (2) in the 4th, RBI (5)

*Miguel Cabrera – 1 for 3, 2B, RBI (2)

Current series: Tigers lead 3-0

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Detroit Tigers 3 — New York Yankees 0

Hiroki Kuroda is the hard-luck loser in today’s 3-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Hiroki Kuroda dominated in his 7.2 innings start today. 7 of the first 9 Kuroda faced were out by the strikeout as Kuroda had all his pitches working. He would not give up his first hit until Jhonny Peralta’s leadoff single in the 6th inning. The first run Kuroda gave up was in the 7th inning as a double and a single put runners on the corners with no outs. Kuroda would get a big strikeout of Prince Fielder before inducing a double play that would be just a forceout as Cano would not have a handle of the ball and could not finish it off and the run would score. That would be all the damage of that inning as he would enter the 8th inning trailing 1-0 in a pitcher’s duel. Kuroda would start the 8th inning with 2 strikeouts as he continues to have a solid hold on the game. Two singles would appear to continue the inning but a missed call at 2nd base would prove costly. Second base umpire Jeff Nelson would be responsible for the inning continuing and Kuroda’s exit. Kuroda would finish his day with 11 strikeouts and 3 runs allowed, 2 of which were on base after he exited. After the second single of the inning by Austin Jackson, Nick Swisher threw behind the lead runner and caught him off of second base but Nelson would rule him safe. Boone Logan would replace Kuroda following this and a series of relievers would be a part of 2 more runs coming home. Joe Girardi would get ejected amidst the pitching changes and rightfully so. The Yankees pitching gave them the best effort to win the game but the Yankees offense continues to struggle in postseason baseball.

Against Anibal Sanchez and the Tigers’ bullpen, the Yankees only managed to get 4 hits. The Yankees couldn’t seem to get any kind of rally started. The opportunities with runners on were minimal as they only had 5 and many came with 2 outs. The Yankees were hitless with runners in scoring position and left 7 on base. The most notable struggle is Robinson Cano’s. Robinson Cano has set a postseason record going 0 for 25 hitless streak in the postseason. If it’s worth anything, Alex Rodriguez was able to get a hit in the 9th inning but it would all go for nothing as the Yankees fall behind by 2 in the series.

Win – Anibal Sanchez (1-0)

Loss – Hiroki Kuroda (0-1)

Save – Phil Coke (1)

Notables

Tigers

*Miguel Cabrera – 2 for 4, RBI (1)

*Avisail Garcia – 1 for 1, RBI (2)

Yankees

*Mark Teixeira – 1 for 4, 2B

*Raul Ibanez – 1 for 2, 2 BB

Current series: Tigers lead 2-0.

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Detroit Tigers 6 — New York Yankees 4 (12 innings)

A back and forth game includes a serious injury in tonight’s 6-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers in 12 innings.

Andy Pettitte took the mound for Game 1 and gave the Yankees 6.2 innings where he got in and out of difficult situations. An unusual triple by former Yankee Austin Jackson started the 6th inning with a rally. It landed fair and hit an unusual curve in the walls along the foul line, slowing it down and requiring Nick Swisher to come into short right field to retrieve the ball. After an out and an intentional walk of Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera, first baseman Prince Fielder and Delmon Young would come through with back-to-back singles to bring in 2 runs and give the Tigers the lead. Derek Lowe would take over after a 2-out walk and would strikeout Miguel Cabrera. Lowe would pitch in the 8th inning and would give up a solo home run to Delmon Young. A double would end Lowe’s night and Boone Logan would take over. Rookie outfielder Avisail Garcia would come through for the fourth run of the game giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead. The bullpen would hold the game at a tie following the 4-4 tie as Eppley, Rapada, Robertson, and Soriano put together 3 shutout innings. With the bullpen wearing down, David Phelps appeared to be the last arm available in the 12th inning. Phelps would have to go through the heart of the Tigers’ lineup and it would be a painful final inning. After Delmon Young would drive in the go-ahead run on a poorly played line drive that got past Nick Swisher, the shocking event of the night would take place. On a ground ball to the left of Derek Jeter, the Yankees captain would get the ball and be unable to make a play on it as he crumbled to the ground in obvious pain. Jeter would be carried off the field. Another run would score before the inning would come to an end as the Yankees fans were stunned by the bigger loss of the night.

Doug Fister started for the Tigers and the first 2 innings should have been the end of his night. Three walks would load the bases and of all people, Alex Rodriguez would come to the plate. On the first pitch, Rodriguez would hit a laser on the ground to the shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, who is not known for any defensive prowess, and made the out to end the inning. In the 2nd inning, three consecutive singles with 2 outs would put together another 2 out, bases-loaded opportunity. Robinson Cano would hit a line drive off of the right arm of Doug Fister that would be played by Jhonny Peralta as he got the Tigers out of another deep situation. The Yankees offense would go quiet throughout the game until the 9th inning. Facing closer Jose Valverde with a 4-run deficit, Ichiro Suzuki would get the offense started with a 2-run home run hit on a rope into right field to put the Yankees on the board. Trailing by 2 with 2 outs, Mark Teixeira would work back from an 0-2 count and would get on base with a walk to bring up Raul Ibanez. The hero of Game 3 in the ALDS would be a hero again as he would tie the game with a 2-run home run. That would be the last flash of offense from the Yankees as they would lose tonight’s game. The Yankees hit 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position and would leave a total of 13 on base in a very painful loss to open the ALCS.

Win – Drew Smyly (1-0)

Loss – David Phelps (0-1)

Notables

Tigers

*Delmon Young – 3 for 6, R, 2B, Solo Home Run (1) in the 8th, 3 RBI (3)

*Prince  Fielder – 2 for 6, RBI (1)

Yankees

*Raul Ibanez – 2 for 5, R, BB, 2B, 2-Run Home Run (1) in the 9th, 2 RBI (2)

*Ichiro Suzuki – 4 for 6, R, 2-Run Home Run (1) in the 9th, 2 RBI (2)

Current series: Tigers lead 1-0

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Baltimore Orioles 1 — New York Yankees 3

In the winner-take-all game, CC Sabathia pitched a gem in tonight’s 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees turned to CC Sabathia to give the Yankees the best chance to win and he came through. Sabathia didn’t allow his first run until the 8th inning as he would go the distance. In the first 3 innings, Sabathia would strikeout 4 and didn’t give up his first hit until the 4th inning. A close play came in the 6th inning when Nate McLouth nearly hit a home run before it was ruled as a foul ball and an eventual strikeout. The 8th inning ended Sabathia’s shutout when Lew Ford got a single with 2 on to bring in 1. Another single would load the bases before Sabathia settled down to get the last 2 outs of the inning with a strikeout and a groundout. With the ace on the mound, the Yankees let him go out for the 9th and he rewarded them with a perfect 9th inning, including Sabathia recording the assist on the final out of the game. In 9 innings, Sabathia needed 121 pitches with just 1 run on 4 hits with 9 strikeouts.

Orioles starter Jason Hammel kept up with Sabathia until the unexpected occurred. After a Mark Teixeira single, he stole second base. This was unusual as Teixeira is not usually a speed threat and he is playing with a weak calf but it was successful and it would pay off. Game 3 hero Raul Ibanez would put the Yankees ahead with a single following Teixeira’s stolen base. Then in the 6th inning, after Derek Jeter worked a walk, in-season acquisition Ichiro Suzuki would hit a double to center field and bring in Jeter for the 2nd run of the game. Curtis Granderson began showing signs of power with a towering home run, off a left-handed pitcher, into right field to give the Yankees a 3-run lead. The Yankees only had 4 opportunities with runners in scoring position but managed to get the hit that brought in the first run of the game. The Yankees got enough offense to support Sabathia’s quality outing to take the series.

Win – CC Sabathia (2-0)

Loss – Jason Hammel (0-1)

Notables

Orioles

*Lew Ford – 1 for 3, RBI (1)

*Matt Wieters – 1 for 3, R, BB

Yankees

*Ichiro Suzuki – 1 for 3, BB, 2B, RBI (3)

*Curtis Granderson – 2 for 3, R, Solo Home Run (1) in the 7th, RBI (1)

Current series: Yankees win series 3-2, advance to the ALCS

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Baltimore Orioles 2 — New York Yankees 1 (13 innings)

In a close game, Yankees fall to the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 2-1 to force a Game 5.

In following his other fellow starting pitchers, Phil Hughes gave the Yankees a quality outing. In 6.2 innings, Hughes was hurt by just one thing, the one flaw in his game, the home run. In the 5th inning, outfielder Nate McLouth led off the inning with a home run but it didn’t phase Hughes as he proceeded to strikeout the next 3 to follow. Hughes would get 2 more outs before exiting the game and the bullpen to follow Hughes kept the game tied. Boone Logan would finish off the 7th inning and David Robertson had a clean 8th inning. Rafael Soriano pitched 2 innings and in the 9th inning, Soriano picked off pinch-runner Lew Ford to assist in extending this game. In the 11th inning, Joba Chamberlain had a quick inning but the 12th inning did not go as well. The first batter that Chamberlain faced was catcher Matt Wieters who hit a broken bat single into left field but the startling thing was that the broken part of the bat stuck Joba Chamberlain on the mound. Despite some warm-up tosses following the injury, Chamberlain would leave the game and David Phelps would take over to finish the inning. In the 13th inning, A lead off double and a ground out would put the eventual go-ahead run on 3rd base. J.J. Hardy hit a double into left field to put the Orioles ahead before Clay Rapada and Derek Lowe would combine to finish off the 13th inning. The pitching is clearly doing an outstanding job this entire series.

The offensive woes carried over to another game. Jayson Nix got to start at shortstop as Derek Jeter got the DH role and made the most of the opportunity. Nix went 2 for 3 in tonight’s game and would have had a better night had Nate McLouth not robbed him of what would have been a run-scoring double in left field, instead becoming a double play. The only run for the Yankees came on a ground out by Robinson Cano after a double and some small ball. The Yankees had another good opportunity to score in the 8th inning when two singles and a ground out put two in scoring position but a strikeout of Alex Rodriguez and a fly out by Nick Swisher ended the inning with the game still tied. The weak offense continues to baffle fans as they went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base. Robinson Cano left 5 on base by himself. Notably, Alex Rodriguez was pinch-hit for with Eric Chavez in the 13th inning as the Yankees attempted to regain the lead.

Win – Pedro Strop (1-0)

Loss – David Phelps (0-1)

Save – Jim Johnson (2)

Notables

Orioles

*J.J. Hardy – 2 for 6, 2B, RBI (1)

*Nate McLouth – 2 for 5, R, BB, 2B, Solo Home Run (1) in the 5th, RBI (3)

Yankees

*Derek Jeter – 2 for 6, R, 2B

*Jayson Nix – 2 for 3, 2B

Current series: Tied 2-2

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Baltimore Orioles 2 — New York Yankees 3 (12 innings)

An interesting decision in the 9th inning paid off in big ways as the Yankees win by a score of 3-2 in 12 innings over the Baltimore Orioles.

Hiroki Kuroda gave the Yankees an outstanding start in the first home game of the postseason. In a pitching duel, Kuroda went 8.1 innings and only made 2 bad pitches in his 105-pitch outing. In the 3rd inning, second baseman Ryan Flaherty took the hanging curve to open the at-bat into the short porch in right field to give the Orioles the lead. The game would be tied until the 5th inning when Manny Machado took another hanging breaking ball into the visitor’s bullpen to give the Orioles a one-run lead. These two home runs were all that Kuroda allowed as he produced 11 ground outs and gave the Yankees a great opportunity to win. Boone Logan would strike out Jim Thome, his only batter and Rafael Soriano would finish off the 8th inning and 9th with 1.1 innings of work. David Robertson would give the Yankees 2 solid innings of work as the bullpen carried on what Kuroda started and Robertson was awarded with the win.

The Yankees got to face Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez two times in the season and he entered undefeated. He appeared to be as good as the Yankees remembered him through 7 innings of 1-run baseball. Gonzalez would strike out 8 and seemed to have most of the Yankees lineup waving at air. The lone run came in the 3rd inning with 2 outs. With Russell Martin on 3rd following a double and a groundout, Derek Jeter would hit a triple to deep right center out of the reach of outfielder Adam Jones to tie the game at that point. Through 8 innings, Gonzalez and reliever Darren O’Day silenced the Yankees bats. The polarizing player of the Yankees lineup continues to be Alex Rodriguez as he went 0 for 3 in tonight’s game with 2 strikeouts as the Yankee Stadium audience continued to voice their displeasure with the high-priced player. In a surprising move, Joe Girardi chose to pinch-hit for Alex Rodriguez with left-handed bat Raul Ibanez against closer Jim Johnson in the 9th inning. With 1 out and a 1-0 count, Raul Ibanez brought the Yankee Stadium crowd to an uproar with a game-tying home run. The silenced crowd watched through 8.1 innings as the bats were silenced until Ibanez broke through and brought life back to the Bronx. As extra inning baseball continued, Ibanez would come up to lead off the 12th inning against left-handed pitcher Brian Matusz and in Yankees Classic fashion, Ibanez would take the first pitch fastball deep for his second home run of the night, this time the game-winning, walk-off home run to bring this game to a thrilling end and give the Yankees the series lead.

Win – David Robertson (1-0)

Loss – Brian Matusz (0-1)

Notables

Orioles

*Ryan Flaherty – 1 for 3, R, Solo Home Run (1) in the 3rd, RBI (1)

*Manny Machado – 1 for 3, R, Solo Home Run (1) in the 5th, RBI (1)

Yankees

*Raul Ibanez – 2 for 2, 2 R, 2 Solo Home Runs (2) in the 9th & 12th, 2 RBI (2)

*Derek Jeter – 2 for 4, 3B, RBI (2)

Current series: Yankees lead 2-1

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New York Yankees 2 — Baltimore Orioles 3

The Yankees couldn’t find the big hit in tonight’s 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The veteran postseason starter Andy Pettitte took the mound tonight and gave the Yankees a quality outing. Despite receiving an early lead, difficulty finding the 3rd out of the 3rd inning erased the lead. With 2 soft singles and a walk, the bases were loaded despite starting the inning with 2 quick outs to start the inning. Chris Davis would cash-in on a single to right field to bring in 2 runs and give them the lead. The Orioles would put a valuable run on the scoreboard in the 6th inning off of Pettitte. After catcher Matt Wieters hit a double, Mark Reynolds hit a ball past Robinson Cano, who likely could have gotten on the ground to keep the ball from getting to the outfield, that would bring in Wieters and give the Orioles a 2-run lead. Through 7 innings, Pettitte gave up just the 3 runs as he gave the Yankees more than enough of an effort to get a win. After a leadoff single in the 8th, David Robertson would relieve Andy Pettitte and keep the deficit to 1 but there was nout enough offense to help the pitching.

The 1st inning for the Yankees looked to swing with momentum and had a bit of dance to it too. A single and an error gave the Yankees a good start to the inning but Alex Rodriguez lined into a double play as Jeter was doubled off of 2nd and made the inning appear like it would be put to an end. But Robinson Cano continues to swing a hot bat when he hit a double into the right field corner that would bring Ichiro Suzuki to a fancy move around catcher Matt Wieters. With the throw to home in front of the plate, Wieters stabbed at Ichiro in an attempt to tag him but Ichiro avoided it, and as he was directed away from the plate, he would have to dodge Wieters a second time as he lunged over Wieters towards a creative first run of the game. Despite this early offense, it would nearly be all that was generated. In the 3rd inning, 2 would reach base but a Cano groundout ended the inning. Two singles around a walk would load the bases with just 1 out in the 4th inning but Eduardo Nunez would pop out and Derek Jeter would ground out to end another opportunity. The Yankees would cut their 2-run deficit in half in the 7th inning when Nunez led off with a hustle double. Derek Jeter would hit a single to bring in Nunez and after Ichiro reached on a force out at 2nd, the bullpen was brought in to help Wei-Yin Chen. Darren O’Day would come in to face Alex Rodriguez and would get him to strike out while Ichro stole 2nd base. Brian Matusz would come in after O’Day and walked Cano intentionally to face a struggling Nick Swisher. Matusz would get Swisher to fly out to left field and keep the lead. After getting hit around in yesterday’s 9th inning, Jim Johnson came in for the save and would get the 3 outs including a strikeout of Alex Rodriguez to end the game and tie the series. The Yankees went 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left a total of 10 on the bases as they clearly could not take advantage of ideal opportunities to return to the Bronx with the 2-0 lead in the series.

Win – Wei-Yin Chen (1-0)

Loss – Andy Pettitte (0-1)

Save – Jim Johnson (1)

Notables

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 1 for 3, 2B, BB, RBI (3)

*Derek Jeter – 2 for 5, RBI (1)

Orioles

*Mark Reynolds – 1 for 4, RBI (1)

*Chris Davis – 2 for 4, 2 RBI (2)

Current series: Tied 1-1

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New York Yankees 7 — Baltimore Orioles 2

Russell Martin comes through in the 9th in tonight’s 7-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

CC Sabathia took the mound to open the series and he pitched like the ace we expect. In 8.2 innings, Sabathia gave up just 2 runs on 8 hits with 7 strikeouts. Nate McLouth got to Sabathia in the 3rd inning for the only 2 runs for Baltimore. Sabathia would get into some difficult spots but as the ace of the staff, he settled down and kept the Yankees tied at 2 through the game. He would take the mound in the 9th inning too and would get 2 outs before a double would end Sabathia’s night. After 120 pitches, David Robertson came in for the last out and on 4 pitches, Robertson got the strikeout to get the Yankees the first game of the series.

The Yankees came out on fire with a pair of hits for a run but they also put a stop on their own momentum. Derek Jeter opened with a single as he continues to have a tremendous year. Ichiro Suzuki also continued to make his brief Yankees career shine with a hit-and-run double that brings in Derek Jeter to give the Yankees the early lead. Suzuki would make a poor baserunning decision as he attempted to steal 3rd as he would be the first out of the game. After the Yankees lost the lead in the bottom of the 3rd; they would rally to reclaim the lead. A pair of walks would put 2 on with 1 out for Mark Teixeira and he would produce to bring in 1 run with a base hit off the top of the large right field wall. The last time Teixeira played in Baltimore, he aggravated a calf injury on a bad call to end a game and it seemed that Teixeira may have not been 100% entering tonight’s game as he would be thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double. Entering the 9th inning, the game was still tied at 2 and with the Orioles at home; they turned to closer Jim Johnson, who had 51 saves in his breakout season. Russell Martin would welcome Johnson into the game with a lead off home run on a 2-0 fastball that would give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. The Yankees would get 3 consecutive singles, including a run-scoring single by Ichiro Suzuki to make it 4-2 before Johnson would get his first out of the inning. Robinson Cano would give the Yankees a 4-run lead with a 2-run double, ending Jim Johnson’s appearance. Nick Swisher would bring in another run on a sacrifice fly. The Yankees made a statement in tonight’s game as they got to one of the best closers in the game to take Game 1.

Win – CC Sabathia (1-0)

Loss – Jim Johnson (0-1)

Notables

Yankees

*Russell Martin – 1 for 3, R, BB, Solo Home Run (1) in the 9th, RBI (1)

*Ichiro Suzuki – 2 for 5, R, 2B, 2 RBI (2)

Orioles

*Nate McLouth – 1 for 4, 2 RBI (2)

*Chris Davis – 2 for 4, R

Current series: Yankees lead series 1-0

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Boston Red Sox 2 — New York Yankees 14

Four home runs blasted the Yankees atop the American League in tonight’s 14-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Hiroki Kuroda got the call for the last game of the season and the game that would determine if the Yankees are the American League East champions and he pitched like a champion. Cody Ross brought in the first run of the game with a run-scoring single in the 1st inning but Ross would also end the inning when he was caught stealing. Kuroda would give up a total of 7 hits in his 7 innings of work. The second run Kuroda gave up in his start was in his last inning of work as shortstop Jose Iglesias brought in a run too. With the Yankees offense dominating, the bullpen had an easy night of work as Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada put together the 8th inning and Freddy Garcia got to get in an inning of work to finish the game.

Despite falling behind early 1-0, the Yankees didn’t take long to turn the game around. In the 2nd inning, a single and a walk would be a part of a 3-run home run by Curtis Granderson to put the Yankees ahead with a blast. The Yankees kept bringing out the big bats in the 3rd inning when Robinson Cano hit a 2-run home run with Alex Rodriguez on base to increase the lead. The Yankees were able to get into the bullpen after knocking Daisuke Matsuzaka out of the game after just 2.1 innings in his start. The home run in the 3rd inning was building on his big night as his third hit of the game would be another 2-run home run, in the 5th inning with Alex Rodriguez on base again. Cano’s 4th hit of the game came with the bases loaded as he hit a single into right field to bring in 2 runs to complete a 4 for 4, 6 RBI night. Curtis Granderson would also have an impressive night as he would lead off the 7th inning with his second home run of the night to complete his 4 RBI night. Ichiro Suzuki would bring in 2 in the 5-run 7th inning as the Yankees piled on the usual rival Red Sox. The Yankees were 5 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Despite Baltimore losing prior to the Yankees victory, the Yankees did their part and earned the American League East title as well as the best record in the American League, ensuring home-field advantage.

Win – Hiroki Kuroda (16-11)

Loss – Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-7)

Notables

Red Sox

*Cody Ross – 2 for 3, RBI (81)

*Pedro Ciriaco – 2 for 3, R, 2B

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 4 for 4, 3 R, BB, 2 2-Run Home Runs (33) in the 3rd & 5th, 6 RBI (94)

*Curtis Granderson – 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 HRs (43; 3-Run & Solo) in the 2nd & 7th, 4 RBI (106)

Final Yankees Record: 95-67

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Right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6, 7.68 ERA) is on the mound for the Red Sox.

New York Yankees (94-67)
Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C

Pitching: RHP Hiroki Kuroda (15-11, 3.34 ERA)

Game Time: 7:05 p.m. EST. at Yankee Stadium
TV: YES, ESPN
Radio: WCBS 880, WADO 1280

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Boston Red Sox 3 — New York Yankees 4 (12 innings)

Raul Ibanez played savior and hero in tonight’s 4-3 win in 12 innings over the Boston Red Sox.

David Phelps got the start in the place of the struggling Ivan Nova. Phelps filled in well as he allowed just 2 runs despite going just 5.2 innings. Phelps was kept between 75-90 pitches and was removed from the game at 86 pitches with 1 on. The bullpen kept the game close and Rafael Soriano let the team down. He gave up a solo home run in the 9th inning and extend the deficit when he gave up a solo home run to James Loney to lead off the 9th. The Yankees would come back and Derek Lowe would pitch 2 scoreless innings in extras to get the win.

The Yankees offense struggled in tonight’s game. Eduardo Nunez came through in the 2nd inning with a run-scoring single as he came through with runners in scoring position. Until the 9th inning, the Yankees struggled, especially Mark Teixeira. In Teixeira’s first 2 at-bats, he hit into 2 double plays instead of capitalizing on 2 good opportunities to score runs. With the Yankees down by 2 and with 1 on base, Raul Ibanez came in as a pinch-hitter and hit a 2-run home run into right field and tied the game. The Yankees had a chance to end the game in the 9th when  Alex Rodriguez loaded the bases with a walk. Mark Teixeira couldn’t come through again as he flew out to center field and Robinson Cano grounded out to end it. A pair of walks in the 12th inning would prove to be the turning point. With 2 on and 2 outs, Raul Ibanez came through yet again with a game-winning single to end the game and put the Yankees within 1 win or 1 Baltimore loss to clinch the American League East.

Win – Derek Lowe (9-11)

Loss – Andrew Miller  (3-2)

Notables

Red Sox

*Dustin Pedroia – 2 for 5, R, 2B, RBI (65)

*James Loney – 2 for 5, R, Solo Home Run (6) in the 9th, RBI (41)

Yankees

*Raul Ibanez – 2 for 3, R, Walk-off single in the 12th, 2-Run Home Run (19) in the 9th, 3 RBI (62)

*Eduardo Nunez – 2 for 3, 2B, 2 RBI (11)

Current Yankees Record: 94-67

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Boston Red Sox 2 — New York Yankees 10

A 9-run 2nd inning fueled tonight’s 10-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

The lineup wasn’t the usual challenge you would expect with the Boston Red Sox but CC Sabathia was on his game tonight. Of the 2 runs allowed, only one came on a hit as outfielder Daniel Nava took Sabathia deep to lead off the 4th inning. The 2nd run off of Sabathia came in the 7th inning on a sacrifice fly. In 8 innings, Sabathia struck out 7 with a sharp slider and diving changeup. With the game under control, Freddy Garcia finished off the game.

The Yankees jumped on Clay Buchholz quick and made a huge statement in the 2nd inning. Robinson Cano opened the 2nd inning with a home run to start the Yankees offense. Nick Swisher would hit a single back up the middle and Curtis Granderson would bring him home on a 2-run home run, his 41st of the season. Two pitches later, Russell Martin would go back-to-back with Granderson and go deep for his 21st home run of the season. Eric Chavez and Derek Jeter would work walks and Ichiro Suzuki would load the bases with a single. Alex Rodriguez would hit a deep sacrifice fly to bring in another. The man who started the rough inning would end Buchholz’s night with a 2-run double as the Yankees went through the lineup once with just 2 outs. Former Yankee Alfredo Aceves would take over and received a rude welcome as Mark Teixeira would make a splash with his return as he hit a 2-run home run to the second deck in right field. The 2nd inning had 13 batters come up and 4 home runs as a total of 9 runs were scored. The offense would be kept off the scoreboard until replacements began to take over in the 8th inning. Melky Mesa came up with a runner in scoring position for his first career at-bat and came through with a run-scoring single to the joy of the fans in support of the homegrown call-up. The Yankees went 4 for 8 with runners in scoring position and showed that they have the capabilities of creating a big inning and the long ball will play a role in their wins.

Win – CC Sabathia (15-6)

Loss – Clay Buchholz (11-8)

Notables

Red Sox

*Daniel Nava – 1 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (6) in the 4th, RBI (33)

*Mauro Gomez – 1 for 3, R, BB, 2B

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 3 for 5, 2 R, 2 2B, Solo Home Run (31) in the 2nd, 3 RBI (88)

*Curtis Granderson – 2 for 4, R, 2-Run Home Run (41) in the 2nd, 2 RBI (102)

Current Yankees Record: 93-67

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Mark Teixeira is back in the lineup tonight.

Right-hander Clay Buchholz (11-7, 4.22 ERA) is on the mound for Boston.

New York Yankees (92-67)
Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 3B

Pitching: LHP C.C. Sabathia (14-6, 3.42 ERA)

Game Time: 7:05 p.m. EST. at Yankee Stadium
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS 880, WADO 1280

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New York Yankees 9 — Toronto Blue Jays 6

Offense struggled until the final 3 innings in today’s 9-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Phil Hughes struggled in his start today as he couldn’t even finish 5 innings. In the 1st inning, He struggled when he gave up 2 runs to put them in an early hole. Phil Hughes has also been consistently hurt by the long ball and today was no different. In the 5th inning, Brett Lawrie went to deep left field with a 2-run home run. A run-scoring single by Moises Sierra would spell the end of Hughes’ start. In 4.2 innings, Hughes gave up 5 runs on 8 hits. Derek Lowe, Boone Logan, and David Robertson each pitched a scoreless inning. Rafael Soriano would give up a run but was able to finish the game.

The Yankees would need a rally as the offense struggled to get the big inning until the 7th inning. Three hits, a wild pitch, and a productive sacrifice fly would make a 3-run 6th inning. The Yankees would also rally for 2 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to complete a comeback to produce 7 runs in the last 3 innings of the game, a rally that they have not done often this season. The Yankees hit 4 for 12 with runners in scoring position as they maintained their tie with the Baltimore Orioles with 3 games left in the season.

Win – Boone Logan (7-2)

Loss – Darren Oliver (3-4)

Notables

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 3 for 5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI (85)

*Derek Jeter – 3 for 5, R, 2B, RBI (58)

Blue Jays

*Brett Lawrie – 3 for 5, 2 R, 2-Run Home Run (11) in the 5th, 2 RBI (48)

*Yunel Escobar – 2 for 4, R, BB, RBI (50)

Current  Yankees Record: 92-67

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New York Yankees 2 — Toronto Blue Jays 3

Sacrifice flies were not enough in today’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Today was the first day of struggle for Andy Pettitte since returning from the disabled list. Pettitte gave up a 1st inning home run to Rajai Davis to cut his 2-run lead in half. A lead off double by Jeff Mathis became a run on an infield single by Rajai Davis as Alex Rodriguez was forced to decide his best option for the speedy Toronto outfielder. The last run on Pettitte’s line would be an inherited run scoring off of Joba Chamberlain when Adeiny Hechavarria hit a double to right field. Pettitte went 5.2 innings and walked 3 while striking out 4. Cody Eppley and David Robertson put together a good inning and Joba Chamberlain didn’t give up a run on his line while striking out 3.

When a starter goes just 3 innings, generally that would be a good day but despite giving up 6 hits, Ricky Romero only gave up 2 runs. After 2 singles and a walk opened the game for the Yankees, a sacrifice fly would produce the first run. Another single followed to reload the bases and in a repeat of events, another sacrifice fly would bring in the second run of the game. The inabilities to hit with runners in scoring position was resounding in today’s game. In the 2nd and 3rd innings, there were runners on 2nd or the bases were loaded with no outs, respectively. In both instances, the Yankees would get 3 consecutive outs and not produce a single run. By the end of the game, the Yankees had hit 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Win – Shawn Hill (1-0)

Loss – Andy Pettitte (5-4)

Save – Casey Janssen (21)

Notables

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 2 for 3, RBI (84)

*Ichiro Suzuki – 3 for 5, R

Blue Jays

*Rajai Davis – 3 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (8) in the 1st, 2 RBI (41)

*Adeiny Hechavarria – 1 for 3, 2B, RBI (14)

Current Yankees Record: 91-67

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New York Yankees 11 — Toronto Blue Jays 4

After being shutout last night, the Yankees put up 11 in tonight’s 11-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hiroki Kuroda danced in and out of danger in his 5.1 innings of work. Kuroda scattered 10 hits and gave up just 2 runs. Despite not having a 1-2-3 inning, Kuroda benefited from some help defensively. In the 1st inning, leadoff hitter Brett Lawrie opened with a double but was caught off of 2nd base on the following batter, a mental lapse on the basepaths. In the 2nd inning, Russell Martin would catch the strikeout of Kelly Johnson and would proceed to catch Yunel Escobar off 3rd base to take the pressure off of his pitcher. The first run that Kuroda gave up came on a Colby Rasmus home run to lead off the 5th inning. Two consecutive hits after getting the first out in the 6th inning would be the end of Kuroda’s night. The 10 hits played a key role in Kuroda’s short outing, due to his pitch count nearing 100. David Phelps would surrender 1 run of his inherited runners as he took over for Kuroda in the 6th inning. In the 7th inning, Phelps would give up a 2-run home run to Adam Lind as the lead got closer but he maintained the lead. David Robertson pitched a scoreless inning. Cody Eppley and Rafael Soriano would finish the 9th as the Yankees closer was just looking to get some work in.

In the 1st inning, after rookie Chad Jenkins got 2 outs, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano would get 2 singles and Nick Swisher would cash-in and hit a double to bring in 2 runs. The last out was a unique play as Curtis Granderson hit a line drive at the pitcher that actually knocked the glove off of the rookie pitcher. The pitcher would catch his glove and record the out in an unusual way. A single and 2 walks started a big inning but a double play and a ground out would minimize the damage with just 1 run scoring. Entering the 6th inning, the score was just 3-1 and the Yankees looked to put more on the board in support of Kuroda. The inning started with a hit by pitch and a single but was followed by a pair of strikeouts. Reliever Jason Frasor would come in to pitch to Russell Martin and on a 3-2 slider, Martin would go deep for a 3-run home run to increase the lead to 6-1. Ichiro Suzuki would come through after a walk and a single to increase the lead to 7-1. Poor decision-making by the Blue Jays factored into a run scoring in the 7th inning. Raul Ibanez would get on base with runners on the corners when second baseman Kelly Johnson didn’t make the correct play. Robinson Cano would bring in another run in the 7th and Eric Chavez would hit a 2-run home run in the 8th to secure the lead. The Yankees hit 5 for 15 with runners in scoring position and took advantage of a large number of lapses in judgment on the part of the Blue Jays.

Win – Hiroki Kuroda (15-11)

Loss – Chad Jenkins (0-3)

Notables

Yankees

*Russell Martin – 2 for 4, R, BB, 3-Run Home Run (20) in the 6th, 3 RBI (52)

*Nick Swisher – 2 for 4, 2 R, BB, 2B, 2 RBI (92)

Blue Jays

*Adam Lind – 2 for 4, R, BB, 2-Run Home Run (11) in the 7th, 2 RBI (42)

*Colby Rasmus – 1 for 5, R, Solo Home Run (23) in the 5th, RBI (75)

Current Yankees Record: 91-66

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New York Yankees 0 — Toronto Blue Jays 6

Morrow shut down bats while Nova could not in tonight’s 6-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ivan Nova may have been auditioning for a postseason start in tonight’s game and it went bad quick. Nova could not finish 5 innings in tonight’s start. Nova’s first slip up came in the 3rd inning when the 1-out walk came back to haunt him. The next batter to follow the walk was Brett Lawrie and the Toronto third baseman took Nova deep for a 2-run home run. Edwin Encarnacion continues his outstanding season with a 2-run double in the 5th inning. Nova would get 1 more out but it would be an overall poor outing in which he gave up 4 runs on 6 hits. Derek Lowe would give up 1 run in his 2 innings of work and David Aardsma would make his Yankees debut tonight. The former Mariners closer would go 1 inning and would give up a home run to J.P. Arencibia in the 9th. Pitching has been critical to our recent success and can clearly be a huge reason for our losses.

Brandon Morrow cruised through 7 innings of work against the Yankees. Only 2 Yankees were able to get to Morrow, Robinson Cano and Russell Martin wee able to get the 4 hits against Morrow. Two players alone cannot carry an offense when the batters around them cannot produce. In 7 opportunities with runners in scoring position the Yankees were hitless. The Yankees couldn’t get any offense started and would lose as a result of this.

Win – Brandon Morrow (9-7)

Loss – Ivan Nova (12-8)

Notables

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 3 for 4, 2B

*Russell Martin – 2 for 4, 2B

Blue Jays

*Brett Lawrie – 2 for 4, 2 R, 2-Run Home Run (10) in the 3rd, 2 RBI (46)

*Edwin Encarnacion – 3 for 4, 2B, 3 RBI (110)

Current Yankees Record: 90-66

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Alex Rodriguez is back in the lineup as tonight’s designated hitter.

Right-hander Brandon Morrow (8-7, 3.28 ERA) is on the mound for the Blue Jays.

New York Yankees (90-65)
Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Jayson Nix 3B

Pitching: RHP Ivan Nova (12-7, 4.94 ERA)

Game Time: 7:07 p.m. EST. at Rogers Center
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS 880, WADO 1280

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New York Yankees 8 — Minnesota Twins 2

The Yankees cruised through today’s 8-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

CC Sabathia pitched 8 dominant innings to start for the Yankees. Sabathia gave up 1 run in the 2nd but received a large lead in the 3rd that he followed with a shut down inning. From the 4th inning to the 6th inning, 6 of his 9 outs were by the strikeout, including striking out the side in the 4th inning. He would give up another run in the 7th inning as he secured his 14th win of the season.

The Yankees briefly dealt with starter Samuel Deduno but he left after 1.2 innings with an injury. Left-handed former starter Brian Duensing took over but lasted just an inning as he couldn’t get through a long 3rd inning. After a groundout, 2 singles and a walk would load the bases for Robinson Cano. Cano would put a double into right field to bring in 2 runs to give the Yankees the lead. Nick Swisher would jump on the first pitch he sees following the double and brings in another with a single. The pitch after that was put into right field by Curtis Granderson for a 2-run triple. A wild pitch would bring in Curtis Granderson as the last run in a 6-run 3rd inning. The 6 runs would be more than enough for CC Sabathia and Chris Dickerson added on in the 6th inning with a 2-run home run into deep right field. Notably, Derek Jeter’s hit streak would end at 19 and Brett Gardner would make his return to the field defensively in the 9th inning as the leftfielder.

Win – CC Sabathia (14-6)

Loss – Brian Duensing (4-11)

Notables

Yankees

*Robinson Cano – 2 for 5, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI  (82)

*Curtis Granderson – 1 for 5, R, 3B, 2 RBI (97)

Twins

*Pedro Florimon – 1 for 3, RBI (9)

*Matt Carson – 1 for 4, RBI (3)

Current Yankees Record: 90-65

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