Best defensive play of the season? (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
In perhaps the most unanticipated turn of events in a year full of them, with the Yankees’ season on the line pitched better than anyone could have reasonably expected, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one run to the Detroit Tigers, leading the Yankees to , picking up his first postseason win since Game 2 of the 2009 World Series and forcing a winner-takes-all Game 5 showdown for the Yankees and Tigers back in the Bronx on Thursday night to decide who gets to meet the Rangers in the 2011 American League Championship Series.
After the Yankees went down against 1-2-3 in the top of the first, things started about as horribly as one could’ve dreaded for Burnett in the bottom half, as he walked the unwalkable to lead the inning off, got two quick outs, but then intentionally walked and walked to load the bases. came to the plate with the bases juiced and ripped a 1-0 fastball to center field that initially got a bad read on but leapt backwards for and made an amazing, possibly game-saving catch. It was one of two utterly absurd defensive plays Curtis made in the game, the second coming to end the 6th, as Jhonny Peralta immediately jumped all over a Rafael Soriano offering, hitting a tailing fly out to left-center that Granderson covered a ridiculous amount of distance to get to and make a full-body extension in what may have been the Yankees’ most jaw-droppingly awesome defensive play of the season (see photo above).
The Yankees got on the board first in the 3rd, as a double — which wound up being the biggest WPA play of the game — plated a hit-by-pitch and single to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Still, it was way early and didn’t feel like anywhere near enough with Burnett on the hill. Sure enough, an inning later Victor Martinez led off with a solo blast to right, halving the Bombers’ lead. But to A.J.’s credit, he didn’t fall apart, pitching around a one-out double and striking and out swinging — two of his three Ks on the night.
The Yankees picked up two huge insurance runs in the fifth on a Curtis Granderson (who would almost certainly be the MVP of this series if there was such an honor for the DS) RBI double — knocking in , who picked up two more hits and is now hitting .385 on the series — and an sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Alex hit the sac fly on an 0-2 two-seamer, and it represented his third RBI of the series without a hit.
Alex finally got in the hit column in the Yankees’ blow-it-open 8th inning, as he and fellow ALDS slumpers and each picked up singles to start the frame against old friend . The Detroit bullpen completely collapsed thereafter, as an Al Alburquerque balk to Jesus Montero — getting his first career postseason at-bat pinch-hitting for Jorge Posada — forced the Yankees’ fifth run in, and Montero subsequently picked up his first career postseason hit and RBI with a single past Betemit. A Gardner single, wild pitch and single later, and the Yankees wound up putting a six spot on the board to blow the game open and jump out to a commanding 10-1 lead.
Oh, remember that Peralta double in the fifth? That ended up being the Tigers’ final baserunner of the night, as the Yankee bullpen of , (throwing 95mph!) and collaborated for 3 1/3 perfect innings.
While finding a nit on a 10-1 game is ludicrous, one curiosity I feel compelled to point out is that the Yankees’ bizarre home run drought at Comerica continued, and they now have just one home run in their last 10 games at Detroit. That has to be the team’s lowest total by far in a “last-10-game” sample of every road ballpark in the AL. Of the Yankees’ 14 hits, only three went for extra bases, and the Yankees have now gone 18 innings without hitting a home run. I think it’s safe to say the Bombers are due for some taters come Thursday.
For as tense as this game was through the first five innings, ultimately it couldn’t have gone any better for the Yankees. But perhaps the best aspect of the season-saving win was that it finally put the 2006 ALDS Redux to bed, as this time the Yankees managed to win a postseason game at Comerica Park and force the series to go the distance. The last time the Yankees played a decisive Game 5 in the ALDS was 2005, but the Game 4 win that forced the fifth game in that series was at home, and the Yankees had to fly back to Anaheim only to see their season come to an end due in large part (-.226 WPA) to a miscommunication between center fielder and right fielder (shudder). My, how far the team’s outfield defense has come.
At this point, all bets are off as we get a Game 1 rematch of against in Game 5 on Thursday, but if you’re a believer in things like momentum — and even if you’re not — it’s hard not to like the Yankees to finish the job heading back to Yankee Stadium, where they had the best home record in the AL.
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I think that’s what we all needed from this game. It reminded us of why and how the Yankees won 97 games.
Very well put. I think I’m still flying from this game. I was so not ready for baseball to end, and it just had this feeling of inevitability with A.J. on the hill.
Tomorrow night can’t come soon enough.
For whatever reason, I did not feel nervous or anxious last night. Now, I’m just pumped for tomorrow night.
I dunno. Fister made me nervous. He had them in handcuffs a long time. I hope they come down, and get back to serious work. No hangovers.
For my money Fister’s already pitched his “random pitcher dominates the Yankees” game in Game 1, even if his final line doesn’t reflect that. As you mentioned Smurfy, before they broke Game 1 open in the 6th he was nigh-unhittable, which is exactly why I think they’re going to pound the crap out of him tomorrow night. There’s no way Doug Fister has another retiring-11-batters-in-a-row stretch in him a mere five days after last seeing the Yanks.
You could also make the case that Nova likely won’t be as effective this time around either, except I’m not overly concerned about that given how deep the bullpen is, not to mention the fact that D-Rob and Mo could conceivably throw TWO innings apiece given how little they’ve been used this series. If the Yankees can take a lead into the 6th, they should be golden.
All Nova needs to do is give them five innings of three run ball. After that, you can go matchups/D-Rob for the 6th/7th, Mo for the 8th/9th.
no way i throw those guys two innings unless it is the 7th game in the W.S. we have a rested solid pen..hughes can be hugh and will be.. we will mangle the tigers pen thurs. no need for MO..just an inning of work.. what troubles me is how our hitters didn’t blast porcello and all his high strikes..tex should have had a big night..along with arod..jeter ajusted and backed off the plate a bit, so he don’t get tied up..bout time some one noticed.. we win tomorrow ..tigers have one guy that can hurt you ..
Sounds good. Gimme some tiger for b’fast!
I’ve got a question: what was Ron Darling talking about? On a call-in interview with Mike Francesa yesterday, he referred to AJ’s breaking ball very clearly as a slider, rather than a curve. He ought to know, and it wasn’t just once, and Mike even responded following his lead, think they were homing in on throwing it for called strikes, an excellent subject.
A few thoughts about last nights Yankees win. First it was great that it seemed that all the Yankees contributed to the victory. Second, Burnett may very well have saved his 2012 season starting rotation spot with the Yankees last night. Thanks in no small part to Granderson’s 2 unbelievable catches. Third, maybe Hughes performance coming out of the bullpen was no fluke. Maybe that really is his calling after all. An inning or 2 of lights out pitching wouldn’t be a bad thing.
BTW, good luck to the Yankees on Thursday.
I agree re: Phil in the pen. Yes he’s still young, and you have to give him every chance possible to succeed in the rotation, but he just looks like a completely different guy in relief. I just want the excuses to end in 2012 (he’s hurt, not in shape, etc).
very well could be with hughes..seems to stay healthy
a great thing about the playoffs….if you have a bad season and step up and have an impact in the post season..it wipes away a bad year..i rather have big game players then guys who melt when it is all on the line..as of right now AJs season is a win..his one win last night..was like winning a 162 games..CC could win 20 every year..but i am underwhelmed with his road post season starts..any one know his E.R.A. in the P.S. on the road.. tex and arod need to be dominant now..cano can not carry this team every game..swisher has stage fright .. dickerson should be out in RF ..no question..how hard does swish swing. good thing he will not be back. i hope..
Balance, delivery, follow through and accuracy with late movement. Miss any of those four key elements when pitching in the post season and its usually a trip to the bench. Burnett was ON. He got better every inning with pitches that HAD to be near the plate as the at bat developed that he faced. Burnett pitched the game of his career last night.
Nasty Nova needs to continue to challenge Detroit hitting with his ability to induce swings at pitches that force ground outs and fly balls. When he needs to dial up the velocity or back off, those pitches still have to be near the strike zone to be effective. As a rookie pitcher, he will not get the votes for rookie of the year, but he’s got mine for Rookie Pitcher of the year in the American League. This kid doesn’t back down when the pressure is on.
Hughes as a reliever ? When Joba Chamberlain comes back from Tommy John surgery, that would be a interesting excess of riches in the bullpen.