Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The day may have changed, but the outcome was
very much the same.
The Detroit Tigers' arms once again dominated the New York Yankees' bats in
finishing off a four-game sweep of a one-sided American League Championship
Series with an 8-1 victory Thursday at Comerica Park, sending the franchise
into the World Series for the first time since 2006.
Max Scherzer didn't give up a hit until the sixth inning and combined with
three relievers on a two-hitter as Detroit became the first team to sweep a
postseason set from the Yankees since the Royals took all three meetings with
the Bronx Bombers in the 1980 ALCS.
Scherzer (1-0) yielded one run and just two hits while racking up 10
strikeouts over the first 5 1/3 innings, giving the Tigers yet another
outstanding pitching effort during their playoff run.
Detroit starters have now compiled a stupendous 1.02 ERA and limited opponents
to a .162 batting average over nine postseason contests in 2012.
As for the Yankees, not even another lineup shakeup by manager Joe Girardi
prevented the AL's top seed from ending its recurring offensive woes. The New
York skipper benched star third baseman Alex Rodriguez for a second straight
game and also held out slumping slugger Curtis Granderson, but the revised
order still mustered just a triple from Eduardo Nunez and an RBI double out of
Nick Swisher, both of which came in the sixth inning.
The Yankees scored only six runs while batting an anemic .156 (22-for-141)
over the four games, their lowest average ever in a postseason series.
Detroit, on the other hand, wasn't affected by having to wait an extra day to
clinch after heavy rain postponed Game 4 from its originally-scheduled start
time. The Tigers pounded out 16 hits and teed off on New York ace CC Sabathia,
with Jhonny Peralta slugging a pair of homers and knocking in three runs and
AL Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson also going deep in
the rout.
Sabathia (2-1), who pitched into the ninth inning while tossing two gems in
the Yankees' ousting of Baltimore in the ALDS, lasted only 3 2/3 frames and
was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- and 11 hits.
GAME NOTES:
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