Verlander Dominates in Tigers 4-2 Win

(Duane Burleson from the AP and Rebecca Cook of REUERS)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NYY	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		2	10	0
DET	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	X		4	6	0

Make it four losses in a row for our Yankees as they dropped the opener of their series with the Tigers 4-2. Justin Verlander was brilliant, throwing seven shutout innings. He allowed seven hits, struck out nine, and did not walk a batter. The Yankees had a few opportunities, but once again failed to come up with anything that resembled a big hit.

CC Sabathia pitched a good game, not great, but good. In eight innings he allowed four runs on six hits, struck out seven, and did not walk a batter. He had great stuff all night and was consistently in the strike zone. Of his 99 pitches, 70 of them were strikes. He was actually pretty great all night besides that damn sixth inning. For the third game in a row a Yankees starter had that one inning that just completely kills the team. Burnett's five-run fourth on Saturday, Pettitte's three-run fifth yesterday, and CC's three-run sixth today.

With nobody on and one out Curtis Granderson laid down a very nice drag bunt for single, Placido Polanco following with an RBI double, and Magglio Ordonez followed that with a two-run homer. And just like that a 1-0 game was now 4-0.

The Yankees had a very good chance to score in the top of the eighth when Ramiro Pena and Derek Jeter led off the inning with back-to-back singles and knocked Verlander out of the game. But Bobby Seay came into the game and got Johnny Damon to pop out to right, Mark Teixeira to fly out to deep left just missing and three-run homer, and struck out Hideki Matsui.

In the top of the ninth the Yanks were finally able to break through for a couple of runs off Tigers' closer Fernando Rodney. Robinson Cano led off with a double, Nick Swisher drove him home with an RBI single, Melky Cabrera singled, and the Yankees had first and third with Jorge Posada (pinch hitting for Molina) as the tying run at the plate. Posada got jammed on a 1-1 pitch and rolled into a rally-killing doubleplay. It also looked like he wasn't hustling down the line. I know he's slow, but he looked extra slow on this play.

Now it's up to Phil Hughes to end the Yankees' four-game losing streak tomorrow night at Comerica. It will be Hughes' first start of the season, and I can't imagine the added pressure of trying to stop a losing streak will help him. Hopefully I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.296
Damon, LF	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.292
Teixeira, 1B	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.220
Matsui, DH	4	0	1	0	0	2	2	.278
Cano, 2B	4	1	2	0	0	0	2	.380
Swisher, RF	4	1	1	1	0	2	3	.284
Cabrera, M, CF	4	0	1	0	0	2	3	.297
Molina, J, C	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.280
a-Posada, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.279
Pena, 3B	4	0	2	0	0	1	1	.235
Totals	36	2	10	1	0	10	20
a-Grounded into a double play for Molina, J in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Cano (5, Rodney). TB: Jeter; Teixeira; Matsui; Cano 3; Swisher; Cabrera, M; Molina, J; Pena 2. RBI: Swisher (14). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cabrera, M; Damon; Matsui. GIDP: Posada. Team RISP: 1-for-9. Team LOB: 7. FIELDING DP: (Pena-Cano-Teixeira). Pickoffs: Sabathia (Inge at 1st base).

TIGERS OFFENSE

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Sabathia (L, 1-2)	8.0	6	4	4	0	7	1	4.73

TIGERS PITCHING

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Justin Verlander (W, 7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K)

HONORABLE MENTION: Placido Polanco (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI)

GOAT OF THE GAME: CC Sabathia (I'm a little hesitant to call him a goat, but they signed him so that he'd pitch like Verlander did tonight, not so he'd give up four runs.)

TOMORROW'S GAME

Game Time: 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
Phil Hughes RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson RHP (1-1, 2.77 ERA)