Detroit Tigers beat New York Yankees 5-4 to gain 2-1 lead in ALDS – MLB Playoffs
The Detroit Tigers managed to secure a 5-4 win after an electrifying third day of the five-game playoff series against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park on Monday, October 3 to cement a 2-1 lead.
Second baseman Ramon Santiago touched two hits and added two RBIs while Delmon Young managed to earn one run over two hits to help their starter Justin Verlander earn his win. Young’s homer was the decision maker in the bottom of the seventh inning when
the game was tied 4-all.
Tigers faced immense pressure while batting as the Yankees banked a two run lead in the top of the first inning against Verlander. However, the Tigers maneuvered their way by carrying on their late start until they finished with a 5-4 lead in the bottom
of the seventh inning.
With a deficit of 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Rafael Soriano and Miguel Cabrera, both of whom played a vital part in the Tigers’ victory on Monday, touched an RBI single each and tied the game at 2-all.
Two innings later, Santiago took the Tigers into a 3-2 lead with his double, touched to deep left-field. This substantially boosted the Tigers’ morale, pushing their batting squad to bag some more runs against the resilient Yankees. Their lead elevated to
4-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Jhonny Peralta hit a fast double to deep left-field, allowing Don Kelly to score his only run of the game.
Yankees’ Brett Gardner added a twist touching a game tier RBI double in the top of the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Verlander allowed a walk to Jorge Posada and then hit Russell Martin with his fast pitch that permitted Posada to steal second base. Gardner
entered the plate and faced three straight walks before a looking at a strike and a foul. He then managed to touch a fast ball off Verlander to deep left-field, allowing both Posada and Martin to score game tier runs.
Tension filled the air with the Tigers’ fans praying to see a miracle for the club’s triumph. Their prayers were answered and their wait did not last long as Delmon Young launched a brilliant lead generating home-run off the Yankees’ relief pitcher Rafael
Soriano.
The hit sent the Yankees into real trouble and their dugout completely lost their hitting. Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez; all remained in a struggling position and failed to bring their club back into the game.
Both rivals will meet again at the same venue on Tuesday night to advance into Game 4 of the series.
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