I guess the varsity failed to show up today at Yankee Stadium. Must have. How else could you explain this: Tigers 4, NY 3.After days of listening to the NY talking heads, led by Mike Francesa, tell us how the Yanks wouldn't even break a sweat against the Tigers, it's 1-1 heading back to Detroit. Adding to the joy is hearing A-Rod booed again in the postseason by NY fans.
Justin Verlander (Vroomlander) had enough 100-mph heat to keep the Tigers in the game early. Johnny Damon hit a three-run homer with two outs in the fourth, but otherwise Verlander danced out of trouble.
He scuffled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, getting A-Rod to K. The Yanks got men on first and second with no outs in the second, but again were thwarted. A double play erased a leadoff baserunner in the third.
Jamie Walker relieved Verlander with one out in the sixth and a runner on first, and induced the DP to end the frame. He got the first out in the seventh and yielded to Joel Zumaya (Zoomaya) and his 102-mph heat. Zumaya retired all five batters he faced, three on strikes, including A-Rod to end the eighth.
Todd Jones gave up a leadoff single in the ninth, but avoided any further trouble with a strikeout and two pop outs. Whew!
Marcus Thames, who missed the last several games of the regular season because of illness, was 3-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Curtis Granderson (photo) had a sac fly and an RBI triple that plated Thames with what proved to be the winning run in tne seventh. Carlos Guillen had a solo HR in the sixth.
Would be great if Tigers could get Maggs and Pudge -- especially Pudge -- going. But a split was all I wanted here, and that's what the Tigers delivered.
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