2011 MLB Playoffs: Why Game 3 Is a Must-Win for the Yankees Against the Tigers

After Sunday's 5-3 loss for the Yankees to the Tigers in Game 2 of the ALDS, I swear I am still having visions back to 2006.

I can't help it, I really can't.

I think I say this because the patterns of the 2006 ALDS and the 2011 ALDS are becoming very similar with these two teams.

The Yankees impressively won Game 1 8-1 in 2011.

The Yankees did the same thing in Game 1 of 2006 by winning 8-4.

In Game 2, the Tigers held off a late rally by the Yankees and took the win 5-3.

In 2006, the Tigers rallied to take the lead and held off a late attempt for a comeback in Game 2 as they won 4-3.

And there was a rain delay, which caused at least one game to be moved to the next day.

In 2006, it let the reeling Tigers get some rest and re-group, because if they had played Game 2 as it was scheduled for, chances are Detroit was losing and going back to Comerica Park down 0-2.

And now in 2011, the rain-out of the original date of Game 1 moved CC Sabathia out of the start, a game I strongly felt that he was going to win, especially with the way Justin Verlander was pitching.

And by doing that it moved Ivan Nova into the Game 1 spot and Freddy Garcia into the Game 2 spot, and Garcia didn't exactly have an Andy Pettitte-like performance on Sunday.

If the rain-out of Game 1 doesn't happen, I think with Sabathia and Nova, the Yankees could easily have won Games 1 and 2 and be up 2-0 heading back to Detroit for Game 3.

But instead, it's now 1-1.

And in Game 3, we will send back up Sabathia to face Verlander in the rematch of the aces.

And this is now where I will say it.

Game 3 for the Yankees is an absolute MUST-WIN.

Just like in 2006, Game 3 was a must-win for the Yankees going into Detroit.

But there is a big difference.

Back in 2006, the Yankees sent 41-year-old Randy Johnson onto the hill to face former Yankee pitcher Kenny Rogers.

Johnson was pitching with extreme back pain, but because of the necessity of the game, Johnson took the ball anyway. However, he wasn't as effective, going just 5.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs with two walks and four strikeouts. It was definitely not a Big Unit-like performance, given what Johnson had done in previous Octobers.

A lot of people, Johnson included, said he probably shouldn't have pitched that game with the back pain to begin with.

Now, in 2011, the Yankees will send up 31-year-old CC Sabathia, who is in the prime stages of his career (and with possibility of getting another free-agent contract in November), to face the Tigers in Game 3 on Monday night.

The same Sabathia—who is 59-23 in the regular season and 5-1 in the postseason for the Yankees—who will be pitching with no injuries that we know of.

In the 2010 postseason, Sabathia was pitching with a slight tear in his knee, which he had to have surgery for in late October, which could explain why he wasn't overpowering teams.

But now, Sabathia is pitching pain-free and with a purpose.

But the thing that scares me is Sabathia pitching in Comerica Park.

On May 3, 2011, Sabathia pitched seven innings, allowed 10 hits, four runs, walked three and struck out six in a 4-2 loss.

On May 13, 2010, Sabathia pitched six innings, allowed nine hits, six runs, no walks and struck out four in a 6-0 loss.

On April 27, 2009, Sabathia pitched eight innings, allowed six hits, four runs, no walks and struck out seven in a 4-2 loss.

Sabathia is 0-3 for the Yankees pitching against the Tigers at Comerica Park. Now, granted, they were all regular-season games and they were all very early in the season.

But it still makes me very nervous.

And playing a crucial Game 3 against Verlander also scares me.

However, in the two games the Yankees faced Verlander in 2011, he had two no-decisions and the Yankees won both games against Detroit's bullpen.

But that was all then, this is now. This is October baseball.

You can basically take all the record books, the previous stats and everything else and throw them out the window, because all that matters is Monday night's game.

The Yankees can't have happen to them tonight what Kenny Rogers did to them five years ago.

Because handing the ball to A.J. Burnett in a Game 4 with the series down 2-1 and facing elimination is just absolutely frightening to me.

Kind of like how the Yankees handed the ball to Jaret Wright in Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS, down 2-1 and facing elimination, and it blew up in their faces with a Tigers 8-3 win, ultimately ending the Yankees' season.

And I can see Burnett doing exactly what Wright did against Detroit—putting up an absolute stinker of a game.

Before all the rain-outs, Burnett was going to be in the bullpen. Now, with all of the off-days taken away, Joe Girardi had no choice but to make Burnett the Game 4 starter, which scares everyone.

And giving Burnett the ball in a possible win-or-go-home type game is downright terrifying.

I see way too many comparisons of the 2006 ALDS with the Yankees and Tigers in this 2011 ALDS.

And that's why Sabathia needs to win this game for the Yankees tonight.

That's why Game 3 on Monday night is an absolute must-win for the Yankees.