Tigers' Verlander masterful as Smoltz calls the winner

Justin Verlander, aside from a few mistakes, baffled New York in Detroit's Game 3 victory. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook)

Justin Verlander struggled to start his abbreviated Game 1 appearance, and did so again in the first inning of Game 3. A run was scored by the New York Yankees in the blink of an eye, then another crossed the plate. Comerica Park was silent at the sight of the Detroit Tigers early deficit. The run-away favorite for the AL Cy Young was too pumped up, but then he settled into a groove. And a Justin Verlander groove means even making contact isn’t a certainty.

After his offense finally pulled through against a laboring CC Sabathia in the third, Verlander dazzled with an overpowering stretch that made a potent Yankees lineup look like a group of little-leaguers. Fastball, changeup, curveball–that was his repertoire. The former was thrown at 96 to 101 miles-per-hour, the second at 89 with devastating bite, and the latter with 12-t0-6 break twirled at 83. He mixed the trio beautifully. And in the fifth, he was at his best. Jorge Posada was called out on a curveball. Nick Swisher swung threw a changeup. And Brett Gardner watch a curveball drop in for a strike. Verlander had struck out the side, throwing all strikes, and needing only ten pitches. And he was far from done.

He struck out the always dangerous Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez in the sixth. The crowd was going wild. MVP chants engulfed the ballpark. Verlander was throwing gas and uncorking filthy offspeed pitches, and the energy was through the roof. Six of last eight Yankees had struck out, and Verlander was pumped up on adrenaline. CBSSports’ Scott Miller summed it up on Twitter at the time: “Wicked fastballs, mind-bending curves, changeups somewhere in between. He’s feeling it big time.”

Then, out of nowhere, the emotion thrust into every pitch managed to get the better of Verlander. He lost his mojo.

The three Yankees who were sent down masterfully by Verlander in the fifth picked him apart in the seventh. All three reached with two outs in the seventh; the first, Posada, worked a walk after falling behind 0-2. The latter of the three delivered the big blow, a two-run double. A 4-2 lead thought safe was gone.

“There’s so much adrenaline in a situation like this,” Verlander said after the game. “Out of rhythm in the first, found it, and then lost it against three batters.”

Verlander’s slip-up wouldn’t doom the Tigers, however. He notched his 10th of 11 strikeouts to end the seventh. As has been the case all season long, his offense had his back.

Delmon Young strode to the plate with one out in the bottom, getting ready to face Soriano. As he settled into the box, TBS announcer John Smoltz had a warning for the Yankee reliever. “Be careful on the first pitch here,” he said.

Young, seconds later, crushed a first-pitch fastball from Soriano into the right-field seats. It was amazing. The crowd roared. Smoltz, back in his hometown of Detroit, had called the shot. The Tigers led 5-4, as the Baseball Gods smiled.

New York now faced an uphill battle no Detroit opponent has won this season: the Tigers have not lost a game this season when leading after seven innings. Verlander went out for the eighth and sent down the Yankees. His fifth to last pitch, the 116th of his outing, was thrown at 100 miles-per-hour. That’s just unfair.

Due to his performance, the Yankees were down to their final three outs. They could tie the game with one swing, but it wasn’t in the cards. After a rusty, but ultimately successful outing Sunday Night Detroit closer Jose Valverde shut the door with much less drama.

Following the exhilarating 5-4 victory, Verlander was beaming about the player who made Valverde’s 53rd consecutive save possible. “What an acquisition he’s been,” he said, discussing Young. “What a stud. What an at-bat.”

Due to the ace’s arm and Young’s mighty swing, Detroit sends the Yankees to the brink, determined to end this series in front of their fans.

“Hopefully we can score a bunch of runs early and close this out tomorrow,” Verlander said.

Given New York’s season now hinges on the inconsistent arm of A.J. Burnett, the chances of accomplishing what the AL’s best pitcher expects are great.