All the Tigers fans who were worried about Detroit’s collapse at the tail end of the season saw their nightmare brought to life in the Brox. The feel good season for the Detroit Tigers isn’t over yet, but reality is quickly setting in as far as World Series aspirations for Motown.
What a night for Derek Jeter – 5 for 5, three runs scored, one RBI, two doubles and a solo blast in the bottom of the eighth that put the final nail in the coffin for the Yankees. His 5 for 5 mark tied a postseason record for most hits in a single playoff game. Jeter also made a backhanded play in the hole to turn a key double play in the second inning to keep the Tigers scoreless at the time. You take what Jeter did tonight and compare it to Alex Rodriguez’s numbers (1 for 4, no RBI or runs scored) and people wonder why the Yankees faithful (although sometimes brutal, yes) get all over A-Rod and praise Jeter. Jeter is absolutely clutch in the playoffs. Another Yankee that had a huge night was Bobby Abreu who knocked in four runs and had two hits. New York had a solid lineup before adding Abreu at midseason – now that lineup is just plain deadly.
If I were a Tigers fan, here is my biggest worry: Chien-Ming Wang didn’t even have great stuff Tuesday night. The Tigers get 11 hits, but only manage four runs and now face the task in trying to beat Mike Mussina tomorrow night. Although, Detroit will send its ace in Justin Verlander to the hill to face Mussina, so at least the Tigers will have confidence that Verlander will keep them in the ballgame.
Game 2 Pitching Match up: Justin Verlander (0-0) vs. Mike Mussina (0-0).
