tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Pivotal Game 3 Have Yanks On The Brink

Let me make it clear, I have been a Yankee fan all my life. My first Yankee memory is Bobby Richardson snagging a line drive off the bat of Willie McCovey to give the Yankees the 1962 World Championship. I cried when they lost to the St.Louis Cardinals in the 1964 World Series. I lived through the Ruben Amaro-Horace Clarke days from 1965-1975. Experienced the Bronx Zoo and the excesses and losses of the 80's and early 90's. This history lesson is being laid out so that it's understood that I am a Yankee fan. However, as big a fan as I may be, the Yankees are in trouble as Game 3 approaches. Their season rests on the left arm of CC Sabathia because a loss tonight means that the Yankees will be down 2-1 and their season will rest on AJ Burnett.

There is no one else you would want on the mound tonight than CC. He is the Yankees best pitcher and he is a warrior. The problem is that the Tigers will have the best pitcher in the American League on the mound in Justin Verlander. Sabathia could pitch great tonight but will the Yankee offense be able to scratch out enough runs to win. The numbers don't look good.

The projected Yankee lineup is hitting .226 against Verlander. The heart of the Yankee lineup has dismal numbers against the Tiger ace. Robinson Cano .167 vs Verlander, ARod .182 vs Verlander, Mark Teixiera .136 vs Verlander and Nick Swisher .163 vs Verlander. Hardly encouraging numbers coupled with the fact that the Yankees are 2-19 (.105) with runners in scoring position in the first 2 games of the series.

In the post season you only get so many chances to score. If you don't cash in on the opportunities you usually lose. That's what happened yesterday. ARod and Teixiera are 1-15 over the first 2 games. Derek Jeter was 0-5 yesterday with a critical error that set up the 2 run 6th inning which put the Tigers ahead 4-0. If the Yankees are going to win this series, Jeter is going to need to be the Jeter we are used to seeing in October and ARod & Teixiera are going to have to start hitting. You have to wonder what's up with ARod. He doesn't look right up at the plate. The truth be told he hasn't looked right since coming back from knee surgery. As far as Teixiera goes, he's fallen in love with the home run and doesn't seem to have the ability to go the opposite way anymore. This is a guy who was a perennial .300 hitter who is lucky to break .255 with the Yankees.

Eerily this reminds me of the 2006 series against the Tigers. The only difference is that the Yankees have their best pitcher ready to go for Game 3. The problem is so do the Tigers. The drama unfolds tonight at 8:37pm.