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| Phil Coke finished the job against the Yankees on Sunday. (Getty Images) |
Related: Quick Hits: Anibal was an animal | Complete Playoffs Schedule
The Yankee offense struggled yet again in Game 2 of the ALCS, but that also had a little something to do with two
Detroit hurlers.
Detroit pitchers and Jim Leyland's handling of them: Obviously, Anibal Sanchez did the heavy lifting in Game 2, but also heartening for the Tigers is that Phil Coke earned the save with a pair of scoreless frames to end it. In giving the ball to Coke, Detroit manager Jim Leyland proved he's not yoked to drain-circling closer Jose Valverde. Leyland did insist before Game 2 that Valverde is still his closer and that he sees value in giving the role to one pitcher. Sunday's events, though, showed he's at least somewhat flexible. He might have to be if the Tigers are going to claim the belt and the title.
Hiroki Kuroda: Pitching for the first time on short rest, Kuroda was utterly dominant through the early innings, even carrying a perfecto into the sixth. The Tiger bats caught up with him in the seventh and eight, but overall it was ace work followed by yeoman's work. A quality start with 11 whiffs on three-days' rest against a playoff offense? More than you can ask for.
Tiger offense: They put enough runs on the board, sure. But they were facing a pitcher on short rest, and the wind was blowing out. If not for an utterly awful call in the eighth and Robinson Cano's pratfall in the seventh, they might have been blanked. Detroit prevailed because of their grade-A pitching (get it?), not their offense.
Yankee fans: An ALCS game that was at maybe 60% capacity by first pitch? Booing, well, almost everyone? Mass exodus after the eighth inning given everything that's unfolded this postseason? Tsk, tsk …
Core Yankee hitters: Robinson Cano's serialized difficulties have already been chronicled in this space, but the problem is more pervasive. In Game 4, Cano, Nick Swisher, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson -- the notional core of the post-Derek Jeter Yankee lineup -- went 2-for-14 with seven runners left on base. As Yankee fans know all too well, this is nothing new. After all, this struggling quartet entered Game 2 a combined 10-for-93 in the 2012 postseason.