Tigers push Yankees to brink of knockout

DETROIT, Michigan - Agence France- Presse

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees during their playoff series game. REUTERS photo

Justin Verlander shut out the New York Yankees for eight innings and the Detroit Tigers held on for a 2-1 victory on Oct. 16 that put them within one win of reaching the World Series.

After ace Verlander gave up a home run in the top of the ninth inning, Phil Coke came to the mound for the Tigers and finished off a triumph that gave Detroit a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s bid to ignite his team by shaking up the lineup -- again benching superstar Alex Rodriguez and also slumping Nick Swisher -- proved to be in vain.

A solo homer by Delmon Young and an RBI double by Miguel Cabrera proved to be all the offense Detroit needed with Verlander on the mound.

Over the first eight innings, the right-hander surrendered just two singles.

“(New York) is a tremendous hitting team with big-time power and it’s a difficult lineup to manage against,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. “So I thought (Verlander) was terrific.”