The Detroit Tigers are headed back to the World Series for the first time in six years after crushing the New York Yankees 8-1 on Thursday to complete a four-game sweep of the American League Championship Series.
The game was postponed from Wednesday after being rained out, but it only seemed to delay the inevitable as the Tigers finished off the Yankees in devastating style and now await the winner of the National League Championship Series between the St Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants.
“If someone would have told me we would sweep the Yankees in this series, I would have told them they were crazy,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland told reporters. “A little luck, some pretty good pitching obviously and a couple of hits at the right time and sometimes you get on a roll that’s pretty good.”
The Yankees had been counting on C.C. Sabathia to extend the series, but Detroit mauled the left-hander for 11 hits in 3-2/3 innings, including two-run homers from Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta in the fourth that kicked the party into top gear at a packed stadium.
Austin Jackson and Peralta added solo homers to complete the rout as Detroit ended New York’s season for a second consecutive year. The four Detroit home runs match a franchise post-season record, while their 16 hits set a new club standard.
“We did it, Detroit,” Cabrera said. “It’s what we worked for all year, trying to get to this point. Hopefully we’ll win the World Series for Detroit. We always believed we could do it and we believe we can do it in the World Series, four more wins.”
Eight runs was more than enough run support for Tigers starter Max Scherzer, who gave up one run on two hits, while striking out 10 and walking two in 5-2/3 innings in getting the win.
The big right-hander had a no-hitter going through five innings until Eduardo Nunez led off the sixth with a triple and then scored New York’s only run off Nick Swisher’s double.
The Yankees, who scored just six runs in four ALCS games with four of those coming in Game 1, were swept from a post-season series for the first time since the 1980 ALCS by the Kansas City Royals.
“We just didn’t swing the bats,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It wasn’t one guy, it wasn’t two guys. It was a bunch of guys and it’s hard to win when you don’t score. It’s never easy. There is only one team that is going to be happy when the year ends.”
Part of the reason for the Yankees lack of hitting can be traced to a Tigers starting rotation that combined for a miniscule 1.02 ERA in the ALCS, giving up just two earned runs in four games.
Detroit got on top of the Yankees early by tagging Sabathia for three singles in the first inning, before ALCS Most Valuable Player Delmon Young drove in Omar Infante.
The Tigers had New York under pressure again in the third, loading the bases before Avisail Garcia brought in Prince Fielder to the roar of the capacity crowd.
Cabrera, the first player in 45-years to achieve the Triple Crown, then broke the game open in the fourth when he crushed a two-run homer deep into the left-field bleachers, followed two batters later with a two-run blast from Peralta.
Trailing 6-1 in the sixth with two men on and two out, Yankees manager Joe Girardi turned to struggling slugger Alex Rodriguez, who had been benched after batting .130 without an extra base hit or RBI, but he hit a fly ball to center to end the New York threat.
Jackson and Peralta added to the fireworks with solo homers before Jayson Nix popped out to first baseman Prince Fielder to end the game.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care