Justin Verlander Strikes Out 11, Tigers Lead Yankees 2-1 In ALDS

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The official votes have already been tallied, but Justin Verlander laid claim to the throne with a dominant performance in the Tigers’ 5-4 win over the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS. Verlander struggled out of the gate, giving up 2 runs in the top of the 1st, but proceeded to shut the Yankees down afterward, save for a minor hiccup in the 7th inning.

Delmon Young’s solo homer in the bottom of the 7th (which the TBS announcer called, sort of) turned out to be the winning run after Jose Valverde closed the door in the 9th inning.

With Game 4 set for tomorrow night, the Yankees will rest their hopes on the shoulders of AJ Burnett. Burnett has the capability to shut a team down, but I have a feeling that we’ll be hearing a different tone from the Yankees clubhouse in about 24 hours.