Detroit @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 13, 2012 ) Detroit 6, NY Yankees 4
If the New York Yankees hope to capture their 28th world championship this postseason, they'll have to do it without their captain. New York attempts to even the American League Championship Series at one win apiece when it hosts the Detroit Tigers on Sunday evening. Derek Jeter will be watching from the sidelines after fracturing his left ankle in the 12th inning of Detroit's 6-4 victory in the series opener on Saturday.
After fielding Jhonny Peralta's grounder, Jeter collapsed to the ground and remained there before being helped to the dugout, with his left foot never touching the ground. Jeter, who recorded his 200th career playoff hit in the second inning, has been one of the Yankees' best hitters this postseason, going 9-for-27 with a double, triple and two RBIs. He also leads the team with four runs scored.
New York limited Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera to one hit in four at-bats and held Prince Fielder to a pair of singles, including one that plated a run. But the Yankees couldn't contain Delmon Young, who delivered an RBI single in the sixth inning, belted his franchise playoff-record sixth home run in the eighth and snapped a 4-4 tie in the 12th with a run-scoring double.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, TBS
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (0-1, 2.84 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (0-0, 2.16)
Sanchez pitched well in his first career playoff appearance on Tuesday but still was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against Oakland. He went just 4-6 in 12 starts with Detroit after being acquired from Miami but was strong down the stretch, yielding two runs or less in six of his final eight outings. Sanchez was tagged for seven runs and seven hits over three innings of a loss to New York on Aug. 8.
Kuroda will be pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his major-league career. The 37-year-old settled for a no-decision in Game Three of the ALDS against Baltimore on Wednesday after allowing just two runs and five hits over 8 1/3 innings. Kuroda, who recorded 11 of his 16 regular-season victories this year at home, is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in three career starts versus the Tigers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees stars Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher are a combined 10-for-93 with 31 strikeouts this postseason.
2. New York will be playing at home for the fifth consecutive day, becoming the first team to do so in postseason history.
3. Swisher is 1-for-34 lifetime in the playoffs with runners in scoring position.