SALON

Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 4:45 AM UTC

Ibanez’s homer in 9th inning ties ALCS opener 4-4

By

Topics: From the Wires,

Ibanez's homer in 9th inning ties ALCS opener 4-4New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira, left, and New York Yankees' Raul Ibanez during Game 1 of the American League championship series Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya )(Credit: Paul Sancya)

NEW YORK (AP) — Raul Ibanez hit another tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers were tied 4-4 after 11 innings on Saturday night in the opener of the American League championship series.

Three batters after Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-run shot off closer Jose Valverde to cut the Yankees’ deficit in half, Ibanez connected for his second tying homer of this postseason, a two-run drive to right-center.

Ibanez started his powerful week pinch-hitting for Alex Rodriguez against Baltimore Orioles closer Jim Johnson in the ninth inning on Wednesday to send Game 3 of the division series to extra innings. Then he won it with a homer in the 12th inning.

The 40-year-old Ibanez also homered twice after entering as a pinch hitter on Sept. 22 in a 10-9, 14-inning win over Oakland. With New York fighting for the AL East title, he hit a tying pinch homer against Boston in the ninth on Oct. 2 and then singled in the winning run in the 12th.

The Tigers failed to capitalize on pinch-hitter Alex Avila’s one-out single off David Robertson in the top of the 11th, and the Yankees missed a chance in the bottom half after Suzuki led off with a single, his fourth hit of the game, off Drew Smyly.

Russell Martin singled leading off the ninth and advanced on defensive indifference. Suzuki followed with the first postseason homer of his career after Derek Jeter struck out. Robinson Cano struck out and Mark Teixeira walked ahead of Ibanez.

Valverde blew a save in Game 4 of the division series against Oakland and has allowed seven runs in 2 1-3 innings this postseason.

The Tigers opened a 4-0 lead against Yankees starter Andy Pettitte and Derek Lowe.

Prince Fielder singled in a run after Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked in the sixth, and Delmon Young followed with a run-scoring single to make it 2-0.

Young then homered in the eighth, and rookie Avisail Garcia had an RBI single three batters later off Boone Logan to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Jhonny Peralta made two difficult plays to deny the Yankees with the bases loaded in each of the first two innings against Doug Fister.

Peralta made a diving, backhand stop in the hole of Rodriguez’s grounder in the first, then made a nice play an inning later on Robinson Cano’s liner that caromed off the inside of Fister’s right wrist, a play that ended another bases-jammed threat.

Fister worked out of big trouble in the sixth, too. With runners on second and third, the right-hander struck out Rodriguez, and then fanned Curtis Granderson and Martin on breaking pitches after the Yankees loaded the bases.

In Game 2 on Sunday, Anibal Sanchez gets the start for Detroit. Hiroki Kuroda will pitch for New York in the first outing of his big league career on three day’s rest.

Rodriguez was back in the New York lineup, batting sixth, after being benched for the deciding game of the division series against Baltimore on Friday. Fans gave him a standing ovation as he walked to the plate with two outs in the first. Jeter, Teixeira and Ibanez all reached on walks by Fister.

The 37-year-old third baseman hadn’t hit as low as sixth since Joe Torre batted him eighth in the fourth and final game of the 2006 AL division series against the Tigers, according to STATS LLC.

Both teams were coming off difficult division series that went five games. The Tigers beat the Yankees in 2006 and again last year, both times in the division series.

Fister got the win in Game 5 last year. He got off to a wild start in this one, walking three in an inning for just the second time in his career, according to STATS LLC.

With two outs, A-Rod hit a sharp groundball that Peralta dived to his right to snare. From his knees he threw to second base to just get Ibanez sliding in.

In the second, the Yankees used three two-out singles to load the bases, including Jeter’s 200th postseason hit.

Cano, who was 2 for 22 in the division series, lined a ball off Fister’s pitching arm. It went on a hop to a charging Peralta, whose throw barely beat Cano to first base. Cano slammed his helmet down.

Pettitte was making his 44th postseason start. He breezed through five innings, giving up four singles, including one to Triple Crown winner Cabrera in the first.

But in the sixth, Austin Jackson led off with a soft line drive to the opposite field that went over first base and got caught up in a cutout in the stands about halfway down the right field line. Jackson raced to third for a triple. After an out, Cabrera was walked, and Fielder singled to center. Young then followed with his run-scoring hit.

Teixeira reached on second baseman Omar Infante’s error to start the bottom half, and Ibanez doubled, but Fister struck out the side.

New York won the season series between the teams 6-4.

Howie Rumberg

More Howie Rumberg.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Video of the Day

Watch More Here »

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations