The New York Yankees' struggles at the plate are continuing early tonight in Game 3 of the ALCS — Detroit Tigers starter Justin Verlander has retired the first nine Yankees he's faced — and the Tigers and Yankees are scoreless through three in Detroit.
Yankees starter Phil Hughes has also kept the Tigers from getting on the scoreboard in his three innings of work, continuing a strong string of starts from Yankees pitchers in the playoffs thus far. Hughes has surrendered two hits over his first three innings, but has yet to give up a run.
The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the first inning against Hughes, putting men on first and second base with two outs, but Delmon Young, the Tigers' all-time leader in postseason home runs, was forced into a lazy fly ball to right field to end the threat. The Tigers also put runners on the corners in the bottom of the third inning with two outs, but Prince Fielder was unable to bring a run home.
With Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup and Derek Jeter sidelined for the postseason with a broken ankle, the Yankees shuffled their lineup for Game 3, but the new look has yet to get to Verlander, who was 2-0 in his two starts in the ALDS.