Yankees vs. Tigers, 2012 ALCS Game 4: New York blogger reacts to Detroit's sweep

The New York Yankees lost Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, 8-1, on Thursday to the Detroit Tigers, as the sweep put an end to a very one-sided series.

Yankees ace CC Sabathia wasn't at his best, lasting only 3⅔ innings and surrendering six runs, five of them earned, on eleven hits and two walks.

In his recap, Andrew Mearns of SB Nation's Pinstriped Bible noted that this was the first time the Yankees have been swept out of the postseason since 1980 and went further back in time to illustrate the rarity of this year's ALCS.

"The game, like the series, was not even close. The Yankees never led in this game, nor did they lead in any game of the series," Mearns wrote. "The Yankees have not been so thoroughly dominated in a playoff series since the 1963 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, another series in which they never held the lead."

Mearns went on to say, however, that even though it ended poorly, 2012 was not a complete letdown for Yankee fans.

"Does the team need to make some difficult decisions in the off-season to make improvements?" Mearns writes, "Damn straight."

"Given all that this team went through though, calling it a failure is folly."