Yankees Go Gentle Into That Crappy Night

Wonder if A-Rod hit on her? - photo courtesy of Kansas City Star

The Yankees exited the playoffs on Thursday with the expected whimper. The only bang heard was ball meeting bat whenever CC Sabathia threw said ball. The Yankees best pitcher saved his worst for last and was the Yankees starter of the post-season to get truly hammered. The end result was an 8-1 Detroit Tigers pasting that put them in the World Series vs. either St. Louis or San Fran.

The Yankees were held to just two hits by Tigers' starter Max Scherzer, who like the other Orioles and Tigers pitched like Sandy Koufax in his prime. Let me rephrase that- the Yankees made Scherzer look like Koufax in his prime. And that's not to take anything away from Scherzer. The Yankees were just incredibly horrendous in this post-season.

Sabathia, who had pitched so well in the ALDS clincher, didn't make it out of the 4th inning. He had already thrown 93 pitches and was charged with six runs. Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta smashed 2-run home runs off him in the 4th inning. Peralta would add another off of David Robertson and Austin Jackson took Derek Lowe deep as well.

The Yankees only base hits came from Eduardo Nunez, and Nick Swisher, who drove in the lone Yankees run in the 6th inning. Alex Rodriguez (0-2) and Curtis Granderson (0-1, K) entered the game as pinch-hitters after Jim Leyland pulled Scherzer after 5.2 innings, 10 strikeouts, and 98 pitches thrown, in favor of lefty Drew Smyly.

And now begins the arduous task of making this franchise back into something. More on that later.