fourteenandoh
My swing feels like an unfolding lawn chair.
We didn't make it, you guys did. Congrats, now beat up on the Yank-mes!
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The Man;626388; said:there were some boo's after Zumaya dusted him in the 8th. Zumaya threw 3 fastballs by him 103, 101, 103.
TIGERS 6 YANKEES 0
Rogers stakes Tigers to lead
Pitcher puts Yankees on brink of elimination
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Tom Withers
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT ? Kenny Rogers stood alone near the mound and soaked in the cheers. He had stared down his past and all that pinstriped power, and now it was time to enjoy a night like no other.
The sarcastic "A-Rod" choruses had quieted. The taunts directed at Jason Giambi were distant whispers, and the mighty New York Yankees had been blanked by a pitcher who was once one of their own.
And as Tigers fans saluted him by singing "Ken-ny, Ken-ny," Rogers touched his heart with both hands.
"I wanted this game as much as I ever wanted any in my life," he said.
In a ballpark normally locked up by October, the Tigers got 7 2 /3 shutout innings from Rogers and outplayed New York in a 6-0 victory, pushing Detroit one win from shocking the Yankees into an early winter.
The 41-yearold Rogers, one of the few Detroit pitchers who doesn?t fire 100 mph fastballs, used every pitch in his stash to earn his first win in 10 postseason games.
As if conjuring the spirit of former Tigers phenom Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, Rogers spent much of the evening talking to himself between pitches.
"I was probably more emotional than I should have been," Rogers said. "That is by far the greatest lineup I?ve ever faced. I just wanted to win for everyone here."
Rogers? first win over the Yankees since 1993 came at the perfect time for the Tigers ? playing their first postseason game in Comerica Park, ? after stumbling into the playoffs as the wild card.
"We really haven?t finished everything yet," first baseman Sean Casey said. "We have a 2-1 lead, but that doesn?t mean anything."
Detroit, which left New York on Thursday with a split after rallying to win Game 2, scored three runs in the second inning off Randy Johnson and two in the sixth.
Rogers, who played for New York in 1996-97, confounded the Yankees with fastballs, sinkers, change-ups and curves. The left-hander struck out eight and walked two.
"For this one night, I think he got it all together, and he was probably as determined as you?ll ever see anybody pitch a ballgame," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.
After striking out Bobby Abreu for the second out in the eighth, Rogers left to a loud ovation.
Joel Zumaya replaced Rogers and got one out, and Todd Jones finished the five-hitter.
Casey had two RBI and Curtis Granderson homered for the Tigers.
The Yankees sputtered again, and this time it wasn?t all the fault of Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod was still AWOL after an 0-for-3 performance that dropped him to 1 for 11 in the series.
Bernie Williams and Jason Giambi both went 0 for 3 as the Yankees, who haven?t scored in 14 innings, went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
"That?s not the Kenny Rogers I remember," Rodriguez said. "He was phenomenal. He was definitely on an emotional high, which isn?t how he usually is. It was amazing." Johnson allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2 /3 innings, losing his eighth straight division series decision.