Yankees vs. Tigers, 2012 ALCS Game 3: Game time, TV schedule, lineups and more
The Yankees face an uphill battle to get back in the ALCS, down 2-0 with Justin Verlander starting Tuesday.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on TBS
Starting pitchers: Phil Hughes vs. Justin Verlander
The Tigers have a commanding two-game lead in the ALCS, and they have done that without a start from their ace, Justin Verlander.
Verlander, who pitched in Games 1 and 5 of the ALDS against Oakland, has arguably been the best starter in the playoffs this year. In two games against Oakland, the righty fired 16 innings — including a complete-game shutout in the clincher —and gave up just one run on seven hits.
Meanwhile, the Yankees will look to Phil Hughes to continue the team's postseason pitching dominance. In his start against the Orioles in Game 4 of the ALDS, Hughes tossed 6⅔ innings of one-run ball, with the run coming off a homer. Home runs have been a problem for the righty in 2012; he served up 35 gopher balls in 32 starts during the regular season.
New York's starters have been spectacular during the playoffs, but their bats have been dormant. Though they have a tough matchup against Verlander, a few of their hitters have had success against the northpaw. Ichiro Suzuki has hit .309/.333/.418 against Verlander in 57 career plate appearances, and Eric Chavez, who started in Game 5 in place of the slumping Alex Rodriguez, is .360/.360/.560 in 25 plate appearances.
No Tigers have extensive experience against Hughes, though Jhonny Peralta and Miguel Cabrera have looked like MVPs when they've matched up against the righty. Cabrera is a career .409/.458/1.045 hitter with four home runs off Hughes in 24 plate appearances, while Peralta is .500/.524/.700 in 21 plate appearances.
