Jeter's injury. New York Daily News photo
No Mariano Rivera. And now, no Derek Jeter. This is a postseason unlike any others the Yankees have had since 1995. In about an hour late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, everything went crazy in the ALCS. The Yankees were in a 4-0 hole and doing nothing until Detroit closer Jose Valverde -- who certainly can't close anymore -- gave up two run homers to Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez to plunge Game One into extra innings.
Detroit won it in the 12th, 6-4, but the Yankees suffered a far bigger loss. Derek Jeter is done for the season. Repeat that. You've never heard it before. Derek Jeter is done for the season. Fractured ankle while fielding a Jhonny Peralta grounder. Clearly an offshoot of the "bone bruise" he's been playing with.
Lots of good reads:
Andrew Marchand, ESPNNY.com: The Yankees are now October underdogs
Wally Matthews, ESPN.com: You might not like your look at the post-Jeter Yanks.
Joel Sherman, Post: 74 minutes between Everest (Ibanez HR) and hell for Yanks.
Mike Vaccaro, Post: Losing the game devastating enough. Losing the captain?
Mike Lupica, Daily News: This one hurts right to the Core (Four)
If you missed the video (it was, after all, after midnight), watch below:
Jayson Nix will play short for the Yankees today. They've got Hiroki Kuroda pitching on short rest for the first time in his career -- and Justin Verlander waiting for Game Three in Detroit. Talk about trouble. This could be a very short series, provided Jim Leyland finds a closer (has to be Octavio Dotel)
In non-Yankees news, be sure to read my Inside Baseball column featuring thoughts on Josh Hamilton, the Nationals, Ozzie Guillen and more.
I'll be in Detroit to cover the ALCS starting with Game Three.
---Mike Harrington
Twitter: @BNHarrington
