Tigers go up 3-0
DETROIT (AP) — Justin Verlander is the latest pitcher to silence the New York Yankees’ lineup.
The Detroit Tigers own a three-games-to-none lead in the American League Championship Series and are one win away from their first World Series berth in six years following a 2-1 win over the Yankees. Verlander gave up only three hits and was sensational despite just three strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings, limiting the Yanks to a pair of Ichiro Suzuki hits and no walks until Eduardo Nunez led off the ninth with a homer. Verlander is 3-0 with a 0.74 ERA this postseason.
Verlander retired his first 10 batters before Suzuki singled in the fourth, a half-inning before Delmon Young opened the scoring with a solo blast off losing pitcher Phil Hughes.
Hughes left the game two batters after Young’s blast, charged with a run and three hits in three-plus innings. The Yankees said Hughes was suffering from a stiff back.
Detroit’s second run came on Miguel Cabrera’s fifth-inning double. Cabrera had a chance to break open the game an inning later, but he grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
Robinson Cano finally ended his postseason-record batting skid. The Yankees’ second baseman had been 0-for-29 since Game 2 of the ALDS before lacing a single with two out in the ninth, putting runners on first and second. But Phil Coke finally closed out the win by getting Raul Ibanez to strike out.
Other than Cano, the Yankees’ team-wide batting slump continued despite two significant lineup changes. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher stayed on the bench after going a combined 7-for-52 in the postseason. They were replaced by Eric Chavez and Brett Gardner, who went a combined 0-for-7.
The Tigers had tossed 20 straight scoreless innings until Nunez homered. New York has scored in just two of 30 innings the entire series.
Scutaro may play Wednesday
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy tells The Associated Press there’s a “good chance” second baseman Marco Scutaro will play in Game 3 of the NL championship series against the Cardinals Wednesday afternoon.
Scutaro strained his left hip when the Cardinals’ Matt Holliday crashed into him with a hard slide in Game 2 at AT&T Park. The second baseman went down in the first inning of the Giants’ 7-1 win, then hit a two-run single in the fourth before coming out of the game after the fifth inning.
Bochy called it “an illegal slide.”
Kolb out indefinitely
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb has rib cartilage damage and will be sidelined, in the team’s words, “an unspecified period of time.” Kolb, who took over when starter John Skelton went down in the opener and directed the game-winning drive, had the team at 4-2.
The job will revert to Skelton, who beat out Kolb for the starting job in the preseason and just now is returning to health from a sprained left ankle.
Kolb was hurt trying to make it to the line of scrimmage on a busted play late in the Cardinals’ 19-16 overtime loss to Buffalo on Sunday.
Cowboys’ owner doesn’t expect Murray to play Sunday
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says it “looks obvious” that running back DeMarco Murray won’t play at Carolina because of a sprained left foot suffered in Sunday’s 31-29 loss at Baltimore. Jones said the team is encouraged that the sprain wasn’t more serious than it was.
Felix Jones is expected to start in Murray’s place.
QB given OK to practice
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel has been cleared for non-contact practice and could play in the Chiefs’ next game on Oct. 28 against Oakland. Cassell sat out Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay with a concussion while backup, Brady Quinn, had two interceptions in a 38-10 loss to the Buccaneers.
New owner for Cleveland’s NFL team
CHICAGO (AP) — The sale of the Cleveland Browns to Jimmy Haslam III has been unanimously approved by NFL owners, which is leading to a change in leadership at the top of the team’s front office. Haslam paid previous owner Randy Lerner $1 billion for the franchise.
In his first move as owner, Haslam announced that team president Mike Holmgren will be leaving the team at the end of the season. Former Eagles executive Joe Banner has been hired as the Browns’ CEO, replacing Holmgren.
The fate of coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert, both Holmgren hires, won’t be determined until after the season, Haslam added.
Defensive coordinator fired
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Juan Castillo is out as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator, replaced by secondary coach Todd Bowles. The dismissal comes after the Eagles blew fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games.
Castillo was with the Eagles for 18 years, longer than any coach in franchise history.
Americans advance
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The United States men’s soccer team has advanced to next year’s final round of the World Cup qualifying.
Clint Dempsey scored the last two goals as the Americans beat Guatemala 3-1 in Kansas City. Dempsey set up Carlos Bocanegra’s tying goal in the 10th minute, then scored in the 18th and 36th.
The Americans needed merely a draw to advance to the six-team finals in North and Central America and the Caribbean. They topped their semifinal group with 13 points at 4-1-1.
Earnhardt sees concussion specialist
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited a noted concussion specialist in Pittsburgh on Tuesday as part of the planned rehabilitation program to get NASCAR’s most popular driver back in a car. Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that Earnhardt met with Dr. Micky Collins of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program. He was accompanied by neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty, who would not clear Earnhardt to race because of two concussions suffered over the past six weeks.
Scandal ridden cyclist gives up chairmanship
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong said today that he is stepping down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity so the group can focus on its mission instead of its founder’s problems.
The move came a week after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a massive report detailing allegations of widespread doping by Armstrong and his teams when he won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005.
Armstrong, who was not paid a salary as chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, will remain on its 15-member board. His duties leading the board will be turned over to vice chairman Jeff Garvey, who was founding chairman in 1997.
And there is word from New York that Nike has severed its ties with Armstrong following doping scandal.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Detroit 2 N-Y Yankees 1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Indiana 102 Atlanta 98
Brooklyn 97 Boston 96
Detroit 112 Orlando 86
Oklahoma City 120 Charlotte 98
Chicago 100 Milwaukee 94
Utah 114 L-A Lakers 80