Yankees Game 2 Preview

Jayson Nix will replace the injured Jeter

Today will be another crucial game for the Yankees, but in the playoffs what game isn't? Game 2 will have an added significance due to the fact that the Yankees will be on the road in Games 3-5, so they will have to win 2 games instead of 1 in Detroit in order to stay alive. On top of this, the game's top pitcher Justin Verlander will be on the mound in Game 3.

Hiroki Kuroda will be on the mound tonight for the Yanks on only 4 days rest after pitching Game 3 in the Divisional Series on Wednesday. Kuroda pitched well giving up just 2 runs and pitching into the 9th inning. That wasn't enough for a victory but Raul Ibanez bailed out the team and forced a no decision for Kuroda with his heroics in that game.

The Tigers will counter with Anibal Sanchez, who also pitched well in his lone Divisional Series start against the Oakland Athletics, giving up 2 runs in 6.1 innings. Like Kuroda, the performance by Sanchez was not enough to earn a win, in fact, Sanchez earned a loss because the Tigers got shutout in that game.

Here are some keys for today's game:

Jeter Done for the Season

The captain fractured his ankle in the game last night and has been lost for the season. This is a crushing blow for the Yankees because Jeter was one of the only guys that was producing this postseason. On top of this, they lose a veteran presence with a ton of postseason experience, and the heart and soul of the team.

Jayson Nix will get the start tonight at shortstop and will bat 9th. Nix hit the ball well in the one start he got in the Divisional Round and will have to perform both in the field and at the plate. Eduardo Nunez, who was left off the Championship Series roster, has been added to the team to replace Jeter, and is another option for Girardi.

Capitalize

The Yankees had the bases loaded on 3 separate occasions last night, and they didn't score one run in those situations. That cannot happen. It was nice to see the team creating chances to score, but what good is that if they don't actually score.

The Yanks were 3-13 with runners in scoring position, and 2 of those hits came in the 9th innings on home runs by Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez. That means they were 1-11 before that point and on a team that was so dependent on home runs during the season, they can't seem to get a big single when they need one.

Delmon Young

This guy loves playing the Yankees in the playoffs. Last year he single handedly murdered the Yankees, and was a huge reason why they exited early. So far this series, he is 3-6 with a game-winning RBI double and solo home run.

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are scary enough in the middle of that Tiger lineup, add in a hot Young, and it will be impossible to get out of an inning when these guys step to the plate. The Yankees need to get ahead early on all 3 of these hitters, especially Young, and limit hitter's counts.

Go Yankees!!!!!