Yankees Collapse: Tigers Score 9 Runs in Explosive Inning

The Yankees Collapse: The Tigers Take the Victory with an Explosive Seventh Inning

In a matchup that promised to be a postseason duel, the New York Yankees suffered a collapse in the seventh inning that cost them the victory against the Detroit Tigers. The game, which remained even for six innings, culminated in a score of 12-2 in favor of the Tigers. Relievers Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. were the most affected, allowing a total of nine runs without getting a single out. This marked a negative milestone, as they became the first pair of teammates in MLB to face at least four batters each without recording an out since 2003.

Sometimes things don’t go as you want. I was struggling, obviously, there’s no doubt. It’s one of those nights you just have to forget. Come back tomorrow and do your job.

Fernando Cruz

The loss, combined with the Toronto Blue Jays’ victory over the Houston Astros, relegated the Yankees to three games behind Toronto at the top of the American League East Division. The Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker, which means their divisional lead is, in essence, four games with 18 games remaining. The Tigers, for their part, managed to score nine runs in the fateful seventh inning, thanks to five hits, five walks (one intentional) and a hit by pitch. Cruz threw 13 of his 20 pitches as balls, while Leiter Jr. threw nine of his 16 outside the strike zone, including a wild pitch that allowed the sixth run of the inning. Yankees opener Will Warren had kept the Tigers at bay for six innings, allowing only two runs. However, in the seventh, the bullpen couldn’t keep up the pace, leading to the debacle.

The Tigers’ seventh inning, with its nine runs, was the product of five hits, five walks, and one hit batsman.

This is a sport that, as you can see, is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes you’re on top of the horse. Sometimes you get off, so you learn to get back on. It’s something that happens in baseball. You’re never bigger than the game, and you always learn from failures.

Fernando Cruz

Leiter Jr.’s performance was marred when Anthony Volpe failed to catch a fly ball, followed by a hit, a walk, and a triple by Kerry Carpenter that ended his outing.

It’s difficult. I don’t know what to say. I’ve never seen anything like this before.

Will Warren

The Yankees’ bullpen has had a 5.05 ERA since August 1st, which ranks 27th in Major League Baseball.

We have the guys to get the job done. We just have to sync up. Tonight’s is a tough night, but it doesn’t change much of the good things that have happened in some of these games that we’ve been able to close out.

Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager