2012 American League Championship Series

Detroit leads the series, 3–0.

†: if necessary

Saturday, October 13, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York^[10]

Game 1 was one of the wildest ALCS games in recent memory. The Yankees threatened in the first inning when they loaded the bases, but Jhonny Peralta robbed Alex Rodriguez of an RBI single with a diving stop to end the inning. Peralta also took away a run in the second when, with the bases loaded and two outs once again, Robinson Canó hit a ball that glanced off the wrist of Tiger starter Doug Fister and caromed to shortstop. Peralta fielded it and just nipped Canó at first. The Yankees left 13 men on base in this game, which wound up costing them in more ways than one. Remarkably, it was the first time in the lengthy history of the Yankees franchise that they loaded the bases three times in a postseason game but failed to score.^{[citation needed]}

Fister threw shutout ball into the seventh inning, scattering six hits. Postseason veteran Andy Pettitte almost matched him, pitching five shutout innings for the Yankees before giving up RBI singles to Prince Fielder and Delmon Young in the sixth. A home run by Delmon Young and an RBI single by Avisail García gave Detroit a seemingly comfortable 4–0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, and Detroit brought in José Valverde to get the final three outs.

Russell Martin led off the Yankees ninth with a single, and Ichiro Suzuki followed two batters later with a home run. Canó then struck out for the second out, and Valverde got to 0–2 on Mark Teixiera before walking him. Raúl Ibañez, who had played the hero in this postseason already, blasted a game-tying homer, sending the remaining crowd into a frenzy and forcing extra innings.

Rafael Soriano and David Robertson each pitched one scoreless inning out of the bullpen, but the Yankees could not capitalize off Tiger relievers Octavio Dotel and Drew Smyly. Detroit finally broke the tie in the top of the 12th on a Delmon Young double off David Phelps, which scored Miguel Cabrera. Six pitches later, Derek Jeter broke his left ankle while stopping a groundball from Peralta, forcing him to miss the rest of the postseason. One batter later, Andy Dirks drove in an insurance run on a chopper that glanced off Phelps' pitching hand for an infield single. The Tigers held on to their two-run lead in the bottom of the 12th, to take the series' first game. Despite the loss, Ibañez's clutch homers in both the ALDS and ALCS brought him distinction as the only player to ever hit three home runs in the ninth inning or later in one postseason.^[11]

Sunday, October 14, 2012 – 4:07 p.m. (EDT) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York^[12]

Game 2 was a sleeper for the struggling Yankees hitters. Hiroki Kuroda retired the first 15 Detroit Tigers he faced before Jhonny Peralta singled, and New York pressed ahead without injured captain Derek Jeter and remained scoreless with Detroit after six innings. Kuroda, pitching on three days rest for the first time in his big-league career, dominated with a mix of fastballs, sliders and splitters. He allowed only one hit through six innings, walked none and struck out eight—including seven of the first nine batters. The Tigers' Aníbal Sánchez was nearly as efficient, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking two.

The Tigers finally broke through with a run off Kuroda in the seventh. Quintin Berry doubled to lead off the inning, and advanced to third on a single by Miguel Cabrera. After Kuroda struck out Prince Fielder, Delmon Young hit an RBI force out, on which the potential double play relay throw was mishandled by Robinson Canó.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi was ejected by second base umpire Jeff Nelson in the top of the eighth after arguing a call at second base which television replays confirmed was incorrectly ruled.^[13] The play would have resulted in the inning's third out, and the Tigers took advantage by getting two insurance runs on RBI singles by Avisail García and Miguel Cabrera.

Prior to the game, Tiger manager Jim Leyland stated that struggling closer José Valverde, who had allowed seven runs in his last two postseason appearances, would not close Game 2 if the situation called for it. He instead used Phil Coke over the final two innings in this game, and Coke earned the save.

The Yankees' lineup continued its struggles in Game 2. Robinson Canó, batting second for only the first time since September 2010, grounded out in all four times at bat, with this 0-for-4 performance resulting in an 0-for-26 hitless streak—the longest such barren streak in any single year of postseason play in MLB history.^[14] Alex Rodriguez took a called third strike on a changeup in the second and struck out on a foul tip in the fourth, dropping to 2-for-21 with no RBIs in the postseason, including 0-for-17 with 12 strikeouts against right-handers. Curtis Granderson fanned twice, falling to 3-for-25 with 13 strikeouts.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan^[15]

Game 3 saw Justin Verlander take a shutout into the ninth inning. Phil Coke gave up consecutive singles with two outs in the ninth before striking out postseason star Raul Ibanez for his second save in two games. Verlander allowed only a pair of singles by Ichiro Suzuki and a leadoff homer by Eduardo Nunez in the ninth. Delmon Young hit a solo home run for the Tigers, and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double. Yankees starter Phil Hughes was lifted in the fourth because of a stiff back, and manager Joe Girardi's lineup shuffle had Alex Rodriguez benched again.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan^[16]

Thursday, October 18, 2012 – 4:07 p.m. (EDT) at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan^[17]

Saturday, October 20, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York^[18]

Sunday, October 21, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York^[19]

2012 ALCS (3–0): Detroit Tigers lead New York Yankees

• ALCS at Baseball-Reference