Detroit – The question was not a hit with Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. With 42 all-star berths connecting a remarkable blend of power and speed, he was asked if this Yankees lineup was the greatest ever.
“One-year wonders can’t rank among the best of all time,” Jackson said. “They’d have to do it for multiple seasons. And besides, it’s all about winning. You can’t even be considered without championships.”
From legends to forgotten in three days. Fourteen straight scoreless innings will do that. Welcome to the cold reality staring the Yankees in their red faces after the Kenny Rogers-driven Detroit Tigers buried them 6-0 on Friday night at Comerica Park.
Baseball’s bullies, envied for their money and hated for their success, wake up today with Jaret Wright standing between them and elimination. The same Wright who spent the past month alternating from being skipped in the rotation to being banished to the bullpen.
“It doesn’t matter how we pitch if we don’t hit any better than that,” shortstop Derek Jeter said. “That’s why you can’t go on the numbers or the past. They aren’t going to let us have it. We have to score.”
A single run would represent marked improvement from Friday, when the vaunted Yankees were treated like a homecoming opponent in the Tigers’ first home playoff game since 1987. Everything pointed to a Yankees’ revival, if for no other reason they were facing Rogers.
The 41-year-old was winless in the postseason and hadn’t beaten the Yankees since 1993. All he did was string together 7 2/3 scoreless innings, beautifully mixing a 91-mph fastball with a sneaky slider and vanishing changeup while assuming a more aggressive style than in previous postseasons.
“I was emotional and animated, and if anyone took it the wrong way, I apologize,” Rogers said. “But I wanted this game as much as any in my life.”
The scoreboard wasn’t necessary to determine the Game 3 winner. Rogers’ exit summarized the lovefest, the veteran leaving to a standing ovation. He tipped his cap, then patted his heart, thanking the sellout crowd after he yielded just five hits in what he called his best performance ever.
“I know I am 40-something and don’t have a lot of talent left,” Rogers said. “But I wasn’t afraid to fail.”
With Rogers pounding the strike zone, New York’s robust lineup came up limp again. Their No. 2 through No. 6 hitters, 10-for-19 in the series opener, have gone 5-for-35 in consecutive losses. Alex Rodriguez – referred to as A-WOL in tabloid headlines – is 0-for-7 the past two games and 1-for-11 in the series.
Without run support, Randy Johnson was left naked by his mistakes.
The Tigers, feeling the energy from starved and frenetic fans, raced to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Carlos Guillen, Ivan Rodriguez, Sean Casey and Placido Polanco singled in the rally, with Rodriguez’s hook slide around A-Rod’s tag at third base the signature moment.
Rogers didn’t need much help. He was masterful against a collection of hitters whose previous success against him was almost comical (Bernie Williams, for instance, was 12-for-34, which is why he replaced Gary Sheffield in the lineup). With the Yankees gasping, Tigers manager Jim Leyland elected to step on their throats.
Even with a six-run lead, he had Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones choke them off, recording the final four outs.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
