Game 32 (Progressive) Recap (Liveblog?)

**I'm going to be typing up a recap as the game goes along and figured I might as well just publish it as I go. Comments, as always, are welcome but since we didn't announce this beforehand I don't know who's going to be hanging around.**

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1st Inning - Both Rick Porcello and Javy Vazquez got through the first inning in order. Porcello induced three groundballs, all of which went to shortstop. Austin Jackson hit a strong line drive off of Vazquez but Randy Winn was right there. Javy then struck out both Johnny Damon and Magglio Ordonez swinging - Damon on a low fastball and Mags on a slider.

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Top 2nd - Leading off the frame, A-Rod hit a weak grounder down the third baseline and Robinson Cano followed with a single back up the middle. Jorge Posada hit a deep drive towards the gap left center but Austin Jackson had enough time to settle under it comfortably.

Nick Swisher fell behind 0-2, fouled off three straight pitches and then lifted a change up into right center for a single, moving Cano to third. Randy Winn then walked on four pitches to load the bases for Ramiro Pena. El Nino fell behind 0-2 and then hit a routine fly to center to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd - Vazquez got Miguel Cabrera to ground to short and Jeter pulled off an awkward 360 throw. Teixeira had to make a long reach but was able to come up with. Up next, Brennan Broesch then popped out to Posada behind the plate. Brandon Inge struck out swinging to end the inning.

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Top 3rd - On the first pitch of the inning, Derek Jeter grounded out to first base. Porcello then walked Brett Garnder on four pitches and he promptly stole second. Mark Teixeira grounded out to first, advancing Gardner to third. A-Rod then lofted a deep fly ball to right field but Boesch make a nice grab up against to well to rob A-Rod of at least an RBI.

Bottom 3rd - After getting Ramon Santiago to fly out to left, Vazquez induced a soft grounder to Gerald Laird that Jeter had to range to his right for. Jeter picked it cleanly and made the throw in time but Teix couldn't come up with the scoop. For whatever reason, the slow-footed Laird drew the attention of the Yankees at first while Adam Everett hit a soft fly to left and was actually running when Austin Jackson struck out on a high fastball to end the inning.

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Top 4 - Cano led off by chopping one over Porcello's head that landed softly, but the throw by the second baseman Santiago beat him to the bag. During Jorge Posada's at bat, Brandon Inge dropped an easy pop up in foul territory and gave him new life, allowing Jorge to pump the next pitch to the gap in right for a double. Porcello blew Nick Swisher away with a high fastball for the second out of the inning. Randy Winn, drew another walk, this time on five pitches. Again Ramiro Pena came to the plate with two outs in an RBI situation. Again he fell behind 0-2. Again he stranded the runners, this time striking out swinging on the high cheese. The bottom of this lineup is where rallies go to die.

Bottom 4th - Vazquez got Damon and Ordonez out on balls that didn't leave the infield and probably should have caught Miguel Cabrera looking on a 1-2 slider at the knees. Miggy lofted the next pitch to center for an out, so no harm, no foul. This game is flying, no? It's almost as if they know there is another game tonight...

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Top 5 - Damon had a looooooong run to catch a deep fly towards the visiting bullpen by Derek Jeter but hauled it in pretty comfortably. The Captain can't buy a hit. After Garnder chopped out to second, Teix did the same and was just a hair late to first. Still no score halfway through the game and just over an hour in.

Bottom 5 - Vazquez struck out Boesch and got Inge to ground out to third to put the first two away quickly. But then he issued two back to back walks to Santiago and Laird prompting a visit from Dave Eiland and Posada. Javy then came right back and struck out Adam Everett on three straight pitches: a curve high in the zone followed by a fastball down and away and a heater up and in. That was his first tough inning and he's thrown only 68 pitches.

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Top 6 - A-Rod, Cano and Posada all grounded out, bringing Porcello's total number of wormburners up to 12. It was just a 9 pitch inning for Slick Ricky P, bitch can you beat that?

Bottom 6 - Austin Jackson led off the home half with a sharp single through the left side of the infield. AJax was going on a 0-1 pitch to Damon and Johnny punched it to right field for a single, moving Jackson to third. Magglio hit a force out to short that plated the run and allowed the Tigers to draw first blood. 1-0 Detroit.

Cabrera and Boesch followed with consecutive singles, putting the Tigers up 2-0 but Javy got an inning ending double play from Inge to escape further trouble.

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Top 7 - Nick Swisher banged a line drive right off Porcello's shoulder that caromed over him to shortstop. He was unhurt and it probably saved him a hit because Everett fielded the ball and made the throw in plenty of time. Randy Winn grounded a single up the middle, getting on base for the third time today, but Ramiro Pena grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. Pena is singlehandedly killing the offense today.

Bottom 7 - Santiago flied out to center and... OH MY GOD MICHAEL KAY WAS JUST SINGING EMPIRE STATE OF MIND. Worst. Cover. Ever. Okay he said that Jay-Z might be on during the second half of the double header. That's cool but please never let that happen again.

Anyway, Gerald Laird worked the count full before flying out to left and Adam Everett struck out to end the inning. Again. Because he sucks at hitting.

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Top 8 - Right hander Ryan Perry, who pitched 1/3 of an inning Monday, came into the game. Porcello threw seven shutout innings and used just 91 pitches but apparently Jim Leyland had seen enough out of him.

Jeter was robbed of another hit by a diving Ramon Santiago. Seriously, can he just buy one? He has a lot of money. Brett Gardner blooped one to center field but it was right at Austin Jackson and Teixeira struck out looking. Runs, please?

Bottom 8 - That's all for Javy Vazquez. Seven innings, two runs, seven strikeouts, five hits and two walks. Solid work, even if it wasn't good enough to put him in line for the win. And Joe Girardi calls on... Boone Logan. Really?

Logan pitched a 1-2-3 inning though, getting AJax, Damon and Ordonez with just 10 pitches.

It's now or never for the Yanks.

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Top 9 - Jose Valverde on to close it out. He gets A-Rod to ground out to third and Cano to fly out to left. Jorge Posada worked a walk, and is pinch run for by Kevin Russo. Nick Swisher came to the plate as the tying run and Russo took second on defensive indifference on the first pitch.

Swish took the first four pitches of the AB and the count was leveled at 2-2. He swung over the fifth one, a splitter low in the zone and Valverde takes a mock shit on the mound.

Game over in a scat scant 2:15 as the Tigers win 2-0.