DETROIT — In the most drastic shake-up of his managerial career, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi shuffled his lineup Tuesday in search for an offense. Any offense. But the way Justin Verlander was pitching, Girardi needed to write in names like Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle instead of Chavez, Gardner and Nunez.
Verlander continued his run of postseason dominance with another terrific performance. He shut out the feeble-hitting Yankees for eight innings until Eduardo Nunez hit a home run to lead off the ninth.
But as dominant as Verlander was, it was Phil Coke who got out of a jam in the ninth by striking out Raul Ibanez on a full-count pitch with runners on first and second to end the game and preserve the Tigers' 2-1 victory.
The Yankees managed only three base runners against Verlander and trail the best-of-seven American League Championship Series by three games to none. They will send their ace, C. C. Sabathia, to the mound Wednesday for Game 4 against Max Scherzer. Sabathia is the only reason the Yankees have a win in their last five playoff games.
"We've gotten good pitching all the way throughout the playoffs," Girardi said, "and we will need it again tomorrow if we want to live another day."
Nunez's improbable home run ended a streak of 301/3 consecutive scoreless innings by the Tigers' starters dating back to Verlander's shutout against the Oakland Athletics in Game 5 of the division series. It surpassed the Oakland Athletics' run of 29 innings in one playoff season in 1974.
Verlander threw 132 pitches and came out with one out in the ninth. Coke came on and got Ichiro Suzuki out but gave up a single to Mark Teixeira. Jayson Nix came in to run for Teixeira, and went to second when Robinson Cano, breaking an 0-for-29 slump, singled to left. But Ibanez, the Yankees' hero of October, struck out to end the game.
"Every now and then, you expect to have a little rut, but this is too long for us," Teixeira said.
With Verlander coming off two consecutive 11-strikeout games, Girardi sent out a lineup without Alex Rodriguez or Nick Swisher in it. The slumping stars were replaced by Eric Chavez and Brett Gardner, but neither of them did anything against the Tigers' ace. Only Nunez and Suzuki, who had two singles, reached base safely against Verlander.
Yankees starter Phil Hughes was forced out of the game in the fourth inning with a back injury. He allowed one run, a homer by Delmon Young in the fourth, and three hits.
Through the first three innings, he was matching Verlander — if not pitch for pitch, then at least zero for zero on the scoreboard. But in the fourth, Young lined a solo home run over the left-field fence and into the Tigers' bullpen.
Hughes then walked Andy Dirks. On an 0-1 pitch to Jhonny Peralta, Hughes grimaced in pain, which brought Girardi, the pitching coach Larry Rothschild and a trainer out of the dugout. After a brief conversation, the manager removed the ball from Hughes's glove and Hughes walked off the mound with a look of disgust.
He was replaced by David Phelps, who came in with Dirks on first base and got out of the inning, even after giving up a hit to Alex Avila.
The Tigers added an unearned run in the fifth after an error by Chavez on Quintin Berry's grounder. Berry stole second base and scored easily on a double by Miguel Cabrera that eluded Curtis Granderson in center field.
The Yankees could generate nothing against Verlander, no matter whom they sent to the plate.
All season long, when one of his players struggled at the plate, Girardi would defend his decision to stick with them by insisting they would come around because they always had in the past.
But here in the middle of October, with the season on the line, Girardi's words of faith were trumped by his tactics. For the second time this postseason, he benched Rodriguez in a comprehensive lineup shuffle that had the look and feel of desperation.
Rodriguez has $114 million guaranteed over the next five years, and this series of demotions could have long-term ramifications for Rodriguez and his relationship with Girardi and the Yankees.
"Of course that's something that you have to worry about," Girardi said. "But I don't think you can worry about it today. Relationships go through their ups and downs, no matter who they are, and you have a chance to rebuild them."
There is less concern over Swisher, who could leave the team as a free agent after the season.
"Obviously, you want to be in the lineup, but I can't fault him," Swisher said. "You have to back his decision."
Gardner had not started a game since April 17, when he injured his right elbow. He was in left field and leading off. Suzuki was batting second and playing right field, Chavez was at third base in place of Rodriguez, and Nunez was at shortstop in place of Nix, who started Game 2 in place of the injured Derek Jeter.
"Thank goodness it's a seven-game series and not a five-game series," Gardner said.
Girardi also rebutted suggestions that this was an indication of panic, although he recognized it likely would be viewed that way.
"We're not panicking," he said, "but we're trying to create some runs and scratch some runs across this guy."
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