Bronx, NY—Six months minus one day after Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia hooked up in the opening contest of the 2011 season the two aces again met in the opening game of the 2011 American League Division Series on Friday night. Unlike Opening Day, this game did not come to a conclusion that day.
After 30 minutes of action, heavy rains descended upon the Bronx. The game was halted at 9:07. At 10:24, an announcement was made that Major League Baseball that the game would be suspended until Saturday night at 8:37. The rainout was the 10th for the Yanks in 2011, a major league high.
Each team scored a single run in the first inning. After fanning the first two Detroit batters, surrendered a homer to left fielder Delmon Young. The 26 year-old outfielder obtained the only base hit of the game’s first two innings. Sabathia struck out two batters in each frame.
Verlander’s wildness allowed the Yanks to tie the game in the bottom of the first. The first Yankees batter, Derek Jeter, alertly successfully reached first base on a wild pitch after striking out. Curtis Granderson walked. The two runners moved up to second and third on a groundout by Robinson Cano. A ground ball to third by A-Rod drove in the Yankees run.
Neither starter will be involved in the decision as each manager decided to use his scheduled second game starter, Ivan Nova for the Yanks and Doug Fister for the Tigers, to relieve on Saturday night in the resumption of game one.
The scheduled starting pitching must now be reconfigured as the teams will be playing four games in four days. Sunday’s travel day has been eliminated, so the series can end by Thursday at the latest. The possibility for rain on Saturday and Sunday still exists.