Verlander, Young lead Tigers over Yankees
<p>Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta jumps over New York's Brett Gardner during the third inning of Game 3 of an American League division series Monday in Detroit. Gardner was out at second as Derek Jeter grounded into a double play.</p>
DETROIT - Justin Verlander struck out 11 in eight gritty innings and Jose Valverde stopped a Yankees rally for the second straight night, whiffing Derek Jeter with two on to close out the Detroit Tigers' 5-4 victory over New York on Monday.
Delmon Young hit a tiebreaking homer in seventh off Rafael Soriano and the Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five American League playoff, pushing the Yankees to the brink of elimination.
Verlander and Yankees ace CC Sabathia were back on the mound after their Game 1 matchup was halted early by bad weather Friday night.
While Sabathia didn't make it through the sixth Monday, Verlander was still hitting 100 mph on the stadium radar gun in the eighth.
Rangers 4, Rays 3: At St. Petersburg, Fla., back on the road in the playoffs, the Texas Rangers won again.
Colby Lewis outpitched All-Star David Price, Mike Napoli hit a go-ahead two-run homer and the defending AL champions survived a shaky night from the bullpen to hold off the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Monday night in Game 3 of their postseason series.
The Rangers' fourth straight division series road win matches the third-longest streak in major league history and gives Texas a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 Tuesday at Tropicana Field. Texas won three ALDS games here a year ago, when it eliminated Tampa Bay in five games.
Rookie Desmond Jennings hit a pair of solo homers for the Rays, who kept it interesting by scoring twice off Rangers relievers before Neftali Feliz got four outs for his second save of the series.
Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre, playing deep and guarding the line to prevent a double in the ninth, started an around-the-horn double play on Kelly Shoppach's grounder to end it.
Price was the losing pitcher in two of Tampa Bay's playoff losses in 2010 and welcomed the opportunity to try to redeem himself against the only AL opponent he's yet to beat in his career.
The left-hander shrugged off a poor outing in his last regular season start to take a 1-0 lead into the seventh, thanks to Desmond Jennings' fourth-inning homer off Lewis.