Tigers edge Yankees for commanding MLB lead

Justin Verlander shut out the New York Yankees for eight innings and the Detroit Tigers held on for a 2-1 victory that put them within one win of reaching the World Series. After ace Verlander gave up a home run in the top of the ninth inning on Tuesday, Phil Coke came to the mound for the Tigers and finished off a triumph that gave Detroit a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. The winner of the series will face either San Francisco or St. Louis in Major League Baseball's championship showcase. A solo homer by Delmon Young and an RBI double by Miguel Cabrera produced all the offense Detroit needed with Verlander on the mound. Over the first eight innings, the right-hander surrendered just two singles -- both to Ichiro Suzuki. Eduardo Nunez ended Verlander's run of 23 straight scoreless innings with a leadoff homer in the ninth, and Verlander, his pitch count rising, was pulled after retiring Brett Gardner on a groundout. Coke induced Ichiro to ground out, then allowed the potential go-ahead run on base before striking out Raul Ibanez to end the game. The Tigers will try to complete a sweep at home in game four on Wednesday and secure their first trip to the World Series since 2006. The Yankees will send C.C. Sabathia to the mound while Detroit's Max Scherzer will seek to finish off the sweep. Yankees manager Joe Girardi's bid to ignite his team by shaking up the lineup -- again benching superstar Alex Rodriguez and also slumping Nick Swisher -- was in vain. Rodriguez, a three-time league Most Valuabe Player, was replaced by Eric Chavez while Swisher was replaced by Gardner. Chavez went 0-for-3 and Gardner, in his first start since April 17, was hitless in the leadoff spot. New York had pitching problems as well as starter Phil Hughes exited in the fourth inning with a stiff back, having given up the fourth-inning homer to Young.