Yankee captain Derek Jeter is done for season after breaking his ankle in the 12th inning of a heartbreaking loss to the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the American League Championship Series. Jeter had to be helped off the field after stumbling on a hard hit ball hit up the middle.
Jeter winced in obvious pain as he fell to the ground after knocking down the ball, but was unable to make a throw. After the play, Jeter was unable to place any weight on his left foot at all, as he limped off the field with the assistance of Yankee manager Joe Girardi and a team trainer.
It was an ugly ending to what had been a magical night in the Bronx for the Yanks, who rallied from four down, to tie the Tigers in the 9th inning on this home run by Raul Ibanez:
Ibanez made baseball history by becoming the first player to hit three home runs in the ninth inning or later in a single postseason.
The 40-year-old Ibanez also hit a pinch-hit game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the AL Division Series versus the Orioles. The Yankee slugger and DH also hit the game-winner in the 12th vs. the Orioles.
But on Saturday night, the Tigers came back to score two runs in the top of the 12th, when Jeter was injured. The Yanks lost the game 6-4.
But even more troubling is the permanent loss of Jeter, the lead-off hitter and heart and soul of the team. In the second inning, Jeter knocked a single to right and became the first ballplayer to record 200 hits in the postseason:
Jeter Knocks 200th Postseason Hit
Without the veteran Jeter in the lineup, the Yankees have a seemingly insurmountable challenge ahead. The Tigers lead the series 1-0 and the Bronx Bombers must now win four games without their most valuable player.
Jeter At Shortstop
