Schedule and 2012 Results
Regular Season Records: New York Yankees 95-67, Detroit 88-74
Game 1 on Saturday, 13 October: Detroit wins at New York Yankees, 6-runs-4 (12 inn)
Game 2 on Sunday, 14 October: Detroit wins at New York Yankees, 3-runs-nil
Game 3 on Tuesday, 16 October: New York Yankees lose at Detroit, 2-runs-1
Game 4 on Thursday, 18 October: New York Yankees lose at Detroit, 8-runs-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 4: The Detroit Tigers hosted and defeated the New York Yankees 8-runs-1 for a 4-games-nil victory in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1185. With the series 1185 victory, the Detroit Tigers improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1185 loss, the New York Yankees’ best-of-7 MLB playoff series record falls to 34-15 overall and 7-3 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Detroit Tigers in series 1185 was WWWW: Series 1185 thus becomes the sixth MLB Semifinals series, the 26th MLB series (all rounds), and the 196th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to end in a four-game sweep. With the series 1185 sweep, the Detroit Tigers tie the Oakland Athletics for the most best-of-7 format MLB Semifinals series sweeps (two each). Series 1185 becomes only the fifth best-of-7 MLB playoff series (out of 156 such series now completed) to end in an “annihilation” – a best-of-7 playoff series in which the swept team never, ever leads. The New York Yankees, having suffered the first such MLB annihilation (in series 158, to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1963 MLB Finals), now also suffer the ignominy of becoming the first MLB team to suffer more than one annihilation. The series 1185 sweep/loss ends a New York Yankees MLB-leading active streak of 19 best-of-7 playoff series (begun after series 321, the 1976 MLB Finals in which the Yankees lost four straight to the Cincinnati Reds) without having suffered a sweep. Ironically, the MLB team now with the longest active streak of most consecutive best-of-7 sweepless playoff series is the Detroit Tigers, which were last swept in series 3 (the 1907 MLB Finals, by the Chicago Cubs). In best-of-7 MLB playoff series history, the longest streak of sweepless series by one team was 25, achieved by the Yankees between sweeps suffered in series 15 (the 1922 MLB Finals) and series 158 (the 1963 MLB Finals). In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series history, the longest streak by one team of sweepless series was 75, achieved by the NHL Montreal Canadiens between sweeps suffered in series 89 (the 1952 NHL Finals) and series 609 (the 1992 NHL Quarterfinals). The MLB/NBA/NHL team now with the longest active streak of most consecutive best-of-7 sweepless playoff series is the NHL New Jersey Devils, which have avoided a sweep for all 43 of their best-of-7 NHL playoff series to date. When trailing 3-games-nil in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the New York Yankees now own an MLB-worst 0-4 record in Game 4 (the MLB/NBA/NHL-worst Game 4 record in best-of-7 playoff series among teams trailing 3-games-nil is 0-6, by the NBA Los Angeles Lakers). With only two runs scored in Detroit in series 1185, the New York Yankees tie the 1990 Boston Red Sox (in series 573) and the 1995 Cincinnati Reds (in series 696) for the fewest total runs scored on the road in a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals-round playoff series.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1185 having shifted to Michigan, the host Detroit Tigers eked out a 2-runs-1 victory over the New York Yankees, thereby taking a commanding 3-games-nil lead. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-nil, the Detroit Tigers have a 1-0 overall series record, a 1-0 overall Game 4 record, a 1-0 Semifinals series record, and a 1-0 Semifinals Game 4 record – all against the Oakland Athletics in series 987 (the 2006 American League Championship Series). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-nil, the New York Yankees have a 0-3 overall series record, a 0-3 overall Game 4 record, a 0-0 Semifinals series record, and a 0-0 Semifinals Game 4 record – the three Game 4/series losses occurred in series 15 (the 1922 MLB Finals, to the New York Giants), series 158 (the 1963 MLB Finals, to the Los Angeles Dodgers), and series 321 (the 1976 MLB Finals, to the Cincinnati Reds). Series 1185 is en route to an “annihilation” – a best-of-7 series four-game sweep in which the swept team never once leads. Series 1185 would thus become only the fifth annihilation in best-of-7 MLB playoff series history, and the first since series 938 (the 2004 MLB Finals, in which the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals). Ironically, the first MLB annihilation was also suffered by the New York Yankees, in the aforementioned 1963 MLB Finals. The New York Yankees thus become the 307th MLB/NBA/NHL team to attempt to surmount a 3-games-nil deficit for a 4-games-3 series victory – four previously have succeeded.

After Game 2: The Detroit Tigers visited and shut out the New York Yankees 3-runs-nil, thereby taking a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1185. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-nil, the Detroit Tigers have an overall series record of 1-0, an overall Game 3 record of 1-0, a Semifinals series record of 1-0, and a Semifinals Game 3 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-nil, the New York Yankees have an overall series record of 4-4, an overall Game 3 record of 5-3 with an active three-Game 3 winning streak, a Semifinals series record of 0-0, and a Semifinals Game 3 record of 0-0. For the third consecutive best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which the New York Yankees have fallen behind 2-games-nil, the Game 2 loss was by shutout (the previous two such series: series 847, to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 MLB Finals; series 722, to the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 MLB Finals).

After Game 1: In twelve innings, the Detroit Tigers visited and defeated the New York Yankees 6-runs-4 in Game 1 of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1185, the 2012 American League Championship Series. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Tigers have an overall series record of 2-1, an overall Game 2 record of 1-2, a Semifinals-round series record of 1-0, and a Semifinals-round Game 2 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the New York Yankees have an overall series record of 11-7, an overall Game 2 record of 10-8, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-0, and a Semifinals-round Game 2 record of 2-0. The half-dozen runs plated by the Detroit Tigers in series 1185 Game 1 are the most by Detroit in Game 1 of a best-of-7 format MLB playoff series since series 37, in which Detroit notched seven runs against the Cincinnati Reds in the opening game of the 1940 MLB Finals. Series 1185 Game 1 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff game to go to twelve innings since series 1086 Game 2, in which the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim lost 4-runs-3 in 13 innings to the Yankees in New York in the 2009 American League Championship Series. Series 1185 Game 1 is the longest-lasting (by innings) MLB Semifinals game lost by the home team since series 770 Game 2, in which the Cleveland Indians defeated the Yankees in New York 4-runs-1 in twelve innings in the 1998 American League Championship Series.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2012 MLB regular season, the New York Yankees finished seven games ahead of the Detroit Tigers. From 1905 through the 2011 MLB Finals round, inclusive, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by seven regular-season games, they have posted a 3-6 (.333) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1185 is the 14th best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Detroit Tigers, and the 49th for the New York Yankees. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Detroit Tigers have a 5-8 series record, a 1-2 Semifinals-round series record, and a 3-10 Game 1 record, while the New York Yankees have a 34-14 series record, a 7-2 Semifinals-round record, and a 30-18 Game 1 record. Series 1185 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees.