Verlander delivers; Tigers one win from World Series

• The Tigers take a commanding 3-0 lead in the ALCS
• Verlander tossed eight shutout innings before giving up a solo home run in the ninth
• Cabrera set an LCS record 16-game hitting streak

DETROIT -- History is decidedly in the Detroit Tigers' favor. So is the sustained futility of the New York Yankees' lineup.

Justin Verlander took a shutout into the ninth inning Tuesday night as the Tigers held off the New York Yankees 2-1 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Comerica Park.

The Tigers have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the best of seven series and will go for the sweep on Wednesday night when Max Scherzer, who led the major leagues in strikeouts in the regular season, faces Yankees ace CC Sabathia in Game 4 at 8:07 p.m. ET.

The only team ever to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series were the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. Yet Verlander and the Tigers insist they are not breathing easy.

"They're the Yankees and they have great veteran hitters all through the line," Verlander said. "You never feel comfortable against them."

Yet the Yankees are countering merely with offensive ineptitude.

Robinson Cano is 3-for-36 (.083) in the postseason while Curtis Granderson is 3-for-29 (.107), Alex Rodriguez is 3-for-23 (.130), Nick Swisher is 4-for-26 (.154) and Russell Martin is 5-for-28 (.179).Together, they are hitting .120 (17-for-142) and Rodriguez and Swisher were on the bench for Game 3 as Yankees manager Joe Girardi tried to find a winning lineup combination.

If Scherzer pitches like the Tigers' other three starters have in this series then the Yankees will be ripe to be swept in a postseason series for the first time since the Cincinnati Reds took four straight from them in the 1976 World Series.

Tigers starters have allowed only one run in 21 1/3 innings in the ALCS for a combined 0.42 ERA and they have a 0.96 mark in eight games in this postseason.

Verlander held the Yankees to one run and three hits in 8 1/3 innings, allowing Eduardo Nunez's leadoff home run in the ninth that made it a one-run game.

"I was able to make big pitches when I had to and the defense played well behind me," said Verlander.

He was removed from the game in the ninth with 132 pitches.

"Normally you don't take out Secretariat in the final furlong," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, "but that was pretty much it for him."

Verlander tied a season-high with 132 pitches, 86 for strikes.

Verlander is 9-0 with a 1.49 ERA in his last 11 home starts. His last loss in Detroit came more than three months ago when the Yankees beat him on June 3.

Left-hander Phil Coke gave up two hits but got the final two outs for his second save in as many games in place of struggling closer Jose Valverde.

The Yankees have scored just 21 runs in their eight postseason games and in just two of 30 innings in this series.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes left the game in the fourth inning with stiffness in his back two batters after giving up Delmon Young's leadoff home run, a liner to left, to open the scoring.

The Tigers made it 2-0 in the fifth when AL Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera doubled home rookie Quintin Berry, who reached on third baseman Eric Chavez's fielding error then stole second base.

The Yankees' team-wide slump continued, but their pitching has fared well.

"We've gotten good pitching all throughout the playoffs and we're going to need it again if we want to live another day," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.