NIX OF TIME: Jayson Nix (left) is congratulated at home plate by Francisco Cervelli after Nix’s two-run home run off Justin Verlander (inset) during the second inning of the Yankees’ 7-0 victory over the Tigers in Detroit yesterday. (AP (2))
DETROIT — Can a game be labeled big without a week of the schedule complete?
In the Yankees’ case there was no other way to view yesterday’s 7-0 victory over the Tigers in front of 39,829 at Comerica Park.
Sure, they downplayed the significance of a win on April 7 because that’s how managers and players are wired.
Still, they entered 1-4, were facing Justin Verlander, perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, and had ace CC Sabathia going for them against arguably the top lineup in the game.
Lose a second game inside a week with Sabathia pitching and the gloom and doom would grow thicker.
Much has been made of Sabathia’s declining velocity since he barely touched 92 mph Opening Day against the Red Sox.
It was more of the same yesterday for the large lefty but expertly mixing in 84-mph sliders and 78-mph change-ups, Sabathia provided seven shutout innings in which he allowed four harmless singles and only faced one batter with a runner in scoring position.
“My fastball command was a lot better and the change-up was working early,’’ said Sabathia, who explained locating the fastball inside produced different results from Opening Day when he gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings. “I pitched in a lot more.’’
How important was it for manager Joe Girardi to get out of Motown with a win? He used Mariano Rivera in the ninth with a 7-0 bulge.
Jayson Nix, who started for a second straight game at short for Eduardo Nunez (bruised right biceps), went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run homer in the three-run third off a 3-1 Verlander change-up.
“I had one hit [in 11 at-bats] against him, a single, and it was on a change-up,’’ Nix said of Verlander, who pointed at his head with an index finger as Nix rounded the bases.
Kevin Youkilis’ first week as a Yankee ended with a 2-for-4, two-RBI effort. In six games Youkilis is batting .409 (9-for-22) with four RBIs.
Starting back-to-back games for the first time, catcher Francisco Cervelli added two hits and a pair of RBIs.
“It [hitting] feels good, especially when I help the team win,’’ said Cervelli, who doubled home Ichiro Suzuki from first in the second and singled in Nunez, a pinch-runner, in the eighth. “But, for me, I focus 100 percent on defense.’’
The victory allowed the Yankees to avoid being swept by the team many predict will reach the World Series for the second straight year.
“We beat a very good team today,’’ Girardi said.
The Yankees open a four-game series today in Cleveland against the new-look Indians and former teammate Nick Swisher. Most appetizing for a Yankees lineup that is missing Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson is a woeful Indians rotation.
As for Sabathia, he was satisfied he did so well against a Tiger lineup that houses Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez in the middle of it. And disappointed he couldn’t have gone further than the seventh.
“That’s an unbelievable lineup,’’ said Sabathia, who held that trio hitless in nine at-bats.
When Sabathia struck out Austin Jackson to end the seventh, he let off some steam because he was ticked that the pitch count was extended to 114 and he knew he was done.
“I was upset with myself because in the seventh inning I had 3-2 on every hitter and I wasn’t making pitches,’’ Sabathia said. “I knew the bullpen was taxed.’’
Wins aren’t graded on a curve. An 11-0 beating of the lowly Astros counts as much as any other victory.
Yet, despite what the Yankees said yesterday, beating Verlander on the same day their ace pitched a lot better than he had Opening Day meant more than your garden variety win.