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Even though it's a tough decision for manager Joe Girardi and the New York Yankees, the decision to bench Alex Rodriguez for Game 3 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers was the correct one.New York's decision came just hours before Tuesday's 8 p.m. ET game, and the Yanks are desperate to pull out a victory, as they trail the series, 0-2, with the series heading to Detroit for Game 3.ESPN SportsCenter's Twitter account broke the news about A-Rod's benching: BREAKING: Alex Rodriguez not in @yankees' lineup for Game 3 vs @tigers— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 16, 2012  Rodriguez hasn't exactly been hitting the cover off the ball this series, as he's batted 1-for-7 through the first two games of the ALCS.That hasn't been his only problem, apparently. News broke out early Tuesday that A-Rod engaged in some flirting with females in the stands quickly after being taken out in the eighth ...

The Detroit Tigers gutted out a crucial 3-1 victory in Game 1 over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night in a tight matchup that went down to the wire. Justin Verlander opened his 2012 playoff run with a bang and proved his reigning AL MVP status with a dominating performance on the mound, giving up just three hits and one earned run on a first-inning home run from Coco Crisp. That home run would end up being the only scoring play for the A's on the day. The Athletics also received a solid pitching performance from Jarrod Parker, but he gave up two earned runs and committed a fielding error that gave the Tigers their other run. Alex Avila notched Detroit's only RBI of the game on a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning off Parker. The Tigers now lead the crucial five-game series, 1-0.   Twitter Reaction ESPN's Buster Olney made an impressive ...

The 2012 MLB Playoffs are shaping up to be among the best ever.The road to the World Series isn't easy for any team, especially since the MLB playoffs is set up so only five teams are allowed in. But these teams will have an increasingly difficult time when they look ahead and see who they'll be facing.Let's take a look at the teams who will have the toughest roads to the World Series. Baltimore OriolesAfter battling the New York Yankees all season in the AL East leader boards, you can bet that the Baltimore Orioles would've hoped to avoid the Yanks in the ALDS.Well, they weren't so fortunate.They beat the odds by grinding out a tough win in the Wild Card play-in game against the Texas Rangers and stifled a scorching offense.  Now they'll have to turn around and face C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is 16-4 all-time against the O's, but two of ...

The MLB is gearing up for yet another exciting end to the regular season as Cinderella teams are sprinkled in with some World Series favorites in many tight races for playoff spots. While we may not get the type of regular-season finale that we were blessed with last year, there's still plenty of intriguing storylines and teams right on the cusp of playoff berths. With one more playoff spot up for grabs in each league this year for the first time ever, the madness is certainly not going to end when the regular season comes to a close.Let's take a look at Tuesday's games that have major playoff implications. American LeagueBoston Red Sox 7, Tampa Bay Rays 5 - FComing off two straight losses to the AL East leading Yankees, the Rays may have thought they were facing a slumping Red Sox team at the perfect time. It's turned out to be the ...

The American League playoff race is heating up, and there is no shortage of star power and top-quality baseball despite some surprising teams in the hunt.We saw how crazy this race can get last year, on what some of the nation has dubbed the best day in MLB history (according to ESPN's SportsNation). It'd be foolish not to tune in to these massive games that will have major implications on this year's World Series.Now that the grueling, 162-game season that began in late March is finally coming close to an end, it's time to gear up for what should be an exciting conclusion to the season that will likely come down to the final game.  Boston Red Sox 4, New York Yankees 3 - FThe Red Sox season may be nearing it's end, but they proved Tuesday night that they've yet to give up on what many people see as a lost ...

Boston Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine hasn't been right about a lot of things since he arrived at his new gig, but he's spot with his latest comments. Things heated up in Boston Friday night after Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales pegged Luke Scott late in a 7-4 Tampa Bay Rays win, evoking a bench-clearing altercation that showcased an unusual amount of hostility from coaches on either side. After Rays manager Joe Maddon had some interesting comments about Valentine's supposed decision to plunk Scott late in the game, Valentine fired back Saturday about the way Maddon's coaching staff conducted themselves during the scrum."They seemed immature, out of control. Coaches are supposed to stop this from happening and their coaches were aggressive, agitating and instigating." (via the Boston Herald)Valentine could not be more right. Instructing your pitchers to throw at a batter happens. Instigating a bench-clearing situation that could put dozens of players in danger of injuries ...

After the way last season ended, it's hard not to put "Boston Red Sox" and "disappointing" in the same sentence. Although, after one of the most historic collapses in baseball history at the end of the 2011 regular season, Red Sox Nation has plenty to be excited about with one of the most potent offenses in the majors and capable pitching.There will be numerous players who carry the Red Sox to victories day in and day out, but there will inevitably also be players who don't meet the expectations that have been set. Some players bound for disappointment have been around the organization for what feels like forever, and will simply run out of efficiency while the up-and-coming players trump them in every statistical category. Other Beantown ballplayers will crumble to the pressure of having an increased role, or simply don't have what it takes to compete at the level they will be ...