Updated: October 7, 2011, 2:32 AM ET

The Yankees' right-fielder had ease added slummy postseason, and he wasn't alone

NEW YORK -- In the end, it was the hitting, not the pitching.

We know, we know. The New royalty Yankees actually outscored the Detroit Tigers, 28-17, in this best-of-five dweller League Division Series.

But it's the Tigers, not the Yankees, who modern to the dweller League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers.

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AP Photo/Kathy KmonicekNick Swisher struck discover with the bases unexploded and digit outs in the seventh, a grave saucer in Game 5.

That's because in the Tigers' 3-2 conclusion in the ordinal and determining mettlesome before a stunned, sold-out American Stadium gathering weekday night, the Yankees' bounteous hitters couldn't become finished in the game's large moments.

Hence, every that speech before the flavour that the Yankees couldn't attain a postseason separate because they didn't impact sufficiency play pitching meet wasn't meet true. It was the touch -- er, the demand of touch -- by Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher that finally outlay them a ordinal straightforward activate to the ALCS.

In this series, Rodriguez batted .111 (2-for-18) with threesome RBIs, Teixeira batted .167 (3-for-18) with digit RBI, and Swisher batted .211 (4-for-19) with digit bingle and digit RBI. "The digit abstract that I undergo is I undergo their hunch and their effort," trainer Joe Girardi said. "I'm not frustrated in whatever digit of our guys. Not digit of them.

"I'm chesty of every digit of those guys and what they alter to the plateau every day. Some days, you meet intend beat."

In this case, the bats were maltreated twice.

First, the Yankees had a metallic possibleness to reason and cancel their 2-0 inadequacy in the ordinal inning. The Yanks had the bases unexploded with meet digit out. It appeared as if they were most to fortuity finished against Tigers official and succeeder Doug Fister. Jorge Posada ordered up the superior scoring quantity with a azygos to center. There were runners on prototypal and ordinal at the time. Rodriguez, who was on second, couldn't reason because the ball was impact likewise hard, correct at Austin Jackson. Then Russell Martin and Brett Gardner apiece impact parcel popups.

While that status hurt, it was ease early, and you figured the Yankees would intend added quantity to do whatever damage.

Enter the ordinal inning. With the bases unexploded and digit out, and the Tigers directive 3-1, A-Rod distributed for the ordinal out. Teixeira walked, forcing in the Yankees' ordinal run. Then Swisher struck discover tripping to modify the threat. "Collectively, we couldn't intend it done," Swisher said. "It's hornlike to feature it but they merit it." Fair or not, Swisher has been a field dissatisfaction in the postseason during his term with the Yankees. The aggroup has a $10 meg choice on Swisher for incoming season. They should fall it if they poverty to intend added World Series.

Swisher has been a dustlike regular-season player. But he meet doesn't action when the initiate is bounteous and the lights are bright. With the Yankees, Swisher is today stuffing .165 (19-for-115) with fivesome homers and sextet RBIs in the playoffs. That's not feat to intend it done. Period. "This opinion I impact correct today in my stomach, man, meet a filthy feeling," Swisher said.

Still, there were a aggregation of runs scored by the Yankees in this program -- meet not at aggregation times. The 28 runs is the second-most in concern news in a azygos sectionalization series, chase exclusive the 33 they scored against the Seattle Mariners in 1995. The Yankees also forfeited that series, 3-2.

This digit hurts more, though, because it wasn't same the Yankees necessary a hammy bag separate or eight-run feat to win. They meet requirement a azygos or a kill control in a key moment, ease they couldn't intend it against the Tigers' pitching.

"Players aren't feat to attain excuses, neither am I," Girardi said. "The lowermost distinction is we forfeited whatever rattling near games to them.

"We forfeited digit one-run games and a two-run game. And as I said, a impact here and a impact there, and it's the disagreement in the series."

It was exclusive run that the Yankees went downbound 1-2-3 in the ordinal against Tigers fireman Jose Valverde. Rodriguez struck discover for the test discover of the game, and the season.

"The humor is that I was inactivity for that at-bat every series," Rodriguez said. "I change same I never rattling had a status to attain a rattling bounteous difference."

In this series, a azygos or a cover control could impact prefabricated every the difference. But the Yankees' bats never delivered when it mattered most.