The day for memorials. A day to remember a great tragedy.

There was a rumour that President Donald Trump would throw out first pitch. He didn’t, but he did attend the game and drew uproarious cheers from the fans, even at one point drowning out the singing of “God Bless America”.

But I am here to talk about baseball, so let’s turn our attention to the game.

In two games in this series so far, the Tigers had scored 23 runs and conceded 3. They had obviously won both. In his last outing, Cam Schlittler had really struggled. Could he turn it around? In the first, he showed every sign that he could. He got Gleyber Torres to strike out swinging. Kerry Carpenter was called out on strikes and he got Riley Greene to hit a flyball to leftfield which Austin Slater was patrolling today.

Slater was also leading off for the Yankees and he struck out swinging to Detroit starter, Tyler Holton. Things were going to turn around quickly for Holton, though, as he gave up a homer to the next guy he faced, Aaron Judge. 1-0.

Nothing much else unfolded though as Cody Bellinger hit a fly out to Wenceel Perez in rightfield and Holton got Giancarlo Stanton to strike out swinging.

Detroit were soon to tie up the game again though. Although Spencer Torkelson struck out, Wenceel Perez then singled to Bellinger who was in centerfield tonight. This was followed by another single, this time by Colt Keith and another from Dillon Dingler. Both were hit to rightfield. Now, Perez had scord and Keith was on second. 1-1.

But, Schlittler was also able to turn things around. Parker Meadows struck out swinging and Javier Baez grounded out as he hit towards Jazz Chisholm Jr who threw to Paul Goldschmidt.

The bottom of the second was going to be crucial for the Yankees, not only for the runs they scored but also for the momentum and energy it brought to them. They began with Chisholm hitting a single to right. But then the Tigers took off Holton, who is more of a reliever than a starter and today was fulfilling something like the “opener” role that was on trend a few years ago. New pitcher, Sawyer Gipson-Long began by getting Goldschmidt to strike out swinging. Chisholm who was doing his best to get him off balance, did so and stole second. Then a double from Ben Rice brought Chisholm home. 2-1.

The scoring was not done yet as Jose Caballero hit a ground ball single to left field which brought Rice home. 3-1.

Caballero is one of the fastest men around and his 44th steal moved him to second. The next guys to the plate (Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells) couldn’t add more and Caballero advanced no further.

The Detroit team could not pull it back in the third. Although, it looked for a moment like they might. Torres hit a double to rightfield which was productive territory for the Tigers today. However, a line out from Carpenter was to be their undoing. It was fielded by Chisholm who threw to Caballero at short to pick off Torres too. Doubleplay. the third out came when Greene grounded out 5-3.

The momentum was now all with the Yankees and the confidence was flowing like a stream through their line-up. Most energised was Judge who hit his second homer in two at-bats as his hit cleared the centerfield wall. 4-1

Bellinger popped out to Dingler who captured it in his glove in foul territory, but it was only a moment’s respite as Stanton followed his team-mate by hitting another homer – this time to left-field. 5-1.

The inning ended with Chisholm grounding out (3-1), and Goldschmidt striking out swinging.

Detroit didn’t make any breakthrough in the top of the fifth as Torkelson hit a flyout, Perez popped out and Keith grounded out by hitting to McMahon who threw over to Goldschmidt.

The Yankees, on the other hand, were not about to slow down. Rice opened the inning by hitting a double on a line drive to right. He was pushed up to third on a single from Caballero – a hit which also went to rightfield. Even the strikeout of McMahon was not entirely negative. Caballero stole second. Runners were on second and third when Slater hit a single, scoring Rice and moving Caballero to third. 6-1.

Then Judge, who was menacing the Detroit pitchers, was hit by pitched ball and the bases loaded.

Gipson-Long’s inglorious time on the mound came to a close. He was replaced by Bailey Horn.

The first batter that Horn faced was Bellinger. He gave up a single to him which as it spun into rightfield scored Caballero and moved up the other two runners. 7-1.

The second out saw Stanton strike out, but the scoring was not over. A single from Chisholm scored both Slater and Judge, with Bellinger moving to third. 9-1.

Another hit to right field saw Perez take the line drive from Goldschmidt cleanly.

The fifth and sixth went scoreless. Detroit had a single from Meadows in the fifth, who was helped out by a wild pitch from Schlittler. There were also walks for Torres and Carpenter. Unfortunately, all of this activity was surrounded by a strike out for Dingler, a ground out for Baez, and another strikeout for Greene. Meadows was then taken out pf the game and replaced by Trey Sweeney, with Baez switching from shortstop to centerfield. A Rice walk was all there was for the Yankees with Caballero (lineout), McMahon (ground out) and Slater (strikeout) spoiling the party. Brenan Hanifee took the mound just prior to the Slater out. Tigers then went down 1-2-3 in the sixth (Torkelson-Perez-Keith), and the Yankees couldn’t make the best of their opportunities when it came their turn to come to bat. With Jahmai Jones now playing leftfield, he was immediately greeted by a single from Judge – and then the Tigers gifted Bellinger a walk. It was Stanton who produced the setback hitting into a 5-4-3 doubleplay. It did have the virtue of moving Judge to third but a Chisholm flyout ended the chance.

Ryan Yarbrough who had been excellent on the occasion of Schlittler’s struggles in his previous appearance, was now called from the bullpen. He was not as sharp today, surrendering a 4-bagger to the first batter he faced – Dingler hit with power to leftfield. 9-2.

Then Sweeney grounded out to help Yarbrough regain his balance and Baez lined out to Caballero. The Yankees gave up a walk to Torres, but this was only followed up by Carpenter striking out swinging.

The third former Yankee to appear today was next to take the mound. Tommy Kahnle has had a difficult season and the Tigers needed him to take the opportunity to settle down. He gave up a single to Goldschmidt before getting Rice to hit into a force out which meant that Goldschmidt was out at first and Rice safe at first on the play.

Things were difficult for Kahnle and he walked Caballero and McMahon to load the bases. It was time for another call to the bullpen with Keider Montero called upon, and being a more successful switch. He got Slater to strike out swinging and then Judge was called out on strikes.

Two flyouts began the eighth for Detroit as Jahmai Jones (to left) and Torkelson (to right) were both cleanly caught out. A walk was then given up to Perez and then, deciding this might be their last chance, Detroit brought on Andy Ibanez to pinch hit. He hit a single and moved Perez up to third, but this was to come to nothing when Dingler popped out to Goldschmidt.

Ibanez remained in the game in the bottom of the eighth, at first base. The Yankees failed to build on their advantage with Bellinger lining out to first, and Stanton striking out swinging. A walk to Chisholm and a single for Goldschmidt followed, before Rice lined out to rightfield.

There was to be one more piece of action before the Yankees could greet each other in modest celebration that was suitable to the day. With one out (Sweeney strike out swinging), Baez hit a triple which saw his flyball fall difficultly for Judge in rightfield before Torres ground out. It was enough to bring him home. 9-3.

The game ended on a grounder for Carpenter which was taken by McMahon who threw over to Goldschmidt for the final out.

So, the Yankees had comeback well from their previous two heavy defeats. Obviously, they would have preferred to take the series but given the way that things started out, that was never on the table.

A road trip next, which will be covered in the next page from our diary.