Yankees Face Tough Odds In Hopes Of ALCS Comeback

Tuesday night, the Detroit Tigers host the New York Yankees, in Game 3 of the ALCS, with 2011 American League Cy Young/MVP Justin Verlander taking the mound for Detroit. The Tigers own a commanding 2-0 series lead, after winning the first two games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, over the weekend.

To make matters worse, the Yankees are without future Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, who suffered a fractured ankle, late in Saturday's first game of the series.

Alex Rodriguez, whose postseason struggles include getting pinch hit for twice, as well as being benched for the decisive fifth game of the American League Division Series, will once again not appear in the starting lineup during Game 3.

The Yankees now face very long odds of winning this series. Since 1985, when the league championship series switched to a best-of-seven format, only three teams have come back to win, after falling down 0-2.

The last time this occurrence took place was back in 2004, when the Boston Red Sox famously rallied from down 0-3, in coming back to beat the Yankees in seven games.

Ironically, if New York loses on Tuesday, this infamous collapse will serve as the iconic franchise's lone source of validation, regarding the possibility of yet another historic comeback.