After another long night in the Bronx, the New York Yankees will now be without their captain as they try to avoid a two-game deficit in the AL championship series.

Derek Jeter is out for the rest of the postseason with a broken left ankle for the Yankees, who will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound on three days' rest as they try to draw even with the Detroit Tigers on Sunday in Game 2.

The Yankees dropped Saturday's opener 6-4 in 12 innings despite rallying from four runs down in the ninth on two-run homers by Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez off Tigers closer Jose Valverde .

But the defeat became an afterthought when Jeter fractured his ankle in the 12th. It happened when he dove to his left for a grounder hit by Jhonny Peralta , was unable to put weight on his left leg and had to be helped off the field by manager Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donahue.

"They talked about a three-month recovery period," Girardi said. "Won't jeopardize his career, but he will not be playing any more for us this year."

Jeter, who will not need surgery, recorded his 200th career postseason hit Saturday and is tied with Suzuki for the team lead with nine hits in the playoffs. Girardi said that Eduardo Nunez , who was left off the ALCS roster, will be added to replace Jeter.

The manager compared losing Jeter to how the Yankees lost iconic closer Mariano Rivera to a torn ACL in May.

"We have to find a way to try to get it done," Girardi said. "I think some people left us for dead when Mo went down and here we are in the ALCS."

This unprecedented stretch of five playoff home games in as many days concludes Sunday after New York won in 12 innings Wednesday and lost in 13 on Thursday in a division series against Baltimore.

These teams needed aces Justin Verlander of Detroit and CC Sabathia of New York to capture decisive Game 5s, leaving those pitchers unavailable this weekend. Verlander will start Game 3 on Tuesday in Detroit and Sabathia Game 4 the next day.

It means that a loss by Kuroda (0-0, 2.16 ERA) would leave the Yankees down 2-0 ahead of facing the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and MVP in Verlander in the third game on the road.

Kuroda has never pitched on short rest. Girardi had few Game 2 options with the ALCS starting one day after the Yankees took Game 5 over the Orioles.

"I am not crazy about it, but there is not really a lot I can do about it, so we have to live with it," Girardi said. "The extra wild card was added, and this is a function of that because the TV schedule was set."

Girardi re-installed Alex Rodriguez in the lineup Saturday in the No. 6 slot after benching the three-time AL MVP on Friday. Rodriguez went 0 for 3 to drop to 2 for 19 with 10 strikeouts in the playoffs, failing with the bases loaded in the first inning in the ALCS opener before he was replaced by a pinch-hitter for the third straight start.

Detroit, meanwhile, was victorious but has questions to ask about Valverde. The closer blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning with a chance to eliminate Oakland in a 4-3 road loss Wednesday, and his career postseason ERA has ballooned to 8.79.

"We really want to put our heads together and discuss it first, to be honest with you, and get together as a coaching staff and talk about it," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Delmon Young bailed out the beleaguered closer by doubling in the go-ahead run in the 12th. Young, who homered three times in last year's division series against the Yankees, also went deep in Game 1 as part of a three-hit night.

The Tigers will get their third look this year at Kuroda, who had a 3.38 ERA and no decisions in two regular-season outings.

Kuroda is unsure of what to expect Sunday after yielding two runs over 8 1-3 innings Wednesday in a 3-2, 12-inning win over the Orioles.

"This is probably the shortest rest that I have ever had in my baseball career, but at this point of the season, you know, we can't really be talking about anything but to win," Kuroda said through an interpreter. "So I'm just going to prepare myself to win this game, like I always have been, throughout the season."

Kuroda's lone career LCS start was a disaster in 2009 with the Dodgers. He lasted 1 1-3 innings and was charged with six runs in an 11-0 defeat at Philadelphia in Game 3.

The right-hander is 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 home starts this year including Wednesday's outing, and is 5-2 with a 1.99 ERA in eight overall day outings.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is 4 for 9 with two homers lifetime against Kuroda.

Anibal Sanchez (0-1, 2.84) will start for the Tigers. Sanchez has never pitched at the current Yankee Stadium, but has fond memories of the Bronx since he won his big-league debut in the old one with Florida in 2006.

"I think about it, you know, that's my first time in the new stadium, the Yankee Stadium," Sanchez said. "I got my debut in the old stadium, and this was the first time my mom come to U.S."

The right-hander's only other career start against New York came Aug. 8 when he was tagged for seven runs over seven-plus innings in a 12-8 defeat.

Sanchez, Tigers beat Yanks for 2-0 lead in ALCS

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Detroit Tigers got a big boost from Anibal Sanchez 's arm. They got a helping hand from an umpire, too.

The reward: a commanding 2-0 lead in the AL championship series, and a trip home with their ace ready to start.

Sanchez shut down a Yankees lineup minus injured Derek Jeter , Detroit scored twice after an admitted missed call by an ump and won without any extra-inning drama, beating New York 3-0 Sunday.

"He was terrific," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "This is a tough place to pitch with a tough lineup and a short porch. And a whole bunch of left-handed hitters, it is not easy. That was quite a feat."

New York starter Hiroki Kuroda pitched perfect ball into the sixth inning to keep pace with Sanchez. But Robinson Cano and the slumping Yankees hitters were no match for the 28-year-old right-hander a day after their captain broke his ankle in the 12th inning of a 6-4 loss.

"I try to think backwards," Sanchez said. "If the count calls for a fastball, I throw a different pitch. If the count calls for a different pitch, I throw a fastball. I try to mix my speeds."

To get out of a jam in the first inning, he thought backward, all right: try reaching around his back to snare a grounder for the final out.

Making his second postseason start, Sanchez threw three-hit ball deep into the game to make Leyland's job easier. Closer Jose Valverde gave up four runs in the ninth Saturday and, only hours later, Leyland said the righty wouldn't close Game 2.

Delmon Young gave Sanchez his first run of support in these playoffs with a fielder's choice in the seventh. The Tigers then scored twice in the eighth after second base umpire Jeff Nelson missed a call on a two-out tag at second base. Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued, and was ejected on his 48th birthday.

"The hand did not get in before the tag," Nelson said after seeing a replay. "The call was incorrect."

Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Detroit, with reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers against Phil Hughes . Verlander went 2-0 in the division series versus Oakland, including a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the decisive Game 5.

The Tigers led 1-0 in the eighth and had Omar Infante on first with two outs. Austin Jackson singled and when Infante took a wide turn at second, right fielder Nick Swisher threw behind him.

Cano made a swipe tag as Infante made a head-first dive back to second. Cano missed Infante's arm but brushed his body, replays clearly showed. But Nelson called Infante safe.

"I think the umpire got confused `cause he saw my hand, something with my hand made him think I was safe," Infante said.

Was he out?

"Of course," Infante said.

Cano and Girardi pleaded the call to no avail. Boone Logan replaced Kuroda and gave up an RBI single to pinch hitter Avisail Garcia to make it 2-0.

"It's frustrating. I don't have a problem with Jeff's effort, I don't, because he hustled to get to the play. But in this day and age when we have instant replay available to us, it's got to change," Girardi said.

"These guys are under tremendous amounts of pressure. It is a tough call for him because the tag is underneath and it's hard for him to see. And it takes more time to argue and get upset than you get the call right. Too much is at stake," he said.

Girardi returned to lift Logan for Joba Chamberlain , and then he remained on the field to resume the argument. Red-faced with neck muscles bulging, Girardi could be seen shouting at Nelson, "You were right there. How could you miss it?" He was tossed by Nelson for his first postseason ejection.

Miguel Cabrera added a run-scoring single after the ejection.

Cano had no luck at the plate, either. The All-Star's slump extended to a record 26 hitless at-bats in a single postseason, breaking the mark of 24 set by Baltimore's Bobby Bonilla in 1996, STATS LLC said.

"I feel good at the plate," Cano said. "So, all I can do is stay positive and play good Tuesday."

There were many empty seats near the foul poles, and a subdued crowd spent much of the day venting its frustration, booing the punchless Yankees. The 47,082 in attendance reserved its biggest cheers early for Jeter, who broke his ankle in the last inning of the Game 1 loss.

"I don't know what's going on here, it seems like something is going on here," Tigers reliever Octavio Dotel said. "I mean, I don't want to wake them, I don't want them to get loud. I don't know what's going on but I like it."

The "Bleacher Creatures" included the captain in their roll call and fans let out a modest cheer pregame when Jeter was shown in video thanking fans on the scoreboard.

While the Yankees are headed to Detroit for what they hope will be three games, their captain will fly to Charlotte, N.C., to visit a foot specialist.

Jhonny Peralta singled in the sixth for the Tigers' first baserunner against Kuroda, who was pitching on short rest for the first time in his big league career. Delmon Young then gave Detroit the lead with a forceout grounder in the seventh, a night after putting the Tigers ahead in the 12th inning with a double.

Sanchez has had quite the success in the Bronx. He made his big league debut at the old Yankee Stadium when it was across the street, and pitched 5 2-3 shutout innings for Marlins in 2006. The only player to notch two hits against him in that game was Jeter.

Pitching for the first time in this 4-year-old ballpark - and in front of his parents - Sanchez limited the slumping Yankees to just three hits and three walks, one an intentional pass to Raul Ibanez .

When Ichiro Suzuki reached on Sanchez's fielding error to open the sixth and advanced to third with two outs, Peralta was there to bail out his pitcher with another nifty play, bare-handing a slow grounder for the third out.

Leyland took Valverde out of consideration for the closer role on Sunday. Valverde gave up a pair of two-run homers in the ninth inning Saturday night and also blew a save in the division series.

Former Yankees reliever Phil Coke pitched two innings for the save.

" Jose Valverde will be an important part of this club in this playoff or we are going to have a real tough time," Leyland said. "I just hope that the people back home are, like I said, not too short-minded because this guy has been fantastic, and is an important piece in the scenario, in my opinion."

Kuroda did all he could to help keep it close for the Yankees' anemic offense.

Curtis Granderson went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and a walk and Alex Rodriguez singled in the ninth for his third hit of the postseason and finished 1 for 4. A-Rod is 0 for 18 with 12 Ks against right-handed pitchers in these playoffs. When he lined out to left field in the seventh fans gave a mock cheer.

"We've been through stretches like this all year," Rodriguez said. "It's been a very volatile stock market for us this year."

NOTES: Cabrera reached base in all 18 playoff games with Detroit, matching Hank Greenberg for the longest streak in team history.

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