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Paul Goldschmidt (Wikimedia Commons)

The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks stayed alive Tuesday night in the Major League Baseball Playoffs with convincing and dominating victories.

In Detroit, the Yankees scored six times alone in the eighth inning en route to a 10-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers to force a dramatic fifth and deciding game Thursday night in the Bronx.

Offensively it was the bottom of the order that produced the most for New York, as designated hitter  Jesus Montero, catcher Russell Martin of East York, Ontario and left fielder Brett Gardner combined to go 6-for-10, with five runs scored. In the third, with Martin and Gardner already on base, Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter hit a key one out double which gave the Yankees key early momentum.

Yankees’ starter A.J. Burnett, a former Toronto Blue Jay, was on a “short leash” by Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi and did not disappoint. Burnett, who had an earned run average of 5.15 in the regular season, only gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work.

In Phoenix, the Diamondbacks hammered the Brewers 8-1 to pull within a game in the National League Divisional Series. Milwaukee still leads 2-1. And it was the outstanding performances by two Arizona rookies that got them  a key playoff win. In making his first postseason start, Josh Collmenter was electric, as he pitched seven innings, only gave up one earned run, two hits, six strikeouts and two walks.

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