The 2012 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2012 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff— played in two series. TBS carried most of the games, with some on MLB Network or TNT.
The series used the 2–3 format for 2012 because on March 2 the league had implemented the new "wild card" playoff, eliminating the travel day between Games 4 and 5. The 2–3 format was used for best-of-five Championship Series rounds prior to 1985 and for the Division Series rounds from 1995 to 1997. The matchups for the 2012 ALDS were:
(1) New York Yankees (East Division champions) vs. (5) Baltimore Orioles (Wild Card Game winner): Yankees win series, 3–2. (2) Oakland Athletics (West Division champions) vs. (3) Detroit Tigers (Central Division champions): Tigers win series, 3–2.
This was the third postseason match-up between the Athletics and the Tigers, and previously the Tigers had defeated the A's 4–0 in the 2006 ALCS. The Yankees and Orioles were meeting in the postseason for the second time; the Yankees had beaten the Orioles 4–1 in the 1996 ALCS, which witnessed the controversial Jeffrey Maier incident in Game 1.
The Tigers went on to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS, then lose the 2012 World Series to the National League champion San Francisco Giants.
Matchups
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles
Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers
New York vs. Baltimore
Game 1
The Yankees struck first in the first inning off of Jason Hammel when Derek Jeter singled and Ichiro Suzuki doubled to score Jeter for the game's first run, giving the Yankees a 1–0 lead. In the bottom of the third inning, Orioles outfielder Chris Davis singled, followed by a Lew Ford single, a Robert Andino sacrifice bunt, and a single by Nate McLouth, to give the O's a 2–1 lead. Then in the top of the fourth, the Yankees tied the game at two with a Mark Teixeira single with two men on. The game remained tied going into the ninth inning, until a lead-off home run by Russell Martin off of Jim Johnson pushed the Yankees ahead 3–2. Consecutive singles by Raúl Ibañez, Derek Jeter, and Ichiro Suzuki scored Ibanez, giving the Yankees a 4–2 lead. Robinson Canó doubled to score Jeter and Ichiro. Tommy Hunter relieved Johnson and Nick Swisher hit a sacrifice fly to score Canó, making the score 7–2. The Yankees' C.C. Sabathia pitched innings and after allowing a two-out double to Lew Ford, David Robertson came in to get the final out of the game, giving the Yankees the win and a one-game-to-nothing lead.
Game 2
The Game 2 pitching matchup was a sharp contrast, pitting postseason veteran Andy Pettitte against rookie Wei-Yin Chen. Similar to the first game, both Jeter and Ichiro would reach base. With two men on and nobody out, Alex Rodriguez hit a sinking line drive which was speared in the air by Robert Andino, who then doubled up Derek Jeter off second. Later in the inning, Robinson Canó ripped a double down the right field line, and Ichiro Suzuki masterfully avoided the tag of Matt Wieters to score, giving the Yankees an early 1–0 lead.
It was all for naught, however, as Pettitte allowed the Orioles to load the bases with two outs on two singles and a walk, then gave up a two-run single to Chris Davis in the third inning. Baltimore tacked on some insurance in the sixth on a Mark Reynolds single. The Yankees threatened in the seventh when Jeter hit a single to make it 3–2. New York had players on second and third with two out in that inning, but Nick Swisher flied out to end the inning. Jim Johnson got the save to send the series to the Bronx tied at one game apiece.