DETROIT — When it mattered most, $200 million could barely buy a hit.

The Yankees, the richest and most accomplished team in baseball, were swept from the postseason Thursday, embarrassed and undone by a staggering and costly display of ineptitude at the plate, due in part to another dazzling effort by Detroit's starting pitchers. Alex Rodriguez, with 647 career home runs and a $29 million salary for the 2012 season, managed a single hit against Detroit, and then was unceremoniously benched as the Tigers ran off four straight victories. Robinson Cano, regarded as among the four or five most talented players in baseball, endured an 0-for-29 streak that now stands as a major-league record for postseason failure.

And it was Max Scherzer who capped a stupendous stretch for Detroit's rotation, leading the Tigers to their second pennant in seven years by beating the Yankees 8-1 and completing a four-game sweep to win their 11th AL pennant and first World Series berth since 2006.

"Yeah, we did it," Miguel Cabrera said. "It's an unbelievable feeling. Four more wins, guys. Four more wins."

Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta hit two-run homers in a four-run fourth inning against CC Sabathia, who was unable to prevent the Yankees from getting swept in a postseason series for the first time in 32 years. Meanwhile, Scherzer took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning, striking out 10 and walking two.

The Yankees, who led the major leagues in home runs during the regular season with 245, failed to score a single run in 20 straight innings against Detroit, scored in just three out of 39 innings overall and never held a lead in any of the four games. The same offense that produced the second-most runs (804) in baseball during the regular season could barely manage a single as the Yankees suffered their first postseason sweep since 1980 and only the fifth in their glorious, 27-championship history.

"They threw the ball really well," Rodriguez said. "They outplayed us in every facet of the game, and they were the better team."

After a rainout Wednesday, Game 4 started under a sunny sky, and Detroit immediately took the lead on series MVP Delmon Young's RBI single.

Avisail Garcia drove in an unearned run in the third with a single before the Tigers broke it open in the fourth. Cabrera, the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, made it 4-0 with a towering drive to left field. Peralta drove in two more runs with his shot to the same part of the ballpark.

After Andy Dirks doubled, Sabathia was pulled. He allowed five earned runs and 11 hits in 3-2/3 innings.

"It's embarrassing to me," Sabathia said.

Eduardo Nunez tripled in the sixth for New York's first hit and scored on Nick Swisher's double. But those were New York's only hits, while Peralta and Austin Jackson each added solo shots to complete Detroit's scoring.

NEW YORK	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
I.Suzuki lf	3	0	0	0	1	1	.353
Swisher rf	4	0	1	1	0	2	.250
Cano 2b	4	0	0	0	0	1	.056
Teixeira 1b	3	0	0	0	1	1	.200
Ibanez dh	2	0	0	0	0	2	.231
Rodrigz ph-dh	2	0	0	0	0	0	.111
Er.Chavez 3b	2	0	0	0	0	2	.000
J.Nix ph-3b	1	0	0	0	1	0	.000
R.Martin c	2	0	0	0	0	1	.143
Grandrsn ph-cf	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Gardner cf	3	0	0	0	0	1	.000
E.Nunez ss	3	1	1	0	0	0	.333
Totals	30	1	2	1	3	12

DETROIT	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
A.Jackson cf	4	1	2	1	1	1	.353
Infante 2b	5	2	2	0	0	0	.222
Mi.Cabrera 3b	5	1	1	2	0	0	.313
Fielder 1b	5	1	2	0	0	1	.235
D.Young dh	4	1	2	1	1	0	.353
Jh.Peralta ss	5	2	2	3	0	1	.389
Dirks lf	5	0	3	0	0	1	.222
A.Garcia rf	5	0	2	1	0	0	.455
G.Laird c	4	0	0	0	0	0	.125
Totals	42	8	16	8	2	4

New York	000 001 000	—	1	2	2
Detroit	101 400 11x	—	8	16	1

E — Teixeira (1), E.Nunez (1), Fielder (1). LOB — New York 5, Detroit 12. 2B — Swisher (2), Dirks (1), A.Garcia (1). 3B — E.Nunez (1). HR — Mi.Cabrera (1), off Sabathia; Jh.Peralta (1), off Sabathia; A.Jackson (1), off D.Lowe; Jh.Peralta (2), off D.Robertson. RBI — Swisher (1), A.Jackson (1), Mi.Cabrera 2 (4), D.Young (6), Jh.Peralta 3 (3), A.Garcia (3). SB — E.Nunez (1), A.Garcia (1). Runners left in scoring position — New York 2 (Swisher, Al.Rodriguez); Detroit 8 (Jh.Peralta, Infante, G.Laird 4, A.Garcia, Fielder). RISP — New York 1 for 5; Detroit 2 for 10. Runners moved up — Cano.

Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Sabathia L, 0-1	3-2/3	11	6	5	2	3	12.27
Eppley	1	1	0	0	0	0	0.00
Rapada	1/3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Chamberlain	1	2	0	0	0	0	0.00
D.Lowe	1	1	1	1	0	0	16.20
D.Robertson	1	1	1	1	0	1	4.50

Tigers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Scherzer W, 1-0	5-2/3	2	1	1	2	10	1.59
Smyly	1/3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Dotel	1	0	0	0	1	2	0.00
Coke	2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00

Pitches — Sabathia 93, Eppley 22, Rapada 2, Chamberlain 23, D.Lowe 13, D.Robertson 14, Scherzer 98, Smyly 4, Dotel 17, Coke 25. Inherited runners-scored — Eppley 1-0, Rapada 2-0, Smyly 2-0. Umpires — Home, Jeff Nelson; First, Gary Cederstrom; Second, Mike Winters; Third, Jeff Kellogg; Right, Sam Holbrook; Left, Rob Drake. T — 3:27. A — 42,477.