Yanks face daunting task of three straight Cys

A series against a first-place team upcoming is one thing. But when the Yankees look at the Tigers' probable pitchers for their first three meetings this week, they'll see something that no other team in baseball has ever seen.

Over the course of their next three games -- Monday through Wednesday at Yankee Stadium -- the Yankees will face the American League Cy Young winners from each of the last three years. Max Scherzer (2013) will pitch against Brandon McCarthy on Monday, David Price ('12) against Hiroki Kuroda on Tuesday and Justin Verlander ('11) against Chris Capuano on Wednesday.

With the acquisition of Price from the Rays last week, the Tigers have the last three AL Cy Young winners and the last three AL MVP winners (Miguel Cabrera the last two seasons and Verlander in 2011).

Detroit is the first team in Major League history with three consecutive Cy Young Award winners on its roster, and the seventh franchise that has boasted three Cy winners at the same time. The last was the 2009 Giants, who had Tim Lincecum (2009 National League), Barry Zito ('02 AL) and Randy Johnson (1995 AL, 1999-2002 NL).

The Yankees, coincidentally, have had a trio of Cy Young winners together on their staff twice -- both in World Series championship years.

They were the first team to have three together, in 1978, when Ron Guidry won the AL Cy Young and joined Sparky Lyle ('77) and Catfish Hunter ('74 in Oakland). That brought them a second consecutive title. The other instance brought them a third consecutive championship in 2000, when Dwight Gooden (1985 with Mets), Roger Clemens (seven Cy Youngs) and David Cone ('94 in Kansas City) teamed up.