Phil Hughes, after a fashion, matched Justin Verlander for three whole innings. He matched him on the scoreboard, with zeroes in each of the first three frames.

But in the fourth, Hughes first gave up a run and, just moments, was forced to retire from the game.

Delmon Young led off the frame, and cranked Hughes' fourth pitch over the left-field fence. Watch how quickly this one gets out!

Andy Dirks came next, and Hughes walked him on four pitches.

A flashing red warning sign? Perhaps. With Jhonny Peralta up, Hughes quickly got ahead in the count, no balls and two strikes ... after which Joe Girardi and the Yankees' trainer came to the mound. And a moment later, Hughes was on his way back to the dugout, apparently with a herniated lumbar disk in his back, a situation that's afflicted Hughes before.

Phelps had all the time he wanted to warm up, threw three straight balls to Peralta, but finally got his man on a fly to deep center field.

Alex Avila drove a single into right field, with Dirks moving to second base. But Phelps got Omar Infante on a fly to right, and the inning ended when Austin Jackson grounded into a fielder's choice.