- When the mighty New York Yankee bats went silent during a humbling four-game sweep in the American League championship series, it was more than a blow to a franchise that has won 27 World Series titles. It also doomed the Fox TV network to what could rank as the lowest-rated World Series in history. The series, which starts on Wednesday, pits the Detroit Tigers against the St. Louis Cardinals or San Francisco Giants, a matchup that will not include one of the top five U.S. TV markets. The National League team will be decided in a winner-takes-all game seven on Monday night. ...