The ALCS starts Saturday with Doug Fister versus Andy Pettitte. The story of the division series was the non-hitting of A-Rod, Cano, Swisher, Miggy Cabrera, etc. Things change fast in baseball and often the MVP of one series becomes the 100 hitter of the next. On the other hand some of these laggards will be big producers in the ALCS.
The last three World Series champions are in the playoffs. The fourth team is Detroit who last won in 1984. Detroit beat the Yankees last season in the division series in the maximum five games.
The NLCS starts Sunday with Lance Lynn facing Madison Bumgarner.
At this time of the year the regular season wins mean squat. Whichever team comes up with the key hits, makes the key pitch, or makes the run saving defensive play will win the game.
Detroit's rotation is Fister, Sanchez, Verlander and Scherzer. The Yankees counter with Pettitte, Kuroda, Hughes and Sabbathia. By not winning in four games against Baltimore the Yankees have no off days between the series and have to pitch Kuroda on short rest and push CC to game 4. If it gets to a game 7 look for a Verlander, Sabbathia match-up.
San Francisco will send Bumgarner, Vogelsong and Cain to the mound for the first three games. Zito or Lincecum will handle game 4.
St Louis have to replace Jaime Garcia. Lance Lynn, Carpenter, Lohse and Wainwright will start.
Who is going to win?
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