Jamie Insalaco
I know this isn’t the most definitive prediction ever, but this is the best I can do with the information I have.
Justin Verlander (vs. Sabathia), Doug Fister (vs. Ivan Nova) and Max Scherzer (vs. Sweaty Feddy Garcia) will start the first three games against the Yankees. However, the Tigers’ 25 man roster also includes Rick Porcello and Brad Penny, who are the team’s other two starters. Whether Tigers manager Jim Leyland plans on using one of these guys in a potential game 4 or bringing Verlander back on short rest (which is the way Joe Girardi plans on using C.C. Sabathia), I don’t know – so that leaves my predicting powers a conditionally restricted.
CONDITIONAL PREDICTIONS:
If Verlander pitches games 1 and not game 4, I say Yankees in four.
If Verlander pitches games 1 and game 4, I say Yankees in five.
