2011 MLB Playoff Schedule: Pitching Matchups Favor Tigers over Yankees

With their ALDS series-opener against the New York Yankees set, the Detroit Tigers are poised to prove once again that winning in the postseason is all about pitching and match-ups.That begins with the much-ballyhooed pitching duel between CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander, Cy Young winners past and future.

At first glance, Sabathia and the Yankees would appear to be heavy favorites heading into Friday's tilt. Sabathia's edge in postseason experience and success is emblematic of the Yankees' wholesale advantage in that regard. Detroit hasn't played in the postseason since 2006, when Verlander, in just his second MLB season, played a pivotal role, if not an entirely positive one, in the team's surprising run to the World Series.

The Yankees just so happen to be a team with which the Tigers match up perfectly—a thin starting staff, a dominant closer and a lineup that can mash.

And the duel between Verlander and Sabathia won't tilt in CC's favor as much as expected, even if he's clearly the bigger of the two. Neither has won a game against the other's team this season, so records aren't particularly applicable here.

Rather, consider the familiarity that each team's lineup has with the other's ace. Detroit knows all about Sabathia, having faced him plenty during his days with the Cleveland Indians. Today's Tigers have 361 total plate appearances against Sabathia, as opposed to 224 for the current crop of Bronx Bombers. Miguel Cabrera, in particular, has owned Sabathia, collecting nine hits and four walks in 20 career plate appearances against CC with two home runs and just three strikeouts.

New York's best hope against Verlander? Derek Jeter, who's collected nine hits and four walks in 29 plate appearances against the Tigers' ace.

All told, advantage goes to Verlander, however slight.

Game 2 is the real wildcard here, with postseason neophytes Doug Fister and Ivan Nova going head-to-head. Fister has thrown to 73 Pinstripers in his career, compared to just 11 Tigers for Nova. That disparity comes largely as a function of age and experience, with Fister in his second full season in the Majors compared to Nova in his very first.

Realistically speaking, neither pitcher here has quite enough experience to separate himself from the other, though Fister should give the Tigers just enough to get the ball into the hands of his team's bullpen, which gave up the fewest leads of any in the American League this season.

So, with a 2-0 series lead, what does manager Jim Leyland do? Does he throw Max Scherzer against Freddy Garcia? Or does he attempt to close the series out by pitching Verlander on three days' rest?

Chances are, he'll entrust Scherzer with the task of putting together five or six strong innings if he can. If need be, Leyland will have the luxury of putting Verlander out on the bump in Game 4, opposite Sabathia once again.

However deep the series goes, the pitching edge belongs to Detroit, though not necessarily by a wide margin. Ultimately, the Tigers simply need Verlander to do twice to the Yankees what he's done to baseball all season and lean on Fister or Scherzer to come up with a third win in between.

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