Ivan Nova vs. Doug Fister: Top 3 Reasons the Yankees Will Win Game 5 of the ALDS

Now that the Yankees have tied their ALDS series against the Tigers with a timely win on Tuesday night, both clubs will put their No. 2 starters on the mound for the deciding Game 5.

Ivan Nova, the Yankees rookie, has been a pleasant and dominating surprise for the Bronx Bombers all season long.  And despite the strong statistics posted by Doug Fister after being traded to Detroit from Seattle mid-season, he has not been the pitcher this season – and this postseason – that Nova has been.

Inexperience Means Nothing to Nova

Nova started the season in the Bronx as the team's expected fifth starter. But throughout the course of the season the rookie proved himself time and time again, eventually working his way into the No. 2 starter role for the Yankees. 

Throughout the course of the season, Nova proved that he was far from afraid of the spotlight, and he certainly saw his fair share of it under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium.

In fact, Nova flourished in the spotlight. And despite being sent down for about a month during the season after Phil Hughes returned fro the disabled list, when the opportunity came for him to return to the Yankees' rotation, he was more than ready to take advantage. He racked up an impressive 16 wins during his rookie campaign, and at one point late in the season won 12 straight decisions. Nova also lost just four games this season and posted a stellar 3.70 ERA.

And when the media attention and hype surrounding Nova were at their highest before the continuation of Game 1 of his series, the rookie responded by going 6 1/3 and giving up just two earned runs on four hits while picking up the win.

Big Difference Between AL Central Teams and the Yankees

Fister went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 11 games pitched and 10 starts after being traded to the Tigers at the deadline. But only two of those games, Aug. 3 against Texas and Aug. 25 at Tampa Bay, were against playoff teams. In fact, the rest of those games were against teams that finished below-.500 on the season.

And while eight wins in 11 starts and an ERA under 2.00 is always impressive, the quality of competition that Fister faced during the last half of the season while he was posting these numbers is clearly not the same as facing the Yankees. And in Game 1 of the ALDS it certainly showed, as Fister allowed six earned runs on seven hits in just 4 2/3 innings.

Mystique and Aura

Ok so it may not have anything to do with Nova or Fister, it may not be the original building, and it may not be in the original location, but Yankee Stadium is well, Yankee Stadium.

Few venues in sports, if any, can match the "mystique and aura" of the House that Ruth/Steinbrenner/Jeter built. Between the history, the great moments, the players and the fans, Yankee Stadium offers a huge and often overwhelming home field advantage.

With the series on the line and the pivotal Game 5 set to take place in the Bronx, you can bet that the Bleacher Creatures out in right field are ready to be rowdy and electrify the stadium. And that electricity can be incredibly difficult to overcome for opposing teams in October, especially in a series finale.