Tigers vs. Yankees Game 5: 3 Things To Watch for in Tonight's Do-or-Die Matchup

This is it.

It’s elimination night in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers. Here are three things to watch for that will ultimately determine the outcome of tonight’s game:

1.) Ivan Nova vs. Doug Fister

 Nova is a 16-4 rookie that has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. His poise and ability to ignore the big moment is perfect for this situation. Yet with the entire season on the line…it’s impossible to predict how he’ll handle a level of pressure he's never previously experienced.

Fister is a 20-31 career pitcher that caught fire once he was traded to the Tigers, going 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA down the stretch. He got pegged with the Game 1 loss, giving up six runs in 4.1 innings of work. 

The Tigers must jump on Nova early and force New York to stretch their bullpen to the weaker middle relief portion of it before getting to the deadly back end. 

Fister needs to keep the ball down and not let the crowd rattle him early.

At this point I’m fully prepared for every possible scenario from these two.

2.) Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira

 Both sluggers have been horrible thus far and need to change that in a hurry. A-Rod is hitting .143 with a .143 slugging percentage. Teixeira isn’t much better hitting .133 with a .200 slugging percentage.

Another goose egg for this pair and the offseason is going to be extremely long for these two highly paid sluggers.

3.) How Do The Yankees Pitch to Miguel Cabrera?

 Two times in the last two games the Yankees have intentionally walked Cabrera with the bases empty. Both times he never ended up scoring.

Cabrera is one of the greatest hitters in the game and the catalyst for the Tigers offense. If the Yanks can continue to pitch around him and make guys at the bottom of the lineup beat them…New York will be in good shape.

That’s why it’s going to be very interesting to see how the Yankees handle a situation where there are runners on base with Cabrera at the plate. Do they pitch to him?

It may be the difference in the game.

Prediction: Yankees 5 Tigers 3