Detroit Tigers: Austin Jackson and Rick Porcello Hold the Key vs. Texas

Everyone was at least slightly apprehensive about the prospects of the Tigers facing the Yankees in the first round. If someone told you that they weren't, they were lying.

This is the most historically dominant team in baseball history playing with a home field advantage that is tailor-made for their hitters.

But this was a truly difficult matchup for any way you slice it.

Personally, I liked our chances against the Yankees and actually thought we might sweep them (oops!), but in the back of my mind I was worried.

And you can crank that worry-meter into overdrive when the weather and some bad planning neutralized the Tigers best weapon, pitcher Justin Verlander. In the course of a few days, I swung wildly from optimism to dire pessimism.

Hence the reason I took about a week off from writing about the Tigers. I just didn't think I was in the right frame of mind to comment on the team, I was just too emotionally wrapped up in the situation to talk about it rationally.

The fact of the matter is that this site is built by fans for fans, and sometimes fans are overcome by emotion.

But now I have returned to break down the Tigers next matchup, which could in fact be a more daunting challenge to Detroit than their opening series against New York.

Throw Out the Regular Season

During the regular season, the Tigers dominated the Texas Rangers six to three. They won each of their three series, and only lost in games that Texas pitcher Alexi Ogando started.

Curiously, the Rangers elected to run Ogando out of the bullpen in their first series, but they would be wise to reinsert him into the starting lineup. He is a very talented kid that even won a head-to-head battle with Verlander early in the year.

During the Tigers four series against Texas, there were many things that will likely not come into play in the ALCS. First, the weather. When Detroit had to travel to Texas, they had to deal with some seriously hot weather, something that will not be a problem this time.

However, the Rangers now have to come to Detroit, where the weather is anything but predictable.

Secondly, the Rangers came together late in the season, and the Tigers did not see the Rangers at their best. Over the final month of the regular season, the Rangers went 19-6 and won their last six straight games to clinch their division in convincing fashion over the Angles.

Lastly, the Tigers are a much different team from the one that last played Texas in the first week of August. They are mostly healthy, they have a pitching rotation that has shown their toughness time and time again, with four starters that are capable of dominant performances at any one time.

And while the Tigers bullpen scuffled against New York, they are likely going to get some serious time to recover with Verlander likely to eat up a ton of innings early on.

The playoffs are a completely different animal from the regular season, and to think that either of these teams has a leg up on the other due to what happened during the year is a mistake.

It's Always About Pitching

Today, Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced his rotation for the series against Texas, and the one major surprise is who is the Tigers' choice for Game 2's starting pitcher, Rick Porcello.

Some fans have begun to howl, but for once I have to side with Leyland on this one.

While the regular season does not have a lot to do with what happens in the playoffs, it can provide some insight.

During the regular season, Rick Porcello was awful at home and great on the road. At home, his ERA was 5.64, but was a respectable 4.00 on the road.

Secondly, Porcello had one of his best outings of the year the last time he played in Arlington, going six strong innings and only giving up a run.

His game, when he is on it, is ideally suited to Arlington Park and the Rangers lineup, who are composed primarily of fly ball hitters. Porcello's sinker, when working, can neutralize those big hitters.

That is why I really like this move by Leyland. Managing in every walk of life is about putting your people in a position to succeed. Someone like Verlander can succeed on the forest moon of Endor, but Porcello needs to be put in the right situation, and this is it.

That being said, the Tigers true advantage lies in their pitching. The Rangers have good pitching, but the Tigers certainly have the edge here.

And while the Tigers have a potent offense, the Rangers certainly have a slight edge there. The player that sets these two teams apart is Michael Young.

Young is a professional hitter that takes what the pitchers give him and doesn't try to do too much. He absolutely torches bad pitches, and will make even Verlander work to get him out. Young this year is hitting the Tigers at a .324 clip and is especially good at Comerica Park, hitting .417 in Detroit's ballpark. He is the proverbial straw that stirs the drink in Texas, and the Tigers need to make sure that he doesn't come up to plate with runners in scoring position.

The other hitters are dangerous, namely Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton, but they are not invincible. Just like the old baseball axiom states, "good pitching beats good hitting" and the Tigers have that good pitching.

Conclusion

There are a lot of keys to this series, but I think this will come down to two players, Rick Porcello and Austin Jackson. Both struggled in the last series, but both are excellently placed to inflict damage on Texas.

I already talked about Porcello, but take a look at these numbers from Jackson against Texas: .333 average, .412 OBP overall, with a .438 average and .471 OBP in Texas.

This is a stadium that is conducive to Jackson's skill set, and he should have extra motivation. Remember, it was Texas reliever Neftali Feliz that beat out Jackson for the Rookie of the Year award last year, and Jackson likely will be looking for some payback on the national stage.

This should be a very good series, but look for the Tigers to knock out Texas in six games.