Here’s a look at the listed pitching matchups for the Division Series against the Tigers.
Games 1 and 5
Nate Robertson (13-13, 3.84) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (19-6, 3.63)
Wang came into his own in 2006, carrying the Yanks through the second half. He emerged as the team’s most reliable starter. His pitches invite hitters to make contact, but their movement is so good that the contact is almost never solid. Robertson was excellent for the Tigers over the final month of the season, posting an ERA under 3.00 as his team was in the middle of a collapse that cost it the division title. The 29 year old has good stuff and has lowered his ERA every season he has been in the Majors. However, he is going to have to try and lift a reeling Tigers team out of its rut and do so in front of a raucous Bronx crowd in his first postseason start. He has never been faced like pressure like this before. Wang is a better pitcher, and he has thrived under the pressure of New York, not only in 2006 but also in 2005, where he was a stopper throughout the first half, which helped New York eventually overcome a rough start.
Advantage: Yankees
Game 2
Justin Verlander (17-9. 3.63) vs. Mike Mussina (15-7, 3.51)
Verlander can easily make a case for the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award. The flame-throwing lefty’s emergence is one of the biggest reasons that the Tigers are in the postseason. He did seem, however, to have hit the figurative wall in August. Verlander’s August ERA was 6.83, and his September one was 4.82. He gave up 6 runs in 2 of his final 3 regular season starts and has not pitched more than 5 innings since September 7. Detroit really needs him to find his second wind. He could easily be pitching on Wednesday night to prevent his team from falling into an 0-2 hole. Mussina put together his best season since 2003 for the Yanks. He is a seasoned veteran in the postseason. Mike’s October outings have been very similar to those of Andy Pettitte when Andy was in pinstripes. He has had some rough starts, but many brilliant ones to go with them. Pettitte’s postseason reputation among fans was better than the actual results. Mussina’s is worse. However, a manager can feel good about sending either to the mound in a big spot. Verlander had a better year, but Moose is the guy who inspires more confidence in Game 2
Advantage: Yankees
Game 3
Randy Johnson (17-11, 5.00) vs. Kenny Rogers (17-8, 3.84)
This battle of lefties in their forties makes up the probable Game 3 matchup. Johnson’s 2006 season was up and down. He got off to a terrible start before straightening himself out. There were enough bad outings in there to keep his ERA high. It’s tough to tell what the Yanks will get when Randy takes the hill. He has shown flashes of dominance but gets shelled far too often for comfort, a result of his natural ability declining in old age. The team sounds confident that he will be able to make his Game 3 start despite a back injury. It remains to be seen how effective he will be. Despite all of Randy’s question marks, he is a much better option to send to the mound in the postseason than Rogers, who has made a career of spitting the bit in big spots. Kenny might have had a solid regular season, but he has absolutely no mental toughness. Exactly ten years ago, Rogers was shelled in all three postseason starts he made for the Yankees. He did not pitch more than 3 innings in any of them. In 1999, he went to the Mets and was terrible again in the postseason, capping his choke show off by walking Andruw Jones with the bases loaded to lose the NLCS. Kenny’s already off to a great start blowing big games in 2006 after he got the loss in relief on Sunday to lose the A.L. Central for the Tigers. Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Mariano Rivera relish the pressure of October. Rogers shrinks from it.
Advantage: Yankees
Game 4
Jaret Wright (11-7, 4.49) vs. Jeremy Bonderman (14-8, 4.08)
Wright showed some signs that the Yankees’ investment in him was not a total waste this season. He was not ace material. He taxed the bullpen by his inability to go deep into games. However, he did enough to keep his team in the game on most occasions. The Yanks would have liked him better had he been able to eat more innings, but a guy who can prevent runs from scoring in 5 innings is more valuable than one who gives up a ton of runs in 8 innings. There are better backend guys than Wright, but New York certainly could have done worse. Bonderman is another young frontline starter who emerged for the Tigers this season. He has an explosive fastball and a hard slider, which can be devastating. Bonderman appears to have found a second wind after wearing down in August. He won three of his last four starts in the regular season.
Advantage: Tigers
