OT Tigers playoff matchup possibilities
Currently matched up with the Yankees, starting on the road.
I'm thinking this is the best match up for the Tigers to get to the series, but I'm not sure.
Other possibilities include hosting Tampa Bay / Boston to start.
Hosting Tampa is probably the best bet, but then you are looking at New York or Texas in a long series.
I think the Tigers' easiest past to the Series is to go to New York on the short series. Have Verlander and Fister (who's the hottest pitcher in baseball) go up against the Yankees in NY to help neutralize their offensive advantage. Then Sherzer or Porcello in the pitcher friendly Comerica. You gotta think that Verlander and Fister have a good chance of taking the first two and splitting at home would let us win the series quickly.
Then we have the possibility of hosting Sox/Rays or going to Texas.
I guess the question is, what lineup do you not want to face in a 7 game series: NYY or Texas.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^
Their pitching cannot compete with the Tigers. end of story
September 27th, 2011 at 3:06 PM ^
Yankees' starters have a better ERA than the Tigers' starters.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/split/127/league/al
September 27th, 2011 at 3:19 PM ^
Not since Fister arrived.
September 27th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^
And maybe they can pull a Diamondacks 2001 kind of thing, but the pitching is mediocre after those two.
How about bullpen? You can make the case that the Yankees have the best bullpen in the league, and the Tigers pen is pretty average.
I'm a Reds fan, so I don't really have a dog in this fight (although I do pull for the Yankees once the Reds, you know, do what they do almost every year and get eliminated from the playoffs by mid August), but it's just not the case that the Yankees' pitching "cannot compete with the Tigers. end of story"
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/split/128/league/al
September 27th, 2011 at 2:47 PM ^
I have mixed feelings. I want to start at home, but then I'd rather face the Yankees in a five-game series. I'd like to play Boston, because they'd crumble like sand, but then I also want the wonderful, beautiful schadenfreude of watching the Red Sox complete one of the most epic collapses of all time.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:48 PM ^
Agreed the Yanks staff is no where near that of the Tigers and with how streaky Porcello and Max have been I'd rather see them play a short series and not have to risk having to go up against the Yanks offense to many times.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:06 PM ^
Porcello would only face the Yankees once no matter how long the series.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^
I'd rather not face the Yankees' bats though, they have the best run differential in the league. Or that means their rotation isn't that bad. That said I think the Tigers have a great shot no matter who they play.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^
and they will most likely go with a three man rotation unless the days of rest get too short and they get a comfortable lead in a 7 game series (ALCS/WS). I can almost guarantee you will see jv/fister 3 times in a seven game series contingent upon when their last start of the previous round is.
Schedule:
| Series | Date | Network | Air Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALDS Game One | Friday, September 30 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game One | Friday, September 30 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Two | Saturday, October 1 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Two | Saturday, October 1 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Three | Monday, October 3 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Three | Monday, October 3 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Four* | Tuesday, October 4 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Four* | Tuesday, October 4 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Five* | Thursday, October 6 | TBS | TBA |
| ALDS Game Five* | Thursday, October 6 | TBS | TBA |
| Series | Date | Network | Air Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALCS Game One | Saturday, October 8 | FOX | TBA |
| ALCS Game Two | Sunday, October 9 | FOX | TBA |
| ALCS Game Three | Tuesday, October 11 | FOX | TBA |
| ALCS Game Four | Wednesday, October 12 | FOX | TBA |
| ALCS Game Five* | Thursday, October 13 | FOX | TBA |
| ALCS Game Six* | Saturday, October 15 | FOX | TBA |
| ALCS Game Seven* | Sunday, October 16 | FOX | TBA |
| Series | Date | Match-Up | Network | Air Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game One | Wednesday, October 19 | AL Champion at NL Champion | FOX | TBA |
| Game Two | Thursday, October 20 | AL Champion at NL Champion | FOX | TBA |
| Game Three | Saturday, October 22 | NL Champion at AL Champion | FOX | TBA |
| Game Four | Sunday, October 23 | NL Champion at AL Champion | FOX | TBA |
| Game Five* | Monday, October 24 | NL Champion at AL Champion | FOX | TBA |
| Game Six* | Wednesday, October 26 | AL Champion at NL Champion | FOX | TBA |
| Game Seven* | Thursday, October 27 | AL Champion at NL Champion | FOX | TBA |
September 27th, 2011 at 3:02 PM ^
Leyland has already said it is going to be JV, Fister, Scherzer, and Porcello, in the ALDS
September 27th, 2011 at 3:05 PM ^
Wonder if we are down 2-1 if he will change his tune.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:09 PM ^
Right, and didn't he specifically say that he won't pitch Verlander on 3 days rest? Again, as NorthSideBlue points out, it will be interesting to see if he sticks to that if we go down 2-1, but that seems to be his plan at this point.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^
The Red Sox are playing the worst baseball of anyone in the majors. Their hitting is choking on applesauce and their pitching cannot seem to keep their ERA under 5....EVEN Lester and Beckett!!
I personally don't care about Fenway. If the Tigers get home field and play the Red Sox, better buy your ALCS tickets.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
No worries. Already got 4 tickets to each home game of the ALCS (if we have home field). Got real lucky with the virtual waiting room. Also have tickets to Bosox ALDS home game 1, really hoping it is Tigers/Bosox.
September 27th, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^
Seeing that I live in Arlington and cheer on the Rangers... I hope we NEVER see Detroit. If the Rangers don't win it then I obviously want Detroit to. I love me some Verlander and the Fister pick up was best in MLB all season. I just don't want to have to play them.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:03 PM ^
worked in '06
September 27th, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
And there have long been conspiracy theorists that claim that we threw our last series against the Royals so we could face the Yankees in a 5 game series instead of 7.
September 27th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
No, in 2006 we had six straight home games to end the season and lost the last five. We only needed one win against the lowly Royals (62-100) to win the division, and we got swept. I've heard from numerous people that they think it was intentional.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:11 PM ^
will be in the series? They almost have to make it, right?
Hopefully it will be the Tigers issues come 10/19!
September 27th, 2011 at 3:32 PM ^
Man, that's a good question, and hopefully it is the Tigers who have to answer it. But I just don't see anybody beating Philadelphia. They've got 3 (or 4, depending on how highly you rate Oswalt) starters who would be the #1 on most teams, and they've got so many weapons on offense. If we faced them, our starters would have to pitch out of their minds if we wanted to compete with them.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:13 PM ^
This thread doesn't make sense to me because I successfully convinced myself that baseball doesn't exist about 2 weeks ago.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
If we face the Yankees, these would likely be the pitching matchups:
Verlander vs. Sabathia in New York
Fister vs. Nova in New York
Scherzer vs. Burnett in Detroit
Porcello vs. Colon/Garcia in Detroit
Verlander vs. Sabathia in New York
If we face the Red Sox, these would be the likely pitching matchups:
Verlander vs. Becket in Detroit
Fister vs. Lester in Detroit
Scherzer vs. Lackey in Boston
Porcello vs. Wakefield? Buchholz? Beckett again? Not sure who would be here for Boston. I'm guessing they wouldn't start Andrew Miller.
Verlander vs. ??? Again, not sure who they would throw here. If they don't throw Beckett on three days rest he would go here.
If we face Tampa Bay:
Verlander vs. Shields in Detroit
Fister vs. Price in Detroit
Scherzer vs. Hellickson/Niemann in Tampa
Porcello vs. Hellickson/Niemann in Tampa
Verlander vs. Shields in Detroit
Starting pitching vs. NYY - Advantage Detroit
Starting pitching vs. BOS - Advantage Detroit
Starting pitching vs. TB - Even
Offense vs. NYY - Even, maybe slightly in favor of New York
Offense vs. BOS - Advantage Boston
Offense vs. TB - Advantage Detroit
This is simply my opinion and I don't have time to find stats to back up these claims, so feel free to tear them to shreds. But based on this, I think our best-case scenario would be to face Tampa in the ALDS, unless you think better pitching vastly outweighs better offense, in which case you would want Boston. Either way, I'd still rather face off against either Tampa or Boston rather than New York. If we have to go against New York, I'd rather that be in the ALCS.
September 27th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
Beckett pitched yesterday and Lester is pitching tomorrow so if we play the BoSox it would look something like this
JV vs Wakefield/Lackey
Fister vs Beckett
Scherzer vs Wakefield/Lackey
Porcello vs Lester
JV vs Wakefield/Lackey
And Tampa would be in a similar situation where they have hellickson going tonight and price tomorrow. But Tampa's rotation is so deep I don't think it matters as much for them.
September 27th, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^
The yankees lineup is better than boston's.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
The Tigers haven't played well against the Red Sox this season, but Boston is tanking it right now and their pitching has been really awful. The only problem I have with vouching for the Boston matchup is that their lineup is much better than Tampa's.
I think we're better than Tampa Bay and play the Yankees pretty tough, so I'm not concerned about facing them in a longer series where the teams are weighted more than the odds. It's the Red Sox that worry me, so why not face them in a shorter series?
September 27th, 2011 at 4:14 PM ^
Our records against New York, Boston, and Tampa:
NYY: 4-3
BOS: 1-5
TB: 6-1
BUT, we haven't played Boston since May 29, and the Yankees since May 5, and we have certainly been playing our best baseball since then (although against mostly sub-par competition).
September 27th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
if they get into the playoffs it will be like playing with house money for them
they have been so awful they may feel like they have nothing to lose...could be a dangerous out
September 27th, 2011 at 4:07 PM ^
Home field advantage is a pretty big deal, like most sports. Not to mention if you the Red Sox OR the Rays you're going to get jumbled rotations from them in a 5 game series.
The Rays will at least have Davis, Niemann, or Moore available for game 1. The Red Sox rotation will be a complete shambles.
In the MLB playoffs, you should never look ahead. Forget getting the Yankees in a 5 game series. Let's just hope somebody from the other side knocks them off.
September 27th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
I want to face the wild card and I don't hesitate to say it. ESPECIALLY if Boston and Tampa have to do a one-game playoff on Thurdsday. I don't really care about the home field aspect of it and I can see the benefit of facing New York in a shortened series, but I want to see as much October baseball as possible and there's a better chance of that happening against Tampa Bay or a limping Boston squad than against the Yankees in the ALDS.
I don't think Leyland cares who it is. If he does, he had a funny of showing it with that stunt he pulled last week with the Scherzer/Fister split start and giving the ball the next day to a not-even-close-to-ready-for-primetime Jacob Turner.
September 27th, 2011 at 5:03 PM ^
....then I want the Yankees. Overpaid and vulnerable. The NYC media market would have months of material.
September 27th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^
Do we win the tiebreaker with the Rangers if we're tied on Thursday?
September 27th, 2011 at 6:06 PM ^
Yes we beat them 6-3 in the season series. Also, Weaver pitches tomorrow so hopefully he comes through for us.
September 27th, 2011 at 6:17 PM ^
after the incident this summer. /hopefully he is more of a pro than that
September 27th, 2011 at 6:39 PM ^
That was my first thought when I saw he was pitching.
September 27th, 2011 at 6:54 PM ^
I thought I saw Ervin Santana was going tonight, and the Weav would be Wednesday. Is this new news at all or am I just having one of those moments?
Edit: I am having one of those moments, nothing to see here
September 27th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
Weaver is just 0.01 behind Verlander in the race for the ERA crown. I am sure he does not want to blow it.
September 27th, 2011 at 9:45 PM ^
as their skipping him now. See thread above.
September 27th, 2011 at 6:59 PM ^
I agree with wanting to get them done early