New York Yankees (28-23) at Detroit Tigers (24-28)
Time/Place: 7:00 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Blog: Pinstripe Alley
Media: FOX (map), Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: Hiroki Kuroda (4-6, 3.96 ERA) vs. Rick Porcello (3-4, 5.21 ERA)
It's ironic that a guy like Kuroda can have 6 losses when Max Scherzer is pitching for a sub-.500 team with an ERA over 5.50 and has a winning record. For once, the baseball gods have shined on our feeble efforts to form a championship ball club. Anyway, Kuroda has been very off-and-on since joining the Yankees this season. Other than a 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers in April, each of his other 5 losses are largely due to his ineffectiveness. Meanwhile, in his four wins, the opposing teams have scored a combined 3 runs.
Rick Porcello. So much I can say, so little time to say it. He's been on; he's been off; he's even been downright terrible. His last start was a step in the right direction, but the Minnesota Twins are not the Yankees, and Porcello has not been good against the Yankees. In four career starts, he has a 5.56 ERA. He won his only start against them in the 2011 regular season, but was tagged for four earned runs in 6 innings in the playoffs. That last sentence seemed more menacing when I first thought it out, but I guess that's what happens when your bullpen gives up 6 runs in less than 2 innings in the playoffs. Not that I'm bitter about Daniel Schlereth's performance or anything.
I feel bad for Casey Crosby
Seriously, not only did the guy have to make his major league debut against the Yankees, he had to do so with Delmon Young in left field, Danny Worth hitting second, and Omir Santos behind the plate. While I realize that Jim Leyland doesn't have much else to work with at this point, I question the Santos move. If anything, make him the DH and put Laird behind the plate. I don't know how much of a difference it would have made, but I think that Laird's veteran presence behind the plate could have slightly improved Crosby's performance. I feel for the guy though. Not an easy way to begin your career.
Outlook
Jim Leyland likes to say "momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher," or something very similar. I think that today's game is a prime example of this idea considering how inconsistent both Kuroda and Porcello have been. This one would be anywhere from 20-1 in one direction to 20-1 in the other and I would not be surprised. The only thing that I am expecting is horrible anecdotes from Tim McCarver.
Prediction
Burn the bullpens. Neither starter goes 6 innings today.