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A sometimes-irreverent look at Detroit's Boys of Summer, the Tigers, as they try to return to the top of the American League Central.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Tigers: Rotation will stay the same for ALCS

With rain disrupting Tigers ace Justin Verlander's Game 1 start on Saturday — just like it had in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against New York — there was some discussion after the game about whether the rotation would be altered to bring him back before his next scheduled start.

Manager Jim Leyland confirmed Sunday afternoon that he'd had decided to keep his rotation the same. Max Scherzer is scheduled to start Sunday's Game 2, followed by Doug Fister in Game 3 at Detroit on Tuesday.

"My rotation will stay exactly the same. Verlander, I know that will be a big question, so I'll take that off your mind, as well. He'll pitch Game 5 under any circumstances," Leyland said.

Projected Game 4 starter Rick Porcello came into Game 1 after two rain delays — totaling 110 minutes — ended Verlander's night at five innings pitched, and 82 pitches. Porcello got through two innings of relief with just 22 pitches. The thought was it might have been few enough for Verlander to take Porcello's spot in the rotation on Wednesday.

"When we get done (here), we're going to go down and look at it. We started to map out a couple of things during the one rain delay," Jim Leyland said at the postgame press conference. "But we don't have anything for you at this time. Certainly there's no tricks. We're not trying to hide anything. We just haven't figured it all out. As soon as we do, we'll ... get it out on the wire."

After lobbying to come in after both rain delays, Verlander admitted after the game that he figured he could go again in Game 4, if needed.

"I'm sure I could," he said.

Asked if he'd put that into the discussion with Leyland, he said, "I'm sure I will."

And apparently, that discussion fell on deaf ears, just like the earlier entreaties.

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