The aces meet again. Expect a longer rematch.
CC Sabathia is scheduled to start Monday night for the New York Yankees against Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander in Game 3 of their American League playoff series in Detroit. The two perennial All-Stars squared off in the opener Friday night at Yankee Stadium but the game was suspended after only 1 1/2 innings because of rain, disappointing fans who were geared up for an entertaining pitchers’ duel.
New York finished off a 9-3 victory Saturday night behind rookie Ivan Nova.
“Hopefully, I’m able to keep it like my routine, I guess,” Verlander said, adding that the brief outing Friday might be beneficial. “Kind of treat that as a pretty intense bullpen session and go about my business as normal.
“You know it’s going to be electric tomorrow. The fans in Detroit have been waiting anxiously for this day since 2006. Hopefully we don’t disappoint them and hopefully we have a lot more home games.”
After the opener was suspended, Tigers manager Jim Leyland immediately said Verlander would be back on the mound Monday. Yankees skipper Joe Girardi, however, did not confirm his plans for Sabathia until Sunday.
“I feel pretty good, played light catch yesterday,” Sabathia said. “I’m ready to go.”
Girardi also said right-hander A.J. Burnett would start Game 4 if the best-of-five series goes that far.
Burnett struggled to an 11-11 record with a 5.15 ERA this season and was not expected to get a start in this series. But the suspended game eliminated an off day and forced both teams to change their pitching plans.
Girardi was left with a choice between Burnett and Phil Hughes for Game 4. Hughes, an 18-game winner in 2010, was bothered by a sore back late in the season and made his final two appearances out of the bullpen. He has not started since throwing six solid innings in a win Sept. 12 at Seattle.
“The only way I probably would have used Hughes in Game 4 is if we had to use A.J. last night,” Girardi said Sunday. “Phil hasn’t been stretched out lately. A.J., his month of September was not bad. You look at the strikeouts per innings, it was a complete turnaround from August.”
Following a substantial drop in velocity, Hughes missed most of the first half with inflammation in his right arm. He finished 5-5 with a 5.79 ERA in 17 games this year, including 14 starts.
Hughes, however, has plenty of experience in the bullpen while Burnett has made only five relief appearances during his 13-year career.
“I’ll be ready,” Burnett said. “I’m excited. I’m looking forward to it. These guys have been behind me.”
Rick Porcello would start Game 4 for the Tigers.
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HOMECOMING NO MORE: Texas star Josh Hamilton no longer sees playing at Tropicana Field as a homecoming-type event.
Hamilton was taken first overall by Tampa Bay in the 1999 amateur draft. His eight years in the Rays’ minor league system were marred by his well-documented battle with substance abuse.
Although Hamilton sees familiar faces in the Tampa Bay dugout and the stadium stands, he said the homecoming feeling has “come and gone.”
“Other than that (the familiar people), now it’s just another team,” said Hamilton, who is in fourth season with the Rangers.
Hamilton and the other Rangers outfielders spent time during Sunday’s off day taking fly balls to become accustomed again to the domed stadium.
“We have a good idea how the ballpark plays,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “But coming back here, we’re just going to make sure they understand where the crevices are and get used to the lights. And (Monday) is just play baseball.”
Hamilton already employs a different technique when playing in St. Petersburg. He wears his baseball cap a little bit higher on his forehead to help his eyes adjust to the stadium lights.
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BEAST MODE: Whenever the Milwaukee Brewers do something positive on the field, you see them go into “beast mode,” lifting their arms and waving in celebration.
Prince Fielder started it this season in honor of his two young sons, Jadyn and Haven, whose favorite movie is Monsters, Inc., a 2001 computer-animated film by Pixar Animation Studios.
“They watched that growing up,” Fielder said.
The beastly celebration is a way for the team to enjoy itself.
“We have to be ourselves,” Nyjer Morgan said. “We’re a laid back, loose team with a bunch of talent here. Us being kind of plain Jane _ that’s not us. We’ve just got to go out there and electrify people.”
Morgan said players do it after getting a hit because hitting is tough and it’s another way to show they’re having fun.
But during Game 1, Braun went into “beast mode” after throwing out Arizona’s Willie Bloomquist at the plate. Fielder did it twice after hitting a double and a home run.
It’s caught on with the fans who pack Miller Park each game. This weekend, one man wore a full length costume of Sulley from Monsters, Inc.
“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own,” Braun said. “But it’s something that we all enjoy doing.”
Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy had an RBI single on Saturday and his teammates told him he needed to work on his adaptation of “beast mode.”
“I gave a ’T-Rex’ beast mode,” he joked. “I was a little low. I wasn’t high enough, they said, so I’ve got to get a little higher next time. It was a fun day.”
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UPTON UPRISING: Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria has high praise for teammate B.J. Upton.
“When B.J. goes, we have success,” Longoria said. “He’s just really at that point of his career, I think, where he’s starting to figure out what he can be as a total package. He has the skill set to be a five-tool player, which you don’t get too often.”
Tampa Bay’s offense has shown improvement down the stretch after Upton was moved to second in the lineup, one spot in front of Longoria.
“I just think B.J loves this part of the season,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “He is never afraid of the moment, I’ll tell you that. He’s that kind of guy that really digs this kind of moment.”
Upton hit seven postseason homers during the Rays’ run to the 2008 AL championship. He smiled when informed of Longoria’s comments.
“I don’t know if that’s true or not,” Upton said. “I guess, if that’s the way he sees it, then that’s it. I’m just trying to do my part anyway I can, whether it’s offensively or defensively.”
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SELLOUT SPECIALS: Both the Rays and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced sellouts for home games on Monday.
“It’s a huge Tampa Bay area day,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s great. It’s fun. I really believe the people in our area are enjoying it and shall continue to enjoy it.”
The Bucs’ game against the Indianapolis Colts will kick off about 3 1/2 hours after the first pitch of Game 3 between the Rays and Texas.
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J-ROLL’S LAST STAND: Jimmy Rollins isn’t thinking about his future, even though he’ll be a free agent after this season. The 2007 NL MVP has spent his entire career in Philadelphia, but likely will test the market.
“It was never really an issue,” Rollins said. “Having the team that we had and being able to come out and perform the way we did, that was first. If you don’t win, all that other stuff kind of goes to the wayside and you deal with it when it comes about.”
The 32-year-old shortstop had his best season since ’07. He hit .268 with 16 homers, 63 RBIs and stole 30 bases.
It’s hard to imagine the Phillies not re-signing Rollins, a team leader who is the heart and soul of the clubhouse. The team doesn’t have an immediate replacement in the minors, though prospect Freddy Galvis is getting close to making the jump to the majors.
Asked what his legacy in Philadelphia will be, Rollins smiled and said: “It’s pretty solid.”
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