HBT: Sabathia unlikely to start until ALCS Game 4

Because of the unusual playoff schedule this year, the only way the Yankees will be able to get two starts out of CC Sabathia in the ALCS is by using him on short rest once.

That?s because the Yankees won?t have a day off before the ALCS begins Saturday in New York. The Tigers get did that day off, so they?ll be able to schedule Justin Verlander for Games 3 and 7 with no problem. The Yankees will have to use Sabathia on three days? rest in order to get two games out of him.

Of course, it makes no sense for the Yankees to do that initially, since there?s a good chance the series won?t go seven games anyway. So odds are that Sabathia will start Game 4. Here?s are the likely matchups:

Game 1 ? Oct. 13 ? Doug Fister vs. Andy Pettitte (in New York)
Game 2 ? Oct. 14 ? Anibal Sanchez vs. Hiroki Kuroda (in New York)
Game 3 ? Oct. 16 ? Verlander vs. Phil Hughes (in Detroit)
Game 4 ? Oct. 17 ? Max Scherzer vs. Sabathia (in Detroit)
Game 5 ? Oct. 18 ? Fister vs. Pettitte (in Detroit)
Game 6 ? Oct. 20 ? Sanchez vs. Kuroda (in New York)
Game 7 ? Oct. 21 ? Verlander vs. Sabathia (in New York)

Perhaps the Yankees would choose Hughes on normal rest over Sabathia on short rest in a Game 7, but it seems highly unlikely. Regardless, the Tigers would seem to have a nice advantage in that one. The series winner would certainly prefer ending it in Game 6, allowing the ace to be ready to go in Game 1 of the World Series.

Update ? I hadn?t considered that Kuroda would also be on three days? rest in Game 2. It still seems to be that that would be the way to do it. Using him in Game 3 instead would put a potentially rusty Hughes in line to start Game 6. If they?re not willing to start Kuroda in Game 2, then it?d probably be David Phelps, with Hughes maybe working in relief on two days? rest.

Update 2 ? The Tigers announced that it?d be Sanchez in Game 2, not Scherzer, suggesting that Scherzer is still dealing with some shoulder soreness. That?d seem to be good news for the Yankees.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/12/cc-sabathia-unlikely-to-make-next-start-until-alcs-game-4/related/

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