Pitching Chart for Division Series

Here are the expected starters for Tuesday’s playoff game between the Tigers and Twins to get into the playoffs and for the Division Series.

AL 10/6 Gm 1 10/9 10/10 10/11 10/12 10/13 10/14
Bos --- @LAA
Lester @LAA
Beckett --- LAA
Buchholz LAA
Matsuzaka --- @LAA
Lester2
Det @Min
Porcello* @NYY
Jackson @NYY
Verlander --- NYY
Porcello2 NYY
Jackson2 --- @NYY
Verlander2
LAA --- Bos
Lackey Bos
Weaver --- @Bos
Kazmir @Bos
Saunders --- Bos
Lackey2
Min Det
Baker** @NYY
Blackburn @NYY
Pavano --- NYY
Baker2 NYY
Blkbn2-3* --- @NYY
Pavano2
NYY --- XXX
Sabathia XXX
Petttte-4* --- @XXX
Burnett @XXX
Sabathia2 --- XXX
Pettitte2

*-If the Tigers win and the Twins lose Sunday, there wouldn’t be a playoff game Tuesday. RHP Rick Porcello would be the likely Game 1 starter against the Yankees, moving the remainder of Detroit’s ALDS rotation back one game. If the Tigers lose and the Twins win, Minnesota would win the American League Central and Detroit wouldn’t advance to the ALDS. Or if the teams finish the regular season tied, Tuesday’s one-game playoff would determine which team would play on.

**-The opposite scenarios from the paragraph above would apply. So if the Twins win the division title outright, RHP Scott Baker would start Game 1 in New York, and the other pitchers would move back one game. Or if Minnesota loses either after 162 games or in a Tuesday playoff, the Twins wouldn’t advance to the ALDS.

3*-It’s likely that Minnesota would use just three starters in the ALDS, meaning RHP Nick Blackburn would start Game 4, and LHP Brian Duensing and RHP Jeff Manship would move from the Twins’ rotation to their bullpen.

4*-Based on the season-ending rotation, LHP Andy Pettitte would be in line to start the second game of the Yankees’ ALDS. They could decide to move RHP A.J. Burnett ahead of Pettitte to make two ALDS starts.

NL Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue
Col @Phi
Cook @Phi
Jimenez --- Phi
DeLaRosa* Phi
Marquis --- @Phi
Cook2
LAD StL
Wolf StL
Kershaw --- @StL
Billingsley-2* @StL
Garland-3* --- StL
Wolf2
Phi Col
Lee Col
Hamels --- @Col
Blanton @Col
Happ-4* --- Col
Lee2
StL @LAD
Carpenter @LAD
Wainwright --- LAD
Pineiro LAD
Smoltz-5* --- @LAD
Carpenter2

*-LHP Jorge De La Rosa left Saturday’s game because of a tight left groin. He could be ready to start Saturday, if not Thursday. If De La Rosa couldn’t pitch, the Rockies could move RHP Jason Marquis ahead in their rotation or insert RHPs Jason Hammel or Jose Contreras to start Game 3.

**-Dodgers RHP Hiroki Kuroda will miss the NLDS because of a bulging disk in his neck. That means LHP Clayton Kershaw would be likely to pitch in Game 2 Thursday on his usual four days’ rest after pitching the division-clinching win Saturday. RHP Chad Billingsley hasn’t pitched effectively late in the season, but could be Los Angeles’ best third option.

3*-The Dodgers’ second decision would be whether to start RHPs Jon Garland or Vicente Padilla in Game 4. Padilla’s record this year is better, but Garland has a better long-range track record.

4*-The Phillies have selected more durable LHP J.A. Happ over RHP Pedro Martinez as their fourth starter for the playoffs.

5*-RHP John Smoltz, who has a far more distinguished postseason track record than RHP Kyle Lohse, is likely to be the Cardinals’ choice as their fourth starter. Both had losing records this season. With trigger-happy Tony LaRussa as manager, expect St. Louis to use plenty of pitchers in Game 4 regardless of who starts.