Phil Hughes starting Game 2

[IE]

The Yankees announced their rotation for the American League Championship, and it has Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte swapping places.

Game 1 ? LHP CC Sabathia
Game 2 ? RHP Phil Hughes
Game 3 ? LHP Andy Pettitte
Game 4 ? RHP A.J. Burnett

The roster will be the exact same as in the division series.

Why swap Hughes and Pettitte? The Yankees haven?t talked publicly about the decision, but it does give them a chance to split their lefties and it lets Hughes make both of his starts on the road, where he?s been much better than at Yankee Stadium. Hughes had a 3.47 ERA on the road and a 4.66 at home.

Joe Girardi said before the ALDS that he was using Pettitte ahead of Hughes so that the Twins left-heavy lineup would have to face four left-handed starters (if the series went five games). That?s no longer an issue against the Rangers.

?There?s a lot of factors that go into making a rotation,? Girardi said this afternoon. ?Do you decide to go left-right-left-right? Do you stack your lefties together? These are a lot of things and factors that we have to discuss in making that rotation. Home and away, a lot of different things.?

 

[jawaiian playa]

very helpful toward my handicapping

very helpful toward my handicapping

IE much majalo!!
for all the valuable infomation and all your hard work
itz much appreciated!! :0074

glta!

 

[IE]

no prob.

good luck.

 

[IE]

NYY Notes from Texas: Nothing left to do but play


The Yankees are ready to play. They went through one last workout this afteroon, and the Texas writers were amazed at Robinson Cano launching home runs in that now famous net drill he does with Kevin Long. The ALCS logos are painted, there is bunting hanging all over the outfield, and there?s a fancy TBS camera hanging from a wire along the first-base line. There?s nothing left to do but play.

?We?ve got no choice (but to take the time off),? Jeter said. ?That?s pretty much how it is. If you play well after they say it helped. If you don?t they say it hurt. The way I look at it is we have no choice, so you deal with it.?




? When CC Sabathia had extra time off leading into his ALDS start, he threw only one bullpen inbetween. This time he threw two bullpens, and did his flatground work twice. ?Last time I was a little too strong and tend to get out of whack and it?s tough for me to throw strikes,? Sabathai said. ?The toughest thing is making sure that my mechanics stay good and I?m standing tall and throwing downhill.?

? Even though he?s not planning on it, Sabathia said he could throw on three-days rest in Game 4 if necessary. ?If they tell me that, I just go for it,? he said. ?The only thing is (Girardi) would have to tell me before I throw a bullpen, because if I?ve thrown one on three days, I normally don?t throw a bullpen and just do two flat grounds and be ready to go.?

? One fairly minor lineup note for the Rangers, manager Ron Washington said he will start catcher Matt Treanor in Game 1. Treanor is the backup to Bengie Molina, but he?s been catching C.J. Wilson all year. Washington said he hasn?t decided on a first baseman.

? As for the Yankees, Girardi made no lineup announcement, but with a lefty starter on the mound, you can bet Marcus Thames will be in there. Thames has hit C.J. Wilson pretty well in his career. ?Knowing I?m going to be in Game 1, make sure I get myself prepared and ready to compete against these guys,? Thames said. ?He?s a strike thrower. Make sure you?re ready to hit. He?s going to try to get strike one, so you have to make sure you?re ready to hit.?



? Dave Eiland remains encouraged by what he saw from Mariano Rivera in the division series. ?Crisp,? Eiland said. ?He located the ball where he wanted to, both sides of the plate. He was working ahead of the count. You could just see the way the ball was coming out of his hand, he was feeling good.?