DETROIT -- It's cool and wet in Detroit before the reboot of Game 4, but you can spot some sunshine and blue skies beyond the clouds.
CBS Detroit calls for temps in the high 50s at game time and forecasts just a 10 percent chance of rain through the rest of the afternoon and evening. Current radar looks fairly clear.
The Yankees' lineup is unchanged from what manager Joe Girardi posted on Wednesday. That, of course, means no Alex Rodriguez and no Curtis Granderson.
1. Ichiro Suzuki, LF
2. Nick Swisher, RF
3. Robinson Cano, 2B
4. Mark Teixeira, 1B
5. Raul Ibanez, DH
6. Eric Chavez, 3B
7. Russell Martin, C
8. Brett Gardner, CF
9. Eduardo Nunez, SS
CC Sabathia, P
And the Tigers' lineup for the rescheduled Game 4 is also unchanged.
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Omar Infante, 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
5. Delmon Young, DH
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Andy Dirks, LF
8. Avisail Garcia, RF
9. Gerald Laird, C
Max Scherzer, P
As noted on Wednesday, Laird has had an improbable amount of success against Sabathia (.417/.500/.625 and one homer and two doubles in 28 plate appearances). The sample size is obviously tiny, but it'll nonetheless be interesting to see if the Tigers' otherwise light-hitting backup catcher can continue handling one of the best pitchers in the game.
Wednesday's rainout also means that Sabathia will be starting on five days' rest. For whatever reason, that could be a modestly good thing for him.
| Days of rest | Career starts (reg. season) | ERA | K/BB ratio |
| Three | 4 | 1.01 | 4.33 |
| Four | 222 | 3.54 | 2.89 |
| Five | 112 | 3.40 | 3.06 |
| Six or more | 45 | 3.83 | 2.37 |
As you can see, Sabathia on five days has been a bit better in terms of ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio, and that's across a pretty meaningful sample of 112 starts. This season, Sabathia's posted a 3.25 ERA on five days of rest (12 starts) versus a 3.96 ERA on regular rest (also 12 starts). While the Wednesday postponement cost the Yankees' a chance at starting Sabathia in a possible (though highly unlikely) Game 7, it might move the needle for him a bit in Game 4.
Scherzer, meanwhile, was already going on extra rest prior to Wednesday's wash-out. He's made 15 career regular-season starts on six or more days' rest, and he's been slightly less effective under those conditions. However, given Scherzer's semi-recent shoulder and ankle concerns, the additional time off can't be considered any kind of negative.
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