September 14, 2011
Fungo Flash Poll: How should the Tigers’ rotation roll out in the ALDS?
By Mike McClary in Featured,Fungo Flash Polls | 8 comments
Loading ...Tweet | email this | tag this | digg this | trackback | comment RSS feed
Dave | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
Doesn’t Fister’s ERA put him firmly at #2 over Scherzer?
Doesn’t Scherzer’s age (27) put him firmly at #3 over Porcello?
And doesn’t Porcello’s record put him firmly at #4 over Penny?
Kyle | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
Dave,
Yep.
-Kyle
Cody | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
If we have homefield advantage, we should go with Verlander/Scherzer/Fister, since Comerica is a big ballpark and Scherzer is a flyball pitcher. If we don’t, then we should go with Verlander, Fister, Scherzer, since Fister would pitch in the smaller park, since he’s a ground ball pitcher.
Abe | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
You obviously have to go with Verlander as #1, but after that I think it depends on whether we have home field. If we do, I have Scherzer #2 and Fister #3 (maybe Porcello #4 if we hold a 2-1 series lead) I like having the ground ball pitchers pitching at Fenway more than Scherzer.
Brad | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
Of course Fister is strides ahead of Scherzer, but Scherzer clearly can pitch better at home. If they do have home field advantage, why not pitch Max at home? Therefore, why not go Verlander, Scherzer, then Fister away.
Dave | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
If I might cordially disagree with Cody, Abe, & Brad,
In a 5 or 7 game series, you go for the throat. You put your best guys up first – and win. OK – Scherzer’s record is better at home, but Fister is the better pitcher. You want to do all you can for that 2-0 record after the first two games. Fister is that much better than 3-4-5 pitchers.
You’ve also got to figure that the Tiger offense is going to explode against the Monster and score some runs.
In my thinking, you put your best two guys up 1-2, and let the rotation take care of itself. You don’t want to get back to Verlander in the first Division Series. Going up 2-0 puts a tremendous amount of stress on the other team – and that makes them do things they might not ordinarily do.
Fister starts the second game.
Hutch | Sep 14, 2011 | Reply
I think in a 7 game series you might adjust the rotation to make Scherzer start at home, but in a 5 game series if you go down 2-1 you need to have Verlander and Fister pitching the last two games. I cringe to think of a pitcher like Scherzer (great talent but one mistake and he blows up) pitching in a game 5 against a lineup like Boston where he needs to understand giving up 3 runs is getting the job done.
Gibby | Sep 15, 2011 | Reply
Verlander, Fister, Scherzer …
Anybody but Penny!!! We win despite him.