All hands on deck for Game 5

Following their comfortable victory in Game 4, the Yankees return to the Bronx for a decisive Game 5, with taking on Detroit’s .  Despite the magnitude of the sitation, Nova handled the pressure well, holding Detroit’s offense in check through 6 1/3 innings of 2-run ball.  There’s no reason to be concerned that Nova won’t be able to match his Game 1 performance, but in case the rookie struggles out of the gate, the Yankees are fortunate to have plenty of backup waiting in the wings.

As a consequence of the day off yesterday and the blowout win in Game 4, the Yankees will be able to count on the bullpen to shoulder a heavy load should Nova falter in the early innings.  While has seen action in the last two games, and have not pitched since Game 1 and 2 respectively, so both should be able to go 2 innings if necessary.  The ability of both of these guys to go multiple innings could really help shorten the game for the Yankees, and decrease the demands they place on Nova.

Additionally, looked like the Hughes of old with a strong inning in relief in Game 4, giving the Yankees another viable option out of the bullpen.  Another attractive bullpen option is , who despite his struggles in Game 3 could be a formidable force coming of the ‘pen on what would be a scheduled throw day.  I am sure the Yankees would like to avoid using Sabathia if possible to ensure that he is set up to start Game 1 of a potential ALCS, but ultimately, they have to win this game in order to get there.

Bottom line, the availability of some legitimate bullpen options for Joe Girardi in Game 5 should allow him to keep Nova on an extremely tight leash, and give him the quick hook if he gets off to a rough start.  Although I may have criticized the fireman approach in my previous post, as discussed in the comment section, in the playoffs, the rules are different.  This applies especially to an elimination game, and the Yankees should have a good reliever up (none of this nonsense) at the first sign of trouble.

The rested bullpen could certainly benefit the Yankees in Game 5, though Detroit will also have similar rest for some of their top guys.   did not pitch in Game 4, though he had a heavy workload in Games 2 and 3, but the Yankees have shown that they can get to him.   didn’t pitch in Game 4 either, and he so far has looked to be Detroit’s most effective reliever.  Al Albuquerque, who has gotten hit hard this series, pitched last night and once again did not look impressive.  I imagine Benoit will be able to go multiple innings if necessary, but I’m not sure if Leyland would do the same with Valverde.  There is also the looming specter of , who like Sabathia, would theoretically be available on a throw day.  Facing Verlander going all-out for an inning would certainly be a tough task.  It is worthy of note that Verlander’s velocity seems to be at its lowest when he starts his outings, so it’s possible that he may be in the more hittable 94-96 range when he comes out of the bullpen (Update: according to Jim Leyland, Verlander will not be available tonight, which could be huge for the Yankees).

The Yankees may be at a slight advantage because their top relievers are better rested than Detroit’s, but ultimately, anything can happen.  While Nova may not shut the Tigers down as he did for the majority of his Game 1 outing, he is the type of pitcher who is pretty good at avoiding total meltdown. I have faith that he’ll be able to keep the Yankees in the game, so if they can scratch off a few early runs against Fister, they’ll be in good shape to have their bullpen studs bring it home.  Hopefully Nova will dominate again and make these bullpen machinations a mere academic discussion, but in case the worst happens, the Yankees should be well-prepared.