Scioscia to juggle playoff rotation; Kazmir or Saunders likely to start Game 2

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia won't announce his playoff rotation until Wednesday, but he said before today's workout today that "in every scenario we've discussed, we'll have a left-hander in Yankee Stadium in Game 1 or 2" of the American League Championship Series.

That means Scott Kazmir, who allowed five runs in six innings of Sunday's division series-clinching win over the Boston Red Sox, or Joe Saunders, who was scheduled to start Game 4 of the division series, will pitch in Yankee Stadium this weekend.

John Lackey is expected to start Game 1 in New York on Friday night. By having him pitch in the opener, the Angels would have the option of bringing Lackey back on short rest to start Game 4 and, because of the off days after Games 4 and 5, on regular rest for Game 7.

Kazmir, acquired in an Aug. 28 trade from Tampa Bay, has a 6-5 career record and 2.67 earned run average in 15 starts against the Yankees, including a 2-1 mark and 3.20 ERA in three starts this year. He has not yet pitched in the new Yankee Stadium, but went 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA in old Yankee Stadium.

Saunders has a 2-1 career record and 6.28 ERA against the Yankees and went 1-0 with a 4.72 ERA against them in two starts this season, both at home.

The Yankees led the major leagues with 244 home runs this season, and Jered Weaver, who allowed one run and two hits in 7 1/3 innings of the Angels' win over Boston in Game 2 of the division series, is a fly-ball pitcher whose stuff may not play as well in Yankee Stadium, which, Scioscia said, "is definitely a park tilted to the offensive side."

By starting a left-hander, the Angels would force switch-hitter Mark Teixeira to hit from the right side, from where he hit only nine of his 29 home runs. Switch-hitters Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada and Melky Cabrera also have hit the majority of their home runs from the left side. A left-hander could also help neutralize the left-handed-hitting Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.

Weaver will likely start Game 3 in Angel Stadium, where the right-hander went 9-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 17 starts. Weaver went 7-5 with a 4.78 ERA in 16 road starts and faced New York twice in Yankee Stadium, allowing nine runs in 13 1/3 innings of a no-decision and a loss.

-- Mike DiGiovanna

Comments

[LAprGuy]

Curt Schilling would start Kazmir, I'd think: http://38pitches.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/curt-schilling/general/2009/10/08/transcript-curt-on-the-big-show-108/