Wild Card playoff starters (pitchers, playoffs, pitcher, wildcard)

[Natural510]

So out of the potential wild card teams (assuming current division leaders could fall to the wild card slots also), which starter will each team throw out there for their one must-win playoff game?

For the AL I have:

DET - Verlander
CHI - Sale
NYY - Sabathia
BAL - Chen
TB - Price
TEX - Harrison
OAK - Colon
ANA - Weaver

[Grandstander]

Won't it depend on who is rested and available?

[Natural510]

I would think they'd throw their best starter out there for a winner-take-all game, but I suppose he'd need at least two days' rest, so you're probably right.

[7express]

Originally Posted by Natural510

I would think they'd throw their best starter out there for a winner-take-all game, but I suppose he'd need at least two days' rest, so you're probably right.

So we have Tampa playing Detroit the final game of the season. Detroit has won the Central, but is tied with Yankees for best AL Record. Tampa is tied with Baltimore for second wildcard spot, but since Baltimore lost earlier, Tampa has the half game lead, and a win in the finale avoids a playoff (or whatever MLB would do if there's a tie between the second WC teams). If your Tampa, what do you do??

A) pitch Price on regular rest, but you lose him for the WC game
B) pitch James Shields on 4 days rest, but then you save Price for the WC game.

I don't know about you, but my decision is easy and I don't even have to think about it. In order to even play in the WC game you actually have to get there first, so you pitch your best pitcher the final game regardless of whether he's fully rested or not.

Edit:
A) Should be Shields on regular rest, but you get Price for the WC game if you win
B) Price on 4 days rest, but then you lose him

[skeeter31]

Originally Posted by 7express

So we have Tampa playing Detroit the final game of the season. Detroit has won the Central, but is tied with Yankees for best AL Record. Tampa is tied with Baltimore for second wildcard spot, but since Baltimore lost earlier, Tampa has the half game lead, and a win in the finale avoids a playoff (or whatever MLB would do if there's a tie between the second WC teams). If your Tampa, what do you do??

A) pitch Price on regular rest, but you lose him for the WC game
B) pitch James Shields on 4 days rest, but then you save Price for the WC game.

I don't know about you, but my decision is easy and I don't even have to think about it. In order to even play in the WC game you actually have to get there first, so you pitch your best pitcher the final game regardless of whether he's fully rested or not.

Edit:
A) Should be Shields on regular rest, but you get Price for the WC game if you win
B) Price on 4 days rest, but then you lose him

Exactly...just have to look back to last year. 2 teams that basically had the playoff spots sewn up but couldn't win it on the last day of the year. If they were in the situation today, I'm sure they would have used their best available pitcher for the last game of the season and then the best available pitcher in the playoffs.

[Ridgerunner]

We might see more teams doing what Girardi did last year against Detroit: use several pitchers for a couple of innings each.

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by Ridgerunner

We might see more teams doing what Girardi did last year against Detroit: use several pitchers for a couple of innings each.

Good point.