Budding Rivalry: Yankees & Tigers Meet in 2012 ALCS

Baseball's final four is set, and it should be one heck of a finish for the World Series trophy.

In the National League, the Cardinals unbelievable come-back against the Washington Nationals in game five of the NLDS catapulted them into the LCS, where they will face the San Francisco Giants. The NLCS will feature the last two franchises to win the World Series (San Francisco in 2010 and St. Louis in 2011).

Meanwhile in the American League, the Yankees play the Detroit Tigers, the third time these two teams will face off in the postseason in the last seven years.

In their previous two playoff match-ups, the Tigers came out on top in the divisional series in 2006 and again in 2011. Each of those series featured dominant pitching by Detroit, while the Yankees pitching staff couldn't contain a potent Detroit lineup.

This time around, the Yankees believe they have a rotation that can stack up against the likes of Justin Verlander and company. That better be the case, because the Yankees offense was silenced against Baltimore in the last series, while Detroit put up runs against the A's.

Let's break it down.

Starting pitching: The Tigers got off to a slow start this season, and a lot of that had to do with the sluggish start from their rotation. While Justin Verlander won 17 games this year and struck out 235 this season, the rest of Detroit's staff has been shaky at best.

Doug Fister, who beat the Yankees in game five of the divisional series last year, struggled to a 10-10 record in 2012, but pitched much better in the second half of the year. Anibal Sanchez, will throw in game two of this series was very shaky losing 13 games this year, while Max Scherzer was quietly good winning 16 games. This rotation, while not impressive, has been pitching better of late, especially down the stretch as the Tigers overcame the While Sox for the central division title.

As for the Yankees, their rotation issues have been well documented. Outside of CC Sabathia, the Yanks had nothing but questions. From Andy Pettitte's health, to the inconsistencies of Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes, it has been a rough year for the Yankees staff. Pettitte, one of the most winningest postseason pitchers of all time, is now healthy, and gets the ball in game one, while the Yankees second best pitcher, Hiroki Kuroda gets the ball in game two, before CC gets his next turn in game three. The match-ups could play very big into the Yankees favor if they can win game one.
EDGE: Yankees

Bullpen: Base this on postseason experience alone, the Tigers have an advantage. Jaoquin Benoit and Jose Velverde have been a huge part of Detroit's postseason success in recent years. While their numbers weren't great against Oakland, these are two guys who have given the Yankees fits. Add Al Alburquerque and former Yankee Phil Coke to the list and the Tigers have four guys who can keep Detroit in a close game.

The Yankees pen has been good all year. Even without Mariano Rivera around, the bullpen is still getting the job done. The Yankees have five pitchers with ERA's below 3.75, including Clay Rapada, David Robertson and closer Rafael Soriano, who all have ERA's below three. While Soriano wasn't asked to come on and save game in the LDS, he sure will have a role in the LCS. Soriano was wonderful in the regular season; he has never closed games in this town when the lights were brightest. How, he handles the pressure will go a long way in telling the tale for the Yankees in this series.
EDGE: Even

Tigers offense vs. Yankees offense: The Tigers: Both the Yankees and Tigers struggled with the bats during the LDS, which means that eventually they are due to turn it around.

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who won the Triple Crown during the regular season, is due for a breakout performance in a big spot. The guy hit .330, pounded 44 homers and drove in 139 for a reason. How the Yankees pitchers handle Cabrera will be a huge key to the series. Additionally, with Prince Fielder, in the middle of that order, the Tigers have as fearsome a middle of the order as the Yankees, if not more so. Add consistent hitters like Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila and Delmon Young, and the Tigers have a group that can beat this Yankees team. Heck, they've done it before.

The Yankees line-up, while still potent, is getting old. Alex Rodriguez was benched for game five of the ALDS against Baltimore, and had a horrible series, batting .125. However it is not just A-Rod who has struggled. Robinson Cano batted .091 in the LDS, Nick Swisher hit .111 and Curtis Granderson hit .158.

The only plus for New York was the fact that Mark Teixeira turned it on during the division series batting over .300, and getting on base, but he too failed to deliver anyone home. Like the Baltimore series, the Yankees need A-Rod, Teixeira, Cano and Granderson to regain their form from the regular season if they are going to win this series. The Yankees can rely on consistent performances from Derek Jeter and Ichiro, as well as Raul Ibanez, who has been the big reason why the Yankees are in this series. Ibanez's two homeruns against the Orioles in game three, and his go-ahead RBI in the game five proved to be the difference. Expect Ibanez to have a major impact on this series once again.

EDGE: Tigers

Intangibles: Both teams have been hot after a sluggish regular season. The Tigers came back to win their division in a rather down year all around for Detroit. This year's team however seems to be getting hot at the right time. They have won 8 of their last 10, with improved pitching along the way. The Yankees held off Baltimore all season long from the race for the Eastern title to the Divisional series. The Yankees struggled with the late inning dramatics during the regular season, but have won three games in the last two weeks in the final innings, including two walk-offs thanks to Ibanez. Maybe the 2012 Yankees are ready for some more dramatic finishes?  EDGE: Tigers.

Prediction: Tigers in 7.