ALDS GM 5 - GDT: 10/6/11 - DET (2-2) AT NYY (2-2) - 8:00 p.m. ET 
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Detroit Tigers AT New York YankeesThursday, October 6
Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
Game Time - 8:00 p.m. EDT 
REMEMBERING SPARKYThe Tigers are wearing a patch on their right
sleeves this season in the shape of a home
plate emblazoned with the name SPARKY, to
honor Hall of Fame manager Sparky
Anderson who passed away on November 4,
2010. Anderson’s number 11 was retired
in a pre-game ceremony on June 26.
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Preview Back in Bronx, pair of seasons on the lineBy Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 10/5/2011 5:30 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Yankees star Robinson Cano led the way in Game 1 and Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera countered in Game 2. Ace Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander won a much-hyped matchup in Game 3, and beleaguered New York starter A.J. Burnett surprised us all in Game 4. Now, a rematch of Ivan Nova and Doug Fister awaits in Game 5 of this American League Division Series.
And now, the seasons of two teams that combined to win 192 regular-season games will come down to just one.
"We have an opportunity," is how Yankees manager Joe Girardi looked at Thursday's do-or-die game at Yankee Stadium, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on TBS. "We have an opportunity to win a series. We fought all year long to have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Hopefully, we can get it done on Thursday."
History slightly favors the Tigers, though. Road teams are 8-6 in Division Series Game 5's (factoring in the AL and National League) since baseball went to the eight-team playoff format in 1995. And the Yanks haven't won a decisive game (be it a Game 7 or a Game 5) since Aaron Boone connected off Boston's Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series.
But the Yankees will have the home-field advantage, they'll have the starter who won this matchup the first time around and, unlike the Tigers -- who will not have Verlander available out of the bullpen, as manager Jim Leyland insisted -- they'll be able to go to their ace if needed, with CC Sabathia expected to be an option as a reliever.
Verlander or not, though, Leyland believes his club can pull it off.
"We'll respond, like we always do," he said. "We have a big game with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It's a great scenario."
Making his first postseason appearance in Saturday's Game 1, Nova pitched six scoreless innings before Luis Ayala allowed two of his inherited runners to score in the ninth. He may only be 24, but Nova's coming off a regular season that saw him win 16 games and post a 3.70 ERA, and he's been unbeaten in 17 starts.
As everyone now knows, Nova isn't bothered much by high-pressure moments.
"It's a good feeling right now because we've got the chance to go to the next round and start over," Nova said. "It's going to be fun. I've just got to be confident and relaxed and do my job."
Nova will try to follow up his strong outing by taking the Yankees to their third straight ALCS, where a rematch against the Rangers would await.
Fister will look to bounce back and send Detroit into the ALCS for the first time in five years.
Saturday's outing brought rare struggles for Fister, who had been outstanding since joining the Tigers before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. In the final two months of the season, the 27-year-old right-hander ranked first in the AL in ERA (1.79), second to Verlander for the league lead in wins (eight) and led all Major League pitchers in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.40).
But Fister had a tough time with the patient Yankees lineup the second time around on Saturday and wound up surrendering six runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Now he gets a high-pressure do-over.
"Everybody wants to be in that position," Fister said. "Everybody wants to be that guy on the mound in that kind of critical game. It's an honor for me to do it. At the same time, it's just another game, a little more important than the game tonight. The game at hand is always the one that's most important."
Tigers: Kelly to start at third baseIt's normally the switch-hitting Wilson Betemit who would start against an opposing right-handed starter. But with Betemit just 0-for-12 in this series, and Brandon Inge struggling against right-handers all season, Leyland will go with utility man Don Kelly at third base in Game 5.
Kelly has only one career at-bat against Nova, but he's 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored in this series, and played 42 games at third base during the regular season (more than any other position). The ideal situation, Leyland said, is for the Tigers to get a lead so Kelly can sub for Magglio Ordonez in right field and Inge can play third in the late innings.
Yankees: Robertson, Mo freshIf somebody would've told you the Yankees would win two ALDS games with David Robertson and Mariano Rivera combining to throw just 1 1/3 innings, would you have believed it?
That's the scenario right now. With Rafael Soriano doing most of the heavy lifting in the bullpen the last couple of nights -- a bad thing in Game 3, a good thing in Game 4 -- the Yankees will have their eighth- and ninth-inning guys fresh for Game 5.
So expect multiple innings from Robertson and Mo if needed.
Worth noting• Of the past 20 Division Series in either league, only last season's matchup between the Rangers and Rays reached five games. And since 1995, five of the nine games featuring pitching rematches went to the team that won the first showdown.
• The 22-year-old Rick Porcello, who gave up four runs in six innings on Tuesday, became the youngest pitcher in Tigers history to start a postseason game when he took the mound for Game 4.
• The Yankees' nine-run margin of victory on Tuesday was the largest they have posted in an ALDS game in their history. The 10 runs are also the most they've scored in the ALDS.
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Pitching matchup
Tigers: RHP Doug Fister (0-1, 11.57 ERA)Fister had the makings of a pitching duel with Ivan Nova in the continuation of Game 1 until a couple pitches sank him in the middle innings. He retired 11 straight at one point, but retired just three of his final 10 hitters.
Yankees: RHP Ivan Nova (1-0, 2.84 ERA)As he has all season, Nova showcased his rookie cool in Game 1, holding the Tigers to two runs over 6 1/3 innings. Without ace left-hander CC Sabathia available to start Game 5, Nova is the next-best choice for the Yankees in a do-or-die spot.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
Game InformationINJURY UPDATE: •
OF Brennan Boesch (right thumb surgery,
15-day disabled list on September 9).
•
RHP Joel Zumaya (right elbow olecranon fracture surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 30).
•
LHP Brad Thomas (left elbow inflammation,
60-day DL on May 11)
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To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/
On the Internet 
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official Press Pass game notes
On television•
• Direct TV Extra Innings Schedule
On radio•
,
• XM Channel Schedule
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Subject: ALDS GM 5 - GDT: 10/6/11 - DET (2-2) AT NYY (2-2) - 8:00 p.m. ET 
Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:56 am
out swinging, catcher Russell Martin to first baseman Mark Teixeira.
1 - 0
