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DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers will start this post-season just like last years: Max Scherzer in Game 1, Justin Verlander in Game 2.Manager Brad Ausmus announced the teams rotation for its AL Division Series, which begins Thursday at Baltimore. Scherzer also started Detroits post-season opener last year, not long before he was voted the American Leagues Cy Young Award winner. The right-hander went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA this season.Hes been our best pitcher, Ausmus said.The Tigers have the ALs last three Cy Young winners in Scherzer, David Price and Verlander. Price (15-12) will start Game 3 in Detroit on Sunday, with Rick Porcello (15-13) slated for Game 4.It was a tough year for Verlander, who finished 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA, but his last couple starts were encouraging. He started Game 2 of last years ALDS against Oakland, then returned to shut down the Athletics in the decisive Game 5.Detroit has reached the AL Championship Series the last three years, and the Tigers won the pennant in 2012. They owe much of their post-season success to their starting pitching. Detroits starters have posted a 2.12 ERA over the last two postseasons, holding opponents to a .191 average.But that wasnt enough to win the franchises first World Series title since 1984.Generally speaking, pitching can make the difference, but you just dont know how it plays out, said Ausmus, who is in his first season as Detroits manager. Usually you feel like the pitching makes the difference, but then you have a game thats 12-10. We feel good about, obviously, our starting staff going in, but the bottom line is you dont know how the games are going to go.A star-studded rotation may appear to look great, but its no guarantee of success over a small period of time. That was already clear during the regular season. Detroit looked like a heavy favourite in the AL Central after acquiring Price from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, but the starting rotation didnt exactly dominate, posting a 3.97 ERA since Aug. 1. Injuries and spot starts inflated that figure a bit, but even standouts like Scherzer and Price had their share of shaky outings.The Tigers won the division anyway, with Price pitching brilliantly on the regular seasons final day to help wrap up first place. Now Detroit returns to familiar ground in the playoffs. The Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals are the only teams making a fourth straight post-season appearance this year.Scherzer, Victor Martinez and Torii Hunter are among the Detroit players who can become free agents after this season, so its fair to wonder how much longer this group has to try to win a World Series a€” although the Tigers have been willing to spend big in recent years under owner Mike Ilitch.Its tough when you see your friends, whether theyre going or not, you dont know, Verlander said. But were focused on one task right now and thats to win a World Series, and what happens next year, happens next year.The last three times Detroit was in the ALDS, the Tigers advanced by winning Game 5 on the road. Verlander pitched the last two of those winner-take-all victories, holding Oakland without a run both times.The ultimate goal is to win it all. Ive got a lot of cherished memories and some bitter ones too, Verlander said. Hopefully this is the year. Its not going to be easy, it never is. Were playing real good competition, but I like the way this teams built. I like the way we had to battle through adversity this year and I like the way were set up. Martin Prado Jersey . Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin broke the news that hes cleared for full activity moving forward. Dee Gordon Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers made it official Tuesday and signed pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract. www.baseballmarlinsstore.com/Adeiny-Hech...a-marlins-jersey/.Y. - The New York Islanders are brimming with confidence these days, thanks to a standout goalie and a newfound winning attitude. Chris Johnson Jersey . "I had a pretty good year," the soft-spoken Granberg told TSN.ca with a grin from the teams annual rookie tournament in London. A fourth-round selection in 2010, Granberg is worth keeping an eye on with NHL training camps rolling around in less than a week. The six-foot-two, 200-pound defender may not possess the wow-inspiring theatrics of fellow prospect Morgan Rielly, but nonetheless has a chance to contribute with the Leafs when all is said and done this season. Christian Yelich Jersey . LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat.BOSTON -- Jon Lester didnt feel very good warming up before the game. He couldnt have done much better once it started. The lefty struck out a career-high 15, allowing one hit over eight scoreless innings and pitching the Boston Red Sox over the Oakland Athletics 6-3 on Saturday. "Its probably the worst cutter Ive thrown in a bullpen in a long time, but I dont take much stock in my bullpens anymore," Lester said. "Youre down there to get loose. I think the biggest thing for me is just getting on the mound and getting that adrenaline going." He faced 26 batters and just nine hit the ball in fair territory. The only As to reach base against him were Craig Gentry on a leadoff single in the third and Derek Norris on walks to start the fifth and eighth. "Just the combination of power and command was impressive," Boston manager John Farrell said. "He was locked in seemingly from the first pitch." Lester (3-4) got plenty of support on a grand slam by Jonny Gomes and solo homers by David Ortiz and David Ross in Bostons second straight win after losing a day-night doubleheader to Tampa Bay on Thursday. But Oakland scored three runs off Chris Capuano in the ninth and had the tying run at the plate before Koji Uehara struck out Alberto Callaspo and retired Brandon Moss on a fly to right, securing his seventh save in seven opportunities. "I knew we had it the whole way," Lester said. "Weve got the best closer in baseball out there." The only hit off Lester was Gentrys bloop single in the third over the head of second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "Thats the best performance Ive seen him have," Oaklands Nick Punto said. Lester rebounded from taking the loss in his previous two games by striking out nine of his first 13 batters. His previous strikeout best was 13 on July 24, 2010, in a 5-1 loss at Seattle. "He looked pretty cozy out there," Gomes said. Lester, who threw a no-hitter on May 19, 2008 against Kansas City, struck out every hitter in the Oakland lineup, fanning Josh Reddick three times and Punto, Callaspo, Coco Crisp aand Josh Donaldson twice each.dddddddddddd Gomes hit the fifth slam of his career one day after Pedroia hit one. Tommy Milone (0-3) allowed Gomes homer after Pedroia walked, Xander Bogaerts singled and Ortiz walked. "It always seems that every time you walk somebody they have a tendency of scoring," Milone said, "so it just took that one big hit from Gomes to set the tone." Milone struck out the next four batters but ran into trouble again in the third when Ortiz led off with his sixth homer of the year. Ross started the fourth with his third homer. Lester threw 119 pitches before being replaced by Capuano to start the ninth. In his previous two starts, Lester threw 118 pitches in a 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees on April 22 and 122 in a 4-1 loss at Toronto last Sunday. Punto started the ninth with a double and took third on a single by Crisp. Both scored when Jed Lowrie doubled and left fielder Gomes threw wildly to the plate for an error. After Donaldson was hit by a pitch, Uehara walked Yoenis Cespedes. Norris hit into a forceout at home, but catcher Ross throw to first went wild, allowing a run to score before Uehara ended the threat. "Its easy to just cash it in after youve struck out 15 times in eight innings and hadnt had too many good swings and youre frustrated," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said, "and then to get those kind of at-bats in the ninth inning, its good." NOTES: Capuano hadnt allowed a run in his other 12 outings this season. ... Pedroia has reached base 35 times in his last 17 games. ... The Athletics have scored no runs while Milone was in the game in his three losses. ... Sonny Gray (4-1) pitches for Oakland in the finale of the three-game series against John Lackey (4-2) on Sunday. ... The crowd cheered each time a Red Sox worker walked along the left-field warning track to change the number next to the Bruins name on the scoreboard after each of their last three goals in Game 2 of their playoff series against Montreal. Boston was trailing 3-2 in the third period then scored three goals in the last six minutes to win 5-3 and even the series at 1. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '