Detroit @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2011 ) NY Yankees 10, Detroit 1

THE STORY: Three months after he was demoted to the minor leagues, rookie righthander Ivan Nova takes the mound Thursday for the New York Yankees in a winner-takes-all Game 5 of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium. Nova would rank among the unlikeliest of starters for a deciding game – if it were not for the presence of opposing starter Doug Fister, a trade-deadline acquisition from Seattle. Everything points in New York’s favor: home-field advantage, the momentum from Tuesday’s stay-alive 10-1 rout in Detroit, and Nova’s stellar relief effort in Game 1, when he outpitched Fister by tossing six scoreless innings in relief before giving up a pair of meaningless runs. Texas awaits the winner in Saturday’s Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Doug Fister (0-1, 11.57 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Ivan Nova (1-0, 2.84 ERA).

Fister turned his year around with Detroit, going 8-1 and allowing five runs in his last seven regular-season starts. While he was charged with six runs Saturday, Fister had retired 11 straight at one point – including five strikeouts – and was one out away from a 1-0 deficit when the Yankees struck for six two-out runs in the sixth.

Nova is undefeated since June 3, having 13 consecutive decisions. He won seven straight starts upon his recall from the minors and was 8-2 at Yankee Stadium during the regular season. Although he walked four batters Saturday, Nova has been able to avoid the big inning by surrendering only four homers in his last 12 starts.

ABOUT THE TIGERS: AL batting champion Miguel Cabrera torched the Yankees during the regular season, but he is 0-for-5 with three walks in the past two games. Detroit is getting zero production from too many spots in the lineup. Catcher Alex Avila is 0-for-12, Wilson Betemit 0-for-8 and leadoff batter Austin Jackson 1-for-10 in the series. Rookie reliever Al Alburquerque has been hit hard in both appearances. The Tigers haven’t lost back-to-back games since Aug. 28-29.

ABOUT THE YANKEES: No. 9 hitter Brett Gardner is 5-for-13 with five RBIs, including a pair of two-out, two-run hits in each win. After an 0-for-10 start to the series, Alex Rodriguez had a pair of hits in Game 4. Robinson Cano has eight RBIs in the series and missed a homer by inches off Fister in Game 1. Closer Mariano Rivera is rested and available for multiple innings, and CC Sabathia may also be used in relief.

FINAL PITCH: The home-field advantage may not loom as large as many think. Since Division Series play was implemented in 1995, the visiting team has won Game 5 eight of 14 times. In addition, the team that won Game 3 of a LDS that was tied emerged victorious on 19 of 23 occasions.