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DETROIT -- From All-Star starter to post-season headliner -- Max Scherzer is Jim Leylands pick again. Karl Mecklenburg Jersey . Detroits 21-game winner will start the AL division series opener Friday night at Oakland, with star Justin Verlander following in Game 2. Leyland announced the Tigers rotation Tuesday, putting an end to any speculation about who would start Game 1. "I truly feel that I could start any one of my guys and I would feel comfortable," Leyland said. "I think that the kind of year Scherzers had ... Im sure somebody will find something wrong with this choice, but I think thats kind of hard to argue." Scherzer (21-3) was baseballs lone 20-game winner this year and started for the American League in the All-Star game, which Leyland managed. But Verlander (13-12) was the 2011 AL MVP and has been one of the top pitchers in the game over the last few seasons, so Leyland could have picked either. "Its awesome," Scherzer said. "Were going up against a great team, and I have a shot to go out there and pick up the win, first time. What more can you want?" The Tigers won the AL Central for a third straight year, thanks to an exceptionally deep rotation. Anibal Sanchez, the ALs ERA leader, wont pitch until Game 3 against the Athletics. Doug Fister starts Game 4. Leyland said relievers Bruce Rondon and Phil Coke will likely miss the series due to elbow problems. Scherzer is a favourite to win his first Cy Young Award, and its not just because of his lofty win total. He finished fifth in the AL in ERA and second in strikeouts while holding opponents to a .198 average. No wonder Verlander was deferential to his teammate after Leylands announcement. "If it was me, Id probably make the same decision," Verlander said. "Max has had a magical season, and when a guy has a season like that and everythings going right, why not ride it?" Verlander was the Cy Young winner in 2011 and finished a close second last year to David Price. This season has been more of a struggle. His 3.46 ERA was his highest since 2008. Verlander pitched six scoreless innings in each of his final two starts, and if he can provide more of the same in the playoffs, the Tigers should be dangerous. "I put in a ton of work, and I really feel like the last couple starts were a whole lot better," Verlander said. "Im pretty doggone close to right where I need to be." Scherzer will face Bartolo Colon (18-6) in the opener. Colon was second to Sanchez in the ERA race. Leyland said the final decision on a Game 1 starter came in the last few days, and he decided Tuesday was a good time to announce it. "Im doing this so I didnt get bugged by you guys for another three or four days," Leyland said. "It gives you guys some time to play with it, it gives your readers time to second-guess it, enjoy it, agree with it, whatever they want to do. So we figured we owed that to you." Rick Porcello, Detroits No. 5 starter, will move to the bullpen. The Tigers can use some help in relief if Rondon and Coke cant pitch. Rondon looked good recently, but it sounds as if his arm problems will keep him sidelined for the time being. For all their impressive pitching, the Tigers are still vulnerable if their lineup slumps. Last year in the World Series, Detroit was shut down by San Francisco in a four-game sweep. After clinching the division last week, Detroit lost three straight in Miami against the lowly Marlins, scoring only three runs in three games. Henderson Alvarez threw a no-hitter against the Tigers in the finale. "Im not as concerned as the fans and everything, because I know this is the way it is -- we either hit or we dont," Leyland said. "That simple. Im not going to sit around and worry about it." Peyton Manning Jersey ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. Riley Dixon Jersey . Napoli hit two home runs, Jonny Gomes and prized rookie Xander Bogaerts also connected, and the Red Sox kept up their dizzying scoring spree at Yankee Stadium by bashing New York 13-9 Saturday for a fifth straight win. http://www.thebroncosstoreonline.com/Youth-Adam-Gotsis-Broncos-Jerseys/ . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap.PHILADELPHIA -- Claude Giroux has put an early-season slump well behind him. At this rate, the Flyers captain is set to be remembered more for a fantastic finish. Giroux and Jakub Voracek each had two goals, and Michael Raffl and Steve Downie also scored to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. Andrew MacDonald had an assist in his first game since he was acquired from the New York Islanders. The Flyers won for the seventh time in eight games and are second in the Metropolitan Division, far removed from the team that started a franchise-worst 1-7. Giroux didnt score a goal in his first 15 games, but now has 23 in 63 games this season. Giroux and Voracek are hot at the right time. "Theyre the leaders of this team," goalie Steve Mason said. "When they are going, everybody follows." The Flyers chased Washington goalie Braden Holtby after taking a 4-0 lead early in the second period. Holtby was replaced by Philipp Grubauer for the rest of the game -- and could face some competition the rest of the season. The Capitals acquired Jaroslav Halak from Buffalo for backup goalie Michal Neuvirth and defenceman Rostislav Klesla at the NHL trade deadline earlier in the day. Alex Ovechkin, Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer nearly rallied the Capitals with three straight goals in the third. Brooks Laich also scored. "Its not how were supposed to start the game," Ovechkin said. "We just have to play better right away." Giroux continued to put a slow start far behind him as he leads the Flyers resurgence. His goals in each of the first two periods gave him nine in the last 11 games. Perhaps fueled by his Olympic snub, he has nine assists over that span, and has again positioned the Flyers as a tough post-season out. Both teams turned back the clock with a line brawl in the first period that saw Washingtons John Erskine and Philadelphias Vincent Lecavalier get tossed. Philadelphias Luke Schenn drilled Ryan Stoa into the boards, then was confronted by Tom Wilson. Wilson, who earned a 10-minute misconduct, fought Schenn while the rest of the lines went at it near the corner boards. Philadelphias Wayne Simmonds tried to pull off EErskine, allowing Lecavalier to get in a free shot. Bradley Roby Jersey. The crowd went wild and helmets littered the ice during the brawl that finally ended with the Flyers short-handed. The Flyers killed the penalty -- and continued to dominate Washington. After three periods, the Flyers had outshot them 23-8. "There was a lot of emotion the first two periods," Giroux said. "There was a lot of good stuff." The ended the first period up 2-0. Sean Couturier freed the puck after a clean hit on Jack Hillen along the boards, and Giroux pounced for his first goal. Voracek scored less than 2 minutes later on a power-play goal, firing from the top of the circle. Mike Greens turnover early in the second led to Girouxs unassisted goal and Halls fifth goal of the season came on a deflection for a 4-0 lead. That was all for Holtby, who allowed four goals on 18 shots. "We didnt come out with enough to let them know that were here," Capitals coach Adam Oates said. The Capitals, just outside the playoff picture at the moment, nearly pulled off an amazing comeback. Ward made it 4-1, Ovechkin scored his 44th goal after the Flyers failed to clear the puck, and Brouwer fired a perfect pass from Hillen past Mason to make it a one-goal game. The Capitals took 12 shots on goal in the first 11 minutes, forcing Flyers coach Craig Berube to call timeout. Voracek gave the Flyers a needed cushion when he raced down the slot and pounded the puck past Grubauer for the 5-3 lead. Laich deflected the puck past Mason with 6 minutes left in the game to make it 5-4. But they could never score the tying goal. Downie capped the scoring with an empty-netter. Both teams were busy leading up to Wednesdays deadline. The Flyers landed MacDonald and sent defenceman Andrej Meszaros to the Boston Bruins for a 2014 third-round draft choice. Washington made two deals Tuesday, adding left wing Dustin Penner in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks, while shipping forward Martin Erat to Phoenix. NOTES: With Halak unavailable, the Capitals recalled Grubauer from Hershey of the American Hockey League before the game. He had been scheduled to make a personal appearance at a Turkey Hill Mini Market in Lancaster, Pa. ... The Flyers won three of five games in the season series. Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Wholesale Jerseys China NFL Jerseys From China Discount NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Online Wholesale Jerseys 2019 ' ' '