It's not exactly the most surprising news of the American League Championship Series, but after sending Justin Verlander out for 130+ pitches on Thursday, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has ruled out using his ace for the rest of the series.
If you see Verlander pitch again it will be good. It will mean we're in the World Series.
It would take a special kind of insane for a manager to pitch his ace two or three days after throwing a season-high pitch total, and Leyland is not that special kind of insane. The world would be more interesting if he were, though.
Who does Leyland have available to him in the bullpen? From Jerry Crasnick:
Leyland's bullpen tonight after Scherzer: Porcello available, Coke, Benoit, Valverde, with Schlereth a possibility to get out vs. lefty.
Porcello threw 96 pitches on Wednesday, so bringing him back on two days' rest is somewhat surprising, though it's hard to imagine Leyland bringing him in in a situation other than extra innings.