Deeper Yankees have edge at home

October, 6, 2011

10/06/11

2:41

PM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

There are few things more exciting than an elimination game, which is what we have in the Bronx tonight. Here’s what I’m looking for in Game 5 of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers:

• Rookie Ivan Nova put together the quietest 16-win season in recent memory. What is also fresh on the Tigers’ minds is the Yankees' 9-3 win in Game 1, in which Nova gave up just two runs on four hits and four walks, striking out five. Nova’s composure and demeanor will help him stay in control during this pressure-filled start. He’s figured it out, doesn’t pitch like a rookie and will run through the Tigers’ lineup two or three times before he comes out.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.