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ESPNST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Getting information out of Joe Girardi is about as easy as pulling a wisdom tooth, and often just as unpleasant.
But the New York Yankees manager, who has been stubbornly reticent about revealing any of his postseason roster decisions, did offer one nugget of news before Wednesday night's regular-season finale between the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.
Rookie Ivan Nova will start Game 2 of the American League Division Series, regardless of who the Yankees' first-round opponent turns out to be.
"Nova's going to start," Girardi said. "It's probably going to be Game 2. How's that?"
It is an indication of how far Nova has come this season, from being sent to Triple-A in July to clearly supplanting A.J. Burnett as the Yankees' No. 2 starter, posting the second-best record of any starting pitcher on the team, 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA, behind Game 1 starter CC Sabathia's 19-8 and 3.00.
Girardi would reveal no other roster decisions aside from saying that the Yankees had settled on a Game 3 starter regardless of whether their first-round opponent turns out to be the Detroit Tigers or the Texas Rangers.
But neither Girardi nor general manager Brian Cashman would reveal the identity of the pitcher -- it will be either Burnett or Freddy Garcia -- nor whether the Yankees had made any of the other remaining postseason decisions, such as how many pitchers they will carry or whether both rookie catchers, Jesus Montero and Austin Romine, would make the roster.
"There are two or three decisions left to be made," Girardi said. "We're fairly close, but some of those decisions have to be made depending on who we play."
From the 5th starter, to the minors, to starting Game 2 of the ALDS; been a hell of a ride. I've been really impressed with Nova this season and he most certainly deserving of starting Game 2 for us.