Andy Pettite is "leaning" toward returning to the Yankees, as Ken Davidoff of Newsday reports.

However, Pettitte is still expected to take until at least after Thanksgiving to make his final decision. Earlier, Pettitte indicated he would stay retired had he had to make a decision immediately.

The lefty still has plenty of game left and is willing to work on one-year deals, so the guess here is he returns for another season.

-- Evan Brunell

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The American League Championship Series moves to Yankee Stadium for the matchup we've all been waiting for -- Cliff Lee vs. Andy Pettitte, the future Yankee vs. the consumate Yankee. (All stats from the regular season.)

Texas Rangers

Postseason stats: Hitting /Pitching

1. Elvis Andrus, SS
overall: .265/.342/.301 in 588 AB, 32 SB
vs. NYY: .233/.324/.333 in 30 AB
on road: .268/.354/.292 in 284 AB,
against LHP: .268/.341/.301 in 153 AB

2. Michael Young, 3B
overall: .284/.330/.444 in 656 AB, 21 HR
vs. NYY: .306/.306/.389 in 36 AB
on road: .260/.299/.380 in 334 AB
against LHP: .322/.374/.497 in 171 AB, 6 HR

3. Josh Hamilton, CF
overall: .359/.411/.633 in 518 AB, 32 HR
vs. NYY: .250/.286/.400 in 20 AB
on road: .327/.382/.512 in 254 AB, 10 HR
against LHP: .271/.331/.458 in 166 AB

4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
overall: .300/.345/.496 in 593 AB, 29 HR
vs. NYY: .250/.286/.313 in 32 AB
on road: .284/.336/.461 in 282 AB, 13 HR
against LHP: .338/.395/.536 in 151 AB, 7 HR

5. Nelson Cruz, LF
overall: .318/.374/.576 in 399 AB, 22 HR
vs. NYY: .250/.294/.563 in 32 AB, 3 HR
on road: .267/.324/.480 in 202 AB, 9 HR
against LHP: .330/.388/.587 in 109 AB, 21 RBI

6. Ian Kinsler, 2B
overall: .286/.382/.412 in 391 AB
vs. NYY: .400/.571/.500 in 10 AB
on road: .257/.322/.388 in 206 AB
against LHP: .376/.473/.484 in 93 AB

7. Jeff Francoeur, RF
overall: .249/.300/.383 in 454 AB
vs. NYY: .143/.208/.190 in 21 AB
on road: .270/.328/.405 in 237 AB
against LHP: .300/.363/.442 in 120 AB, 4 HR

8. Bengie Molina
overall: .240/.279/.320 in 175 AB
vs. NYY: .111/.273/.111 in 13 AB
on road: .241/.292/.316 in 176 AB
against LHP: .350/.412/.420 in 100 AB

9. Mitch Moreland, 1B
overall: .255/.364/.469 in 145 AB
vs. NYY: .250/.471/.250 in 12 AB, 5 BB
on road: .244/.330/.500 in 86 AB
against LHP: .200/.304/.300 in 20 AB

LHP Cliff Lee
overall: 12-9, 3.18 ERA, 3.23 xFIP, 212 1/3 IP
since joining TEX: 4-6, 3.98 ERA, 3.27 xFIP, 108 2/3 IP
vs. NYY: 3 GS, 23 1/3 IP, 3.09 ERA, 4 BB, 18 K, 8 ER, 2 HR
on road: 7-6, 3.53 ERA, 3.49 xFIP, 112 1/3 IP

X-factor to win: Cliff Lee. He's good.

Keep an eye on: How about Jeff Francoeur? I know it's a tiny sample size, but his career against Andy Pettitte, Francoeur is 5 for 8 with a double and a solo homer in eight plate appearances against Pettitte in his career.

New York Yankees

Postseason stats: Hitting /Pitching

1. Derek Jeter, SS
overall: .270/.340/.370 in 663 AB
vs. TEX: .385/.448/.615 in 26 AB, HR
at home: .295/.365/.425, 7 HR
against LHP: .321/.391/.481, 6 HR in 291 AB

2. Nick Swisher, RF
overall: .288/.359/.511, 29 HR in 566 AB
vs. TEX: .103/.188/.138 in 29 AB

at home: .287/.356/.498 in 279 AB
against LHP: .294/.415/.433, 13 2B in 180 AB

3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
overall: .256/.365/.481 in 601 AB
vs. TEX: .167/.286/.292 in 24 AB, HR
at home: .288/.410/.558, 15 HR
against LHP: .278/.413/.528, 10 HR in 180 AB


4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
overall: .270/.341/.506, 125 RBI in 522 AB
vs. TEX: .360/.515/.720 in 25 AB, 2 HR, 8 RBI
at home: .294/.368/.553, 62 RBI in 228 AB
against LHP: .217/.314/.441, 35 RBI in 143 AB




5. Robinson Cano, 2B
overall: .319/.381/.534, 41 2B in 626 AB
vs. TEX: .233/.272/.300 in 30 AB
at home: .298/.360/.521, 16 HR
against LHP: .285/.343/.514, 13 HR in 214 AB

6. Marcus Thames, DH
overall: .288/.350/.491 in 212 AB
vs. TEX: .435/.435/.609 in 23 AB, HR
at home: .267/.342/.410 in 105 AB
against LHP: .300/.352/.454 in 130 AB


7. Jorge Posada, C
overall: .248/.357/.454 in 383 AB
vs. TEX: .250/.294/.438 in 16 AB, HR
at home: .288/.382/.540 in 198 AB
against LHP: .257/.340/.493, 8 HR in 136 AB

8. Curtis Granderson, CF
overall: .247/.324/.468 in 466 AB
vs. TEX: .200/.360/.250 in 20 AB
at home: .262/.336/.511
against LHP: .234/.292/.354 in 158 AB

9. Brett Gardner, LF
overall: .277/.383/.379, 47 SB in 477 AB
vs. TEX: .333/.440/.333 in 21 AB
at home: .274/.384/.401
against LHP: ..252/.373/.353, 9 SB in 139 AB


Andy Pettitte, LHP
overall: 11-3, 129 IP, 3.28 ERA, 4.05 xFIP
at home: 7-4, 11 GS, 70 IP, 3.47 ERA, 4.65 xFIP
vs. TEX: 1 GS, 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 3 BB

X-factor to win: Andy Pettitte is one win from winning 20 postseason games in his career. He's 19-9 with a  3.87 ERA in his career in the postseason and 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career postseason starts at the new Yankee Stadium.

Keep an eye on: Derek Jeter has hit .417/.488/.583 in 36 at-bats against Lee, with six RBI, four doubles and five walks.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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Rangers manager Ron Washington officially confirmed that his ALCS rotation will be what we projected last night, with C.J. Wilson getting the nod for Game 1.

So that's Wilson vs. CC Sabathia in the first game, followed by Colby Lewis vs. Phil Hughes, Cliff Lee vs. Andy Pettitte and Tommy Hunter vs. A.J. Burnett.

Washington also said the Rangers will add a reliever for the series, dropping reserve infielder Esteban German from the roster. Left-handers Michael Kirkman, Clay Rapada and Matt Harrison and right-handers Mark Lowe and Scott Feldman are the candidates to be added.

UPDATE: The Yankees have switched it up and will throw Hughes second and Pettitte third. The above text has been changed to reflect that and is correct.

-- David Andriesen

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So, to go along with the Yankees rotation, we now have the Twins rotation for their ALDS matchups:

Game 1: CC Sabathia vs. Francisco Liriano
Game 2: Andy Pettitte vs. Carl Pavano
Game 3: Phil Hughes vs. Brian Duensing
Game 4: Sabathia vs. Nick Blackburn
Game 5: Pettitte vs. Liriano

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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The Yankees will go with a three-man rotation in the American League Division Series against the Twins, eschewing the $82.5 million-man, A.J. Burnett.

The New York Post is reporting CC Sabathia would pitch a fourth game against the Twins if it gets to that point. Sabathia will start Game 1 on Wednesday at Target Field. He'd be followed by Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes.

Burnett was 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two starts against the Twins this season, but was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA overall and 1-7 with a 6.61 ERA in the last two months of the season, while batters are hitting .300/.380/.494 in the 12 games he's started since Aug. 2.

Sabathia is fine with going on short rest in Game 4 on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

"I told Joe [Girardi] and Dave [Pelland] I will be prepared to do that," Sabathia told the Post. "If I get enough rest, I want to pitch."

Sabathia has experience with three days of rest, going 3-1 with a 1.01 ERA in four such starts. Last year he needed just three days between starts for Game 4 of the ALCS and Game 4 of the World Series. He went 1-0 with a  2.46 ERA in those starts, both Yankees victories.

UPDATE: The Yankees have made it official, CBSSports.com senior writer Danny Knobler reports .

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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A.J. Burnett has got to be feeling playoff-type pressure in anticipation of his start tonight -- and if he doesn't respond well, it might be as close as he gets to the real thing.

Joe Girardi isn't saying it straight up, but he can't put Burnett on the mound in the playoffs if he goes out tonight and puts up another outing like his last (2 1/3 innings, seven runs). Burnett has won just once in 11 starts since August 2, with an ERA of almost 7.

The Yankees will throw CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes in the first round, but could make due with three starters in the five-game series. A seven-game second round might be another story. Is Burnett (10-15, 5.33 ERA) in danger of playing himself out of the postseason scenarios?

"I would think not; then again, I've given a lot of reasons to think so," Burnett told the New York Daily News. "I'm not going to look at it that way because I think that would put added pressure on myself. My goal is to come out and feel more like A.J. than I have in a year and a half."

Girardi said it's not as cut and dried as Burnett pitching for a rotation spot tonight, but obviously it's going to matter whether the Yankees see what fans call "the good A.J." or "the bad A.J." with the postseason looming.

"My biggest concern is that he pitches well," Girardi said. "Then we can talk about all those things. I'm not looking at it like that."

-- David Andriesen

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A stiff back caused Andy Pettitte's start to be pushed to Friday, the New York Daily News ' Mark Feinsand wrote .

Pettitte allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings in his last outing, Friday against the Red Sox. He said his back bothered him throughout that game.

"The next day, I knew I was going to be fine," Pettitte told Feinsand. "But you don't want to have anything going on, especially after what I've been through with my groin."

Pettitte has made two starts after missing two months with a groin injury. He's still being counted on for the playoff rotation, but manager Joe Girardi admitted he's concerned about Pettitte's back.

"It's always a concern whenever a guy is dealing with something," Girardi said. "But it was muscular, so you have to believe he'll bounce back. It's a little concern."

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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At one point, the Yankees said they weren't worried about winning the American League East title -- instead, they just wanted to make the playoffs.

Hours after clinching a postseason spot, manager Joe Girardi changed course, rolling out a lineup full of regulars, minus Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner.

"You see our lineup," Girardi told reporters, including the Star-Ledger 's Marc Carig . "We're playing to win this division. We'll be smart about it, but we're still playing to win this division."

The Yankees are a half-game behind the Rays, who finish their home schedule tonight against the Orioles before heading to Kansas City for four games.

In that push to win the division, Girardi announced Andy Pettitte would start Friday in Boston, followed by A.J. Burnett on Saturday, but didn't announce a starter for Sunday's season-finale.

If the Yankees don't win the division, they'll play the Twins in the first round. If they win the division, they'd play the Rangers.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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