Division Series Day One Open Thread

The postseason (otherwise known as the games that need to end before the offseason can start) continues today with four teams taking part in their first 2012 playoff game.

First, at 5 pm Jarrod Parker (3.47 ERA, 3.43 FIP) and the AL West Champion Oakland Athletics travel to Detroit to take on Justin Verlander (2.64 ERA, 2.94 FIP) and the AL Central Champion Detroit Tigers, who with 88 regular season wins are tied for the worst record among playoff teams (the Cardinals also won 88 games).

Parker, who won't turn 24 until November, is the youngest pitcher to start a playoff game for the A's since Barry Zito in 2000 and 2001 and the second youngest since Vida Blue in 1971.

Then at 8:30 Johnny Cueto (2.78 ERA, 3.27 FIP) and the NL Central Champion Cincinnati Reds head out to San Francisco to take on Matt Cain (2.79 ERA, 3.40 FIP) and the NL West Champion San Francisco Giants. Cain will be making his fourth career postseason start tonight, having pitched once each in the NLDS, NLCS and World Series in 2010.

This is just the Reds' second playoff series since 1995. It's been exactly 17 years since they last won a playoff game.

Both games will be on TBS.