For Yankees' Sabathia, short rest is no problem

In 36 starts this season as a member of the New York Yankees, CC Sabathia has pitched like an ace -- to the point where the Yankees are now eager to use him again. And willing to risk that short rest won't hinder his performance.

Sabathia will start Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on just three days' rest, a layoff that has forced the lefty to adjust his preparation. Sabathia this weekend forwent his usual between-starts bullpen session, instead playing catch on Sunday. When Sabathia pronounced his left arm in sound shape, Manager Joe Girardi made the decision. Sabathia thereafter spent a few minutes with reporters insisting that short rest won't hurt him.

"I mean, you know that going on [short] rest that you're not going to have your best fastball," Sabathia said. "So you've just go to stay under control and make sure your delivery is good."

Though Sabathia understands the risk -- "It's kind of tough to bring guys back on three days' rest," he admitted -- his career numbers suggest he knows how to handle the challenge. In seven career starts with the short layoff, Sabathia has a 4-3 record and a 3.53 ERA. That's marginally better than his ERA (3.65) on regular rest. On short rest, he also has an improved strikeout ratio, and has limited opponents to a lesser batting average.

"You look at everything," Girardi said. "Last year he was 2-1 with a low ERA on three days' rest. And the thing about CC is he didn't have the amount of innings that he had in the last two years in the regular season. We slowed him down. He's been able to have extra rest, and that's why we feel good about it."

Acta finalist with Indians

Former Nationals manager Manny Acta will get a second interview with the Cleveland Indians.

Acta, fired by the Nationals in July, will meet with Indians owner Paul Dolan, General Manager Mark Shapiro and other front-office personnel Tuesday at Progressive Field. The Indians will make Acta available to the media afterward.

The Indians are bringing as many as five finalists to Cleveland for second interviews.

Kuroda 'fine,' Torre says

One day after seeing pitcher Hiroki Kuroda torched for six runs in a disastrous 1 1/3 -inning start in Game 3 of the NLCS, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said Kuroda was fine physically and could pitch in either a starting or relief role later in the series.

"I came in today, and we talked," Torre said prior to Game 4. "He was fine. Absolutely no physical problems. [The poor performance] was just one of those things that happened. . . . I don't know what we're going to do for the rest of the series as far as how we're going to use our pitchers . . . but he certainly is available for either [starting or relieving]."

It would not be difficult for the Dodgers to complete the series without starting Kuroda again, even if it goes seven games. Torre was expected to announce following Game 4 whether lefty Clayton Kershaw or right-hander Vicente Padilla will start Game 5 on Wednesday night. The other, presumably, would start Game 6, if necessary, in Los Angeles on Friday.

In a potential Game 7 on Saturday, the Dodgers would have the option of starting Game 4 starter Randy Wolf on full rest.

Lee impresses Koufax

Of everyone in attendance during Sunday night's NLCS Game 3, no one could have had a fuller appreciation for Cliff Lee's brilliant performance (eight innings, three hits, no walks, no runs, 10 strikeouts) than the white-haired gentleman in the Dodgers' suite.

Only 12 previous times in history had a pitcher thrown eight or more scoreless innings in a postseason game, while allowing three or fewer hits and striking out 10 or more -- and one of them was Sandy Koufax, who threw a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series.

"I was impressed," Koufax, now 73, said of Lee. "But I've been impressed with him ever since he came into the league. He makes pitches. He commands the ball. And he doesn't touch the middle of the plate -- that's the hitter's part."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.