As the Yankees fight to extend their season for another day, they’ll do it without Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson in the lineup.

The start of ALCS Game 4 is being delayed due to inclement weather in the area, and the forecast isn’t particularly kind until after midnight, according to what I punched up from the Weather Channel. After what happened in last year’s AL Division Series right here, with CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander getting knocked out early in Game 1, Major League Baseball has been sensitive to starting games with threats in the area.

So, we’ll wait… Here are the lineups:

YANKEES
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner CF
Eduardo Nunez SS

CC Sabathia LHP

TIGERS
Austin Jackson CF
Omar Infante 2B
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young DH
Jhonny Peralta SS
Andy Dirks LF
Avisail Garcia RF
Gerald Laird C

Max Scherzer RHP

The Yankees have a new-look lineup for tonight’s Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, with Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher planted on the bench.

Brett Gardner will get his first start since April 17, leading off and playing left field, while the Yankees hope that Curtis Granderson and Ichiro Suzuki can chase down any deep fly balls that the Tigers connect for facing Phil Hughes. Eduardo Nunez also replaces Jayson Nix at shortstop as the Yankees hope for some speed to rattle Justin Verlander.

Is this an ideal situation? No, but the Yankees are in a desperate situation, and both manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman figure they’d might as well try something different to shake things up.

“With all due respect, he can’t really give us any less than what we’ve gotten,” Cashman said of Gardner. “So why not? We’ll try it.”

Here are the lineups:

2012 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – GAME 3
NEW YORK YANKEES (0-2 / 95-67) vs. DETROIT TIGERS (2-0 / 88-74)
RHP Phil Hughes (0-0, 1.35) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (2-0, 0.56)
Tuesday, October 16 • 8:07 p.m. et • TBS • Comerica Park

YANKEES
Brett Gardner lf
Ichiro Suzuki rf
Mark Teixeira 1b
Robinson Cano 2b
Raul Ibanez dh
Russell Martin c
Eric Chavez 3b
Curtis Granderson cf
Eduardo Nunez ss

Phil Hughes rhp

TIGERS
Austin Jackson cf
Quintin Berry lf
Miguel Cabrera 3b
Prince Fielder 1b
Delmon Young dh
Andy Dirks rf
Jhonny Peralta ss
Alex Avila c
Omar Infante 2b

Justin Verlander rhp

Information from the Yankees media relations department:

TWO DOWN: The Yankees have lost the first two games of an ALCS series for just the second time (also 1980 when they were swept by Kansas City in the series under a three-game format)…marks the ninth time the Yankees have started a best-of-seven series 0-2 – all coming in the World Series (1922 vs. New York Giants, ‘56 vs. Brooklyn, ‘58 vs. Milwaukee, ‘63 vs. Los Angeles, ‘76 vs. Cincinnati, ‘78 vs. Los Angeles, ‘96 vs. Atlanta and 2001 vs. Arizona)…came back to win the series four times in those previous situations (‘56, ‘58, ‘78 and ‘96)…were swept in ‘22, ‘63 and ‘76 and lost in seven games in ‘01.
ð Marks the third time the Yankees have begun a best-of-seven series with both losses coming as the home team (also ‘63 when they were swept by the Dodgers and ‘96 when they won four straight vs. Atlanta (beating Glavine, Avery, Smoltz and Maddux).

START US UP: Yankees starters have combined to go 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA (54.0IP, 14ER) in the 2012 postseason, with 48K and a .201 opponents average (40-for-199)… have tossed at least 6.0IP with 3ER or less in all seven starts, matching their World Championship season of 2009 for the best such stretch to start a postseason in franchise history.

2012 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – GAME 2
NEW YORK YANKEES (3-3/95-67) vs. DETROIT TIGERS (4-2/88-74)
RHP Hiroki Kuroda (0-0, 2.16) vs. RHP Anibal Sanchez (0-1, 2.84)
Sunday, October 14 • 4:07 p.m. et • TBS • Yankee Stadium

TIGERS
Austin Jackson CF
Quintin Berry LF
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young DH
Andy Dirks RF
Jhonny Peralta SS
Alex Avila C
Omar Infante 2B

Pitching: Anibal Sanchez RHP

YANKEES
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Jayson Nix SS

Pitching: Hiroki Kuroda RHP

BIRTHDAY BOY: Manager Joe Girardi is celebrating his 48th birthday today.

EXTRA, EXTRA: The Yankees have played three extra-inning games thus far in the 2012 postseason (12 inn., 13 inn. and 12 inn.), with all three coming over their last four contests… matches their most extra-inning games in a single postseason all time (also 1996, 2004 and 2009)… had played three extra-inning games over their previous 31 postseason contests entering 2012.
ð Have lost their last two extra-inning games at home (also ALDS Game 4 vs. Baltimore)… prior to the setbacks, had won 10 straight extra-inning postseason wins at home dating back to 1999.
ð Have now played six extra-inning games in their last 10 home games.
ð Have played 46 combined innings over their last four games/days.

SO COOL: With his game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning last night, RHP Raul Ibanez became the first player in Major League history to homer three times in the ninth inning or later in a single postseason (also had a game-tying solo HR and “walk-off” solo HR in ALDS Game 3 vs. Baltimore)…joins Johnny Bench as the only two players ever with three career game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning or later in postseason play.

HEY, REMEMBER THE 80s: Today, the Yankees will do something they haven’t done since 10/28/81 (Game 6 of the World Series) – play a postseason game without either Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter on the roster.

2012 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – GAME 1
NEW YORK YANKEES (3-2/95-67) vs. DETROIT TIGERS (3-2/88-74)
LHP Andy Pettitte (0-1, 3.86) vs. RHP Doug Fister (0-0, 2.57)
Saturday, October 13 • 8:07 p.m. et • TBS • Yankee Stadium

TIGERS
Austin Jackson CF
Omar Infante 2B
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young DH
Jhonny Peralta SS
Andy Dirks LF
Avisail Garcia RF
Gerald Laird C

Doug Fister RHP

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C

Andy Pettitte LHP

AT A GLANCE: The Yankees will play Game 1 of the 2012 American League Championship Series vs. the Detroit Tigers tonight at Yankee Stadium…marks the Yankees’ 15th ALCS all-time, going 11-3 in the series, including a 7-2 mark in their last nine since 1996 – which have been a “best of seven” format…is their third ALCS in five years under Joe Girardi (also 2009 and ‘10)…are 34-14 in 48 “best-of-seven” series all time.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The Yankees have won the first game in each of their last four postseason series and nine of their last 11.

ANDY’S TURN: LHP Andy Pettitte will make his seventh career Game 1 start, first since the 2005 NLCS at St. Louis w/Houston… is his fifth Game 1 start as a Yankee, first since the 2001 ALCS at Seattle… is his first Game 1 start at home since the 2000 World Series vs. the Mets (6.2IP, 8H, 3ER in the ND)… overall, is s 2-2 with a 5.59 ERA (37.0IP, 23ER) in his six previous Game 1 starts.
ð The start by Pettitte snaps a streak of seven consecutive postseason Game 1s started by CC Sabathia dating back to 2009.

NEW YORK – The Yankees have made one modification to their roster for the American League Championship Series, carrying right-handed reliever Cody Eppley instead of infielder Eduardo Nunez.

New York elected to take 12 pitchers into the ALCS against the Tigers, as Detroit’s stable of right-handed starting pitchers – beginning with Doug Fister in Saturday’s Game 1 – made it less likely the Yankees would need Nunez’s bat to counter left-handed pitching.

The Yankees continue to carry Jayson Nix as a backup infielder, who would play shortstop in the event Derek Jeter is unavailable. A bone bruise on Jeter’s left foot forced him to DH in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Orioles, though Jeter was back at shortstop on Friday as the Yankees won Game 5, 3-1, over the Orioles.

The roster decisions may suggest that David Phelps is in line to start Game 2 of the ALCS on Sunday against the Tigers, though manager Joe Girardi said he would not reveal that decision until later on Saturday. The Yankees could also start both Hiroki Kuroda and CC Sabathia on short rest in Games 2 and 3, respectively. Andy Pettitte is scheduled to start Saturday’s Game 1.

Behind Pettitte and Phelps, plus Sabathia, Kuroda and Phil Hughes, the Yankees’ seven-man bullpen has two left-handers, Boone Logan and Clay Rapada. The Yankees’ stable of right-handed relievers is comprised of Joba Chamberlain, Eppley, Derek Lowe, David Robertson and closer Rafael Soriano.

Chris Stewart is on the roster as the backup to starting catcher Russell Martin. New York’s starting infield of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will have Nix and Eric Chavez in reserve. It is unknown if Rodriguez will start in Saturday’s ALCS Game 1 after being benched in favor of Chavez for Friday’s ALDS Game 5.

The Yankees’ starting outfield of Ichiro Suzuki, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher has Raul Ibanez and Brett Gardner in reserve. Ibanez will likely see designated hitter duty in the series after his hot ALDS, including his game-tying and game-winning home runs in ALDS Game 3 against the Orioles.

Here’s a PDF version of the ALCS Roster.