PLAYING TIME: Looking at AL East fifth-starter battles

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Niemann pulling ahead of Wade Davis?

With phenom Matt Moore (LHP, TAM) presumed to have a rotation spot locked up, one slot remains for relative veterans Jeff Niemann (RHP, TAM) or Wade Davis (RHP, TAM). While Davis made clear earlier this spring that he would not exactly welcome being moved to the bullpen, he didn't help his cause with a sub-par outing March 10 (2 2/3 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K). How do these two pitchers' larger body of work stack up?

2011     xERA    G/L/F   Ctl  Dom  Cmd  HR/9  BPV  DOM/DIS
=======  ====  ========  ===  ===  ===  ===   ===  =======
Davis	 4.67  36/21/43  3.1  5.1  1.7  1.1    23   38/21
Niemann  3.61  46/20/34  2.5  7.0  2.8  1.2    83   61/30

Davis' protestations and...

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