Wells to Start for Orioles Thursday

Oriole Manager Davey Johnson took advantage of Tuesday’s rainout to juggle his pitching rotation so that his only left-hander, David Wells, will start in Yankee Stadium, in Game 2 Thursday and Game 6, if necessary, next Tuesday.

Baltimore’s Scott Erickson will oppose Andy Pettitte today, Wells will oppose David Cone in Game 2 Thursday, and Mike Mussina will oppose Jimmy Key in Game 3 at Camden Yards on Friday.

The other pitching matchups: Rocky Coppinger and Kenny Rogers in Game 4, Erickson and Pettitte in Game 5, Wells and Cone in Game 6, and Mussina and Key in Game 7.

Wells has a 9-1 record and a 2.85 earned-run average in Yankee Stadium, where batters have hit .218 against him.

“We kind of looked at this as being a better thing for us,” Baltimore pitching Coach Pat Dobson said, alluding to Yankee Stadium’s short right-field fence. “Any time you can pitch a left-hander in this park, you do it.”

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Both teams made roster changes for the championship series, the Yankees adding former Angel outfielder Mike Aldrete and dropping injured outfielder Ruben Rivera, and the Orioles adding outfielder Tony Tarasco in place of infielder Manny Alexander. Johnson said that with left fielder B.J. Surhoff slowed by knee and hamstring injuries, the Orioles needed more outfield depth.

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Tuesday’s rainout was only the second postponement in AL championship series history. The other was in 1971, when rain washed out Game 1 between Baltimore and Oakland.

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Is there any doubt as to the driving force behind baseball’s postseason schedule?

An American League press release about Tuesday’s rainout included no information on pitching matchups but did include this important bit of information: NBC’s regular Tuesday night lineup--”Third Rock From the Sun,” “Wings,” “Frasier,” “Caroline in the City” and “Profiler”--would be aired in its entirety.