DETROIT -- Even before the first pitch is thrown, the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers are making this World Series memorable.

Game 1 will have two rookie starters for the first time, with Justin Verlander pitching tonight for the Tigers and Anthony Reyes for the Cardinals.

	Schedule Game 1: 8:03 p.m. today, Detroit (WPGH) Game 2: 8:23 p.m. tomorrow, Detroit (WPGH) Game 3: 8:33 p.m. Tuesday, St. Louis (WPGH) Game 4: 8:27 p.m. Wednesday, St. Louis (WPGH) *- Game 5: 8:27 p.m. Thursday, St. Louis (WPGH) *- Game 6: 7:57 p.m. Oct. 28, Detroit (WPGH) *- Game 7: 8 p.m. Oct. 29, Detroit (WPGH) *- if necessary. What to watch for Matching Wits. St. Louis manager Tony La Russa and Detroit manager Jim Leyland are close pals with similar traits -- intense, with a focus on fundamentals. They've tried to deflect attention about the friendship, saying these games are all about the players. Still, they're two of the biggest stars in the Series. Bringing the Heat. The Tigers feature three flamethrowers, with Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney all firing 100 mph fastballs. But it could come down to the closers -- Adam Wainwright with his big curveball and Doug Jones with his mixed repertoire. Hobbling Home. Both teams are trying to overcome injuries. Sean Casey and Zumaya got a week to recover, but no rest for the weary Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds and David Eckstein. They all need to hold up for another week. Related articles Cook: A special manager has his team at a special place Most agree that there's no lip reading in baseball

"I'm sure anyone that goes up on the mound in the World Series is going to be excited," Reyes said. "That's kind of good, knowing he's probably going to have the same feeling as me."

Reyes, 5-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 17 regular-season starts, has the fewest wins of any Game 1 starter in World Series history and is the first in 33 years with a losing regular-season record. He wasn't even on the Cardinals' roster for their first-round series against San Diego.

Despite Reyes' poor pedigree, Verlander doesn't think the Tigers are favored.

"I think we view ourselves as the underdogs, personally," Verlander said as the unexpected pennant winners prepared yesterday on a cool, overcast day at Comerica Park. "Everybody has doubted us."

Quite a contrast from the previous time these teams met in the World Series.

Back in 1968, the last World Series before playoffs, the Cardinals' Bob Gibson pitched a five-hit shutout and struck out a Series record 17 to beat the Tigers and 31-game winner Denny McLain, 4-0, in the opener at the old Busch Stadium.

In the only other Series matchup between the clubs, the Cardinals' Dizzy Dean pitched an eight-hitter to defeat Alvin Crowder, 8-3, in 1934's first game at Detroit's Navin Field, as Tiger Stadium was then known.

Verlander, 23, and Reyes, 25, have combined for 23 career wins. When John Smoltz opened the 1996 Series for Atlanta, he had 24 victories in that year alone.

Verlander and Reyes will be the first rookies to start in the World Series since John Lackey led the Anaheim Angels against San Francisco in 2002's Game 7. Livan Hernandez was the previous rookie to start Game 1, selected in 1997 by Florida Marlins manager Jim Leyland -- now guiding the Tigers.

The previous low for wins by a Game 1 starter was set by Howard Ehmke for the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics. He went 7-2 during the regular season, then beat the Chicago Cubs and Charley Root, 3-1, in Game 1.

Not since Jon Matlack opened the 1973 World Series for the New York Mets against Oakland after going 14-16 had a pitcher with a losing record started Game 1. The Athletics won that one, 2-1, behind Ken Holtzman.

Verlander, 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA during the regular season, said he would have been held back for Game 3 had the New York Mets won the NL pennant.

Verlander packs 100 mph heat and is 1-0 in two postseason starts, but his 5.91 ERA in the playoffs was the highest among Tigers' pitchers. He will be pitching on nine days' rest.

"I definitely used the time," he said. "Pitching late into October my first year, the innings are a lot, and there's some fatigue going on. Being able to rest my arm a little bit and kind of recuperate before this next series definitely helps."

He didn't get a decision in the first round, allowing three runs and seven hits in 5¹/₃ innings at Yankee Stadium as the Tigers rallied in Game 2 -- starting their seven-game winning streak. He won, 8-5, at Oakland in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series despite giving up four runs and seven hits -- including homers to Milton Bradley and Eric Chavez -- in 5¹/₃ innings.

Reyes pitched just once in the playoffs, starting Game 4 of the championship series against the Mets -- his first appearance since Oct. 1. He allowed runners in all four of his innings, walked four and threw 86 pitches. But he gave up his only runs on homers by Carlos Beltran and David Wright.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa could have gone with Jason Marquis, who wasn't on his NLCS roster. "It's not an easy call. We wrestled with this," La Russa said. "Anthony took the assignment in the NLCS. I think he handled himself well. The experience will be helpful tomorrow."

While Detroit had six days of rest, the Cardinals went to seven games against the Mets, using Jeff Weaver, Chris Carpenter and Jeff Suppan in the final three games. Weaver will open Game 2 for St. Louis, followed by Carpenter and Suppan.

Kenny Rogers will start Game 2 for Detroit, followed by Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman. Rogers pitched 15 shutout innings in the playoffs over two starts -- both in Detroit.