There was baseball at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, pitchers facing hitters in the sunshine as the Yankees stayed sharp for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. But Joe Girardi, the manager with a usually sunny outlook, saw clouds. In a conference call, Girardi said the Yankees might use only three starters in the ALCS, meaning the Game 1 starter C.C. Sabathia could work Game 4 on three days' rest. But if one of the first two games is rained out, it could scramble the plan. 'You go into a series with a plan in mind,' Girardi said. 'Obviously, weather can always change a lot of different things, depending on how we are this weekend, Friday and Saturday. In the 10-day forecast I looked at, it looks like we have some rain in the forecast, so that could change things. But we are definitely considering possibly going to a three-man rotation in this round.' As it stands, Game 1 is scheduled to start Friday at 7:57 p.m., with Game 2 slated to start Saturday at the same time. The teams are off Sunday before Games 3 and 4 at Angel Stadium on Monday and Tuesday. Then the series pauses again for a day before resuming in a possible fifth game next Thursday. If the games are played as scheduled, Sabathia could start Game 4 on three days' rest and come back for a possible Game 7 on four days' rest. No pitcher has started three games in a postseason series since Arizona's Curt Schilling against the Yankees in the 2001 World Series, but Sabathia seems capable. Sabathia worked 253 innings in 2008, when he made his final four starts on short rest, including a playoff loss for Milwaukee. With 230 innings this season and a long rest before Game 1, Sabathia would seem to be ready for an extra start in the ALCS -- especially because the Yankees swept the division series 'We talked about the importance of trying to win Game 3 so we could set up our rotation the way we wanted to, and not getting him to 250 innings during the regular season allows us to consider that,' Girardi said. The weather may dictate otherwise. With showers in the forecast for Friday and Saturday -- as well as Sunday's day off -- one of the first two games could be rained out. The teams could conceivably lose the day off between Games 2 and 3, forcing the Yankees to use a fourth starter for Game 4. Joba Chamberlain was erratic in 31 starts this season and pitched in short relief in all three games of the division series against Minnesota. That makes Chad Gaudin the more likely choice. Gaudin had a 3.19 earned run average in six starts for the Yankees this season, including one at Angel Stadium, where Game 4 takes place. In that game, on Sept. 22, Gaudin had a shutout with two outs in the fifth before the Angels scored twice to chase him. Gaudin, who did not pitch against the Twins, threw 50 pitches at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. Alfredo Aceves threw 30, Phil Coke and Dave Robertson 20, and Damaso Marte 15. They faced four Yankees reserves -- Francisco Cervelli, Brett Gardner, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Eric Hinske -- and Johnny Damon, who asked for the extra work. Damon is 6 for 44 (.136) in his last 12 games, a stretch that includes one single in 12 at-bats against the Twins. On Sunday, Damon was 0 for 4 with four strikeouts, becoming the first Yankee since pitcher Mel Stottlemyre in the 1964 World Series to strike out four times in a nine-inning postseason game. 'I don't make too much of 10 or 12 at-bats,' Girardi said. 'We know Johnny can get real hot real fast, and I feel good about Johnny.' Girardi said Damon would start in left field, adding that Melky Cabrera 'absolutely' could start every game in center. That would keep Gardner on the bench as a pinch-runner, and probably keep Freddy Guzman off the roster. Girardi said he would meet with the front office Wednesday morning to discuss roster plans, but he added, 'I don't expect a lot of change at this point.' Jose Molina caught A.J. Burnett in Game 2 of the division series, when Burnett allowed one run in six innings. Girardi did not say if he would use the arrangement again, though it seems likely. 'Those two did a nice job on Friday,' Girardi said. 'It's something we have to look at.' The one area that could change is the bullpen. Marte, a left-hander, faced two hitters in the division series and allowed two hits. Girardi noted that the Angels had several switch-hitters but only one strict left-hander, Bobby Abreu, which could lessen the need for Marte and open a spot for Brian Bruney. Bruney has been working out in Tampa, Fla., and Girardi said he was considering him for the roster. Bruney had a 1.47 earned run average in his last 20 games, though he had more walks than strikeouts in that stretch. The Yankees will hold full-squad workouts Wednesday and Thursday before Sabathia opens Game 1 on Friday -- as long as the weather allows. 