Yankees manager Aaron Boone surprised many on Tuesday by picking Luis Severino as the starter for Wednesday’s wild-card game against Oakland. The 24-year-old will start ahead of J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka.
“When he’s pitching at his best, he’ll be the best pitcher on the field tomorrow,” – Boone said. “I hope he’s ready for this. Hopefully, he can get us off to a good start tomorrow.”
Although the game will be played in Yankees’ stadium, Boone chose 10 pitchers for the game. Kyle Higashioka will play as the third pitcher while Gary Sanchez will start at his usual spot, behind the home plate.
Severino, who debuted in 2015, logged 19-8 and a season average of 3.39 ERA after 220 strikeouts. At the All-star break, the Dominican impressed with a 14-2 win margin before Boston and Tampa Bay closed the margin by six points.
Last year, Severino was chosen to start for the Yankees’ wild-card game but only clinched one out before he was substituted. The Yankees went ahead to beat Minnesota 8-4.
Before Severino was picked, many expected Tanaka to start at in Wednesday’s game against Oakland. The Dominican’s form declined toward the end of the regular season, with his ERA ballooning to 5.57 at one point.
