[ad_1]
NEW YORK – Yankees coach Aaron Boone has struggled to decide who to choose for his starting pitcher to face the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card Game of the American League on Wednesday night.
Boone said it was a three-horse race in mid-September and that he apparently remained three races until Sunday when Luis Severino was chosen for a place above JA Happ and Masahiro Tanaka.
Yankees 25 players for AL Wild Card Game
It was a brave call for the rookie manager because Happ (17-6) is the best star of the Yankees since joining a Blue Jays deal on July 26 in Toronto. In 11 starts with the Yankees, he was 7-0 with an average of 2.69.
Severino has won 19 games this season and has made a good start in his last two starts, but he has been 5 -6 with a points average leading to 5.69 in his last 13 outings, after a 14-2 record with a medal of 2.12 in his first 19 starts.
Tanaka was 12-6 with an average of 3.75 this season. He has thrown an average of 2.85 in his last 12 starts while awarding nine points, including eight earned, in eight innings in his last two games.
Why Severino?
"First of all, the decision, as I mentioned last week, seemed to be in a strong position," Boone said. "I felt really good that it was a good decision in front of us, and JA Happ is a very good decision if we had done that, same thing for Masa, same thing for CC (Sabathia, l & # 39; # 4 coach) for that matter.
"But I imagine that somehow, I'm going with what I believe, Sevy is turning the corner, and what I believe is that when it goes up its best he will be the best pitcher on the field, I have the impression that he is ready for that opportunity and I think he can not wait to get the ball. "
After hearing Boone's choice and explanation, the Yankees beat writers Randy Miller and Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media, who took different positions.
Watch the video above to see their opposite making the Yankees' departure decision.
Randy Miller can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link