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MLB Playoffs: Luis Severino selected to start the AL Wild Card game

By Paul Ashley

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees celebrates after striking out Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox to end the top of the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on September 19, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees celebrates after striking out Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox to end the top of the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on September 19, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Although fans of the MLB Playoffs received plenty of excitement from the NL Wild Card game last night, the AL Wild Card game could very well provide the same level of excitement, if not more.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is on his way to the MLB Playoffs following his rookie managerial season.  Even though he has already made many important decisions, his choice for the starting pitcher of the Wild Card game is by far his most important decision to this point.

According to Jack Curry of the YES Network on Twitter, Boone has selected Luis Severino to start the Wild Card game.  Many expected the Yankees to go with J.A. Happ or a full bullpen game for this ever important one-game playoff, but the coaching staff decided to go with their first-half Ace.

In the first-half of the 2018 regular season, Severino compiled a 14-2 win-loss record with a 2.31 earned run average (ERA) and a 1.01 walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP).  He was able to strikeout a 144 batters while walking 32 in 128.1 innings pitched.

This performance earned him a trip to the All-Star game, and placed him right into the middle of Cy Young award conversations.  Unfortunately, the second-half of the season was a completely different story for Severino.

During the second-half, he compiled a 5-6 win-loss record with a 5.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.  Through 63.0 innings, he put together 76 strikeouts compared to 14 walks.

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The good news for the Yankees is that he has seemed to turn a corner in his last few starts of the season.  Over his last three starts of the regular season, Severino pitched 17.2 innings against the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.  Within those starts, he only allowed 4 runs on 14 hits and 3 walks.

Despite allowing 6 runs in only 2.2 innings pitched against the Oakland Athletics on September 5th on the road, Severino pitched well at home against the A’s this season.  During that start on May 13th, Severino allowed only 1 earned run on 5 hits and 2 walks through 6.0 innings pitched.

Severino got the call last year in the Wild Card game as well when Joe Girardi was managing the team.  Against the Twins, also on October 3rd, Severino gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk before he was removed from the start with only 1 out in the first inning.  Despite this performance, the Yankees still have their full trust in Severino taking the mound.

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton also shared his confidence in Severino, according to a Tweet by Jack Curry.  Stanton stated: He’s not an easy at bat.  You guys can say what you want about his second half, but I wouldn’t want to be standing in there against him.”

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Even though the team has trust in Severino, he will likely be on a very short leash with a very talented line of relievers waiting behind him.  Although the Yankees would prefer to see Severino go as deep as Kyle Freeland did in the NL Wild Card game, Boone will have the option to call on Chad Green, Dellin Betances, Zach Britton, David Robertson, and Aroldis Chapman at a moments notice to back up their selected starter.  Nonetheless, Severino is the ultimate wild card for an elimination game with the same title.

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