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MLB Playoffs: Yankees/Athletics American League Wild Card Game thread

By Benjamin Chase |
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 3: Executive Vice President of the Oakland Athletics Billy Beane and New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman react during batting practice prior to the American League Wild Card game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) *** Billy Beane, Brian Cashman
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 3: Executive Vice President of the Oakland Athletics Billy Beane and New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman react during batting practice prior to the American League Wild Card game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) *** Billy Beane, Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees host the Oakland Athlatics in the Wild Card game to kick off the American League’s side of the MLB playoffs

For each game this postseason, you will find a “game thread” here on Call To The Pen. This will be a spot that you can count on fans of the game to be around for chat on the game as it happens throughout the MLB playoffs in the month of October, all the way through the World Series.

It is rare that you have a 100-win team in a Wild Card game, but rarer still to have two teams that have won 97 and 100 games facing off to open a league’s MLB playoffs due to those two teams not being good enough to win their own divisions, but here we are!

For the Yankees

The Yankees send Luis Severino to the mound. Severino has had a roller coaster season, where he was dominant for his first 15-20 starts, then incredibly inconsistent for his next 10 starts, and now he’s finished the season on another hot streak. Overall, he posted a 19-8 record with a 3.39 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 220 strikeouts in 191 1/3 innings.

Severino will make his second straight Wild Card start, and he’ll hope to improve on his 2017 start, when he lasted just 2/3 inning against Minnesota. Even if he does struggle, however, he has one of the best bullpens in all of baseball behind him.

The Yankees announced lineup:
1. Andrew McCutchen, LF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Aaron Hicks, CF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Luke Voit, 1B
6. Didi Gregorius, SS
7. Miguel Andujar, 3B
8. Gary Sanchez, C
9. Gleyber Torres, 2B

For the A’s

In a moment where the MLB playoffs get to experience the revolution seen in the 2018 regular season, the “opener” will be utilized by the Oakland Athletics as Liam Hendriks will take the mound to start the game for the A’s.

This is a very wise strategy for Oakland, who has built up their team with certainly the deepest bullpen of any MLB playoffs participant and arguably the best bullpen overall. Hendriks will likely get just 1-2 innings before giving way to his bullpen mates, but the hook should come quick if any trouble is seen for A’s manager Bob Melvin

The Athletics announced lineup:
1. Nick Martini, LF
2. Matt Chapman, 3B
3. Jed Lowrie, 2B
4. Khris Davis, DH
5. Matt Olson, 1B
6. Stephen Piscotty, RF
7. Ramon Laureano, CF
8. Marcus Semien, SS
9. Jonathan Lucroy, C

Next. Is the AL overrated this postseason?. dark

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