BOSTON — With the AL wild-card game against the A’s set for Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, there is a chance the Yankees could announce their starter on Sunday after the staff, front office and GM Brian Cashman met Saturday night.
“It’s possible. At least I think hopefully we’ll come out of [Saturday night] with a pretty strong idea of which way we’re leaning,’’ Aaron Boone said prior to Saturday afternoon’s 8-5 victory over the Red Soxat Fenway Park. “I would say it’s possible, but hopefully we’ll have a pretty good idea.’’
The Yankees can choose from J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino, who was supposed to start Sunday in the regular-season finale but was scratched on Saturday.
Happ beat the A’s, 5-1, on Sept. 4 in Oakland, allowing one run and two hits in six innings. The next night, Severino got whacked for six runs (five earned) and six hits in 2 ²/₃ innings of an 8-2 loss. Catcher Gary Sanchez and Severino couldn’t get together on signs that game, but have seemingly fixed those problems.
Because Happ started against the Red Sox on Friday night, when he threw six innings, the veteran lefty would be on regular four days rest if he gets the wild-card assignment. Tanaka last pitched on Wednesday against the Rays, and didn’t have his signature split-fingered fastball for the second straight outing. Severino, a 19-game winner, allowed the Rays two runs and four hits this past Tuesday in five-plus innings and has been better in his previous two starts.
Whoever starts the game will be on a very short leash with the Yankees likely to carry an extra starter and a bevy of relievers. Last year, the Yankees carried 10 pitchers against the Twins. Expect more than that against Oakland because the Yankees are heavy into matchups that could lead to early work for the pen.
“It’s possibly, yeah. Depending on how the game is unfolding early or in the middle innings,’’ Boone said. “I could see us having a pretty strong plan in place how we plan on rolling out, what matchups we like best against their lineup. We’ll be pretty aggressive planning that out.’’
Until the Yankees won Friday night and guaranteed they were going to host Wednesday’s AL wild-card game against the A’s, Lance Lynn was scheduled to start Saturday’s matinee against the Red Sox.
He was replaced by Domingo German and moved into relief in order to prepare him for a bullpen spot for however long the postseason lasts.
“He’ll pitch as we kind of get him used to a role we envision for him in the postseason,’’ Boone said of the 31-year-old right-hander, who made 30 combined starts for the Twins and Yankees and one relief outing. He started 10 games for the Yankees and came out of the bullpen once.
Lynn pitched three innings Saturday and gave up one run and two hits.
Aaron Judge wasn’t in Saturday’s lineup, but it had nothing to do with him colliding with the wall in foul territory down the right-field line Friday night. Judge’s mid-section hit the wall as he grabbed J.D. Martinez’s fly ball with runners on first and second in the fourth inning.
Judge remained the game and homered to center field in the eighth inning of an 11-6 victory.
“He’s fine. Obviously with him coming back [from a fractured right wrist], trying to build up his timing and stamina,’’ Aaron Boone said. “The fact that I’ m able to give him a day [off] says a lot about where he’s at and where I feel he’s at from an at-bat standpoint. And we’ve been going pretty hard with him, too.’’