The New York Yankees backed up four innings from Luis Severino and excellent pen work with seven runs as they send the Oakland Athletics home.
- New York Yankees: 7 (1-0, Advance to ALDS)
- Oakland Athletics: 2 (0-1)
- AL Wild Card, Final, Box Score
- Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
The New York Yankees are headed to Boston to take on the Red Sox in the ALDS after easily handling the Oakland A’s on Wednesday night.
Luis Severino got the start for New York, quickly shutting up the doubters in the first inning. He needed just ten pitches to mow through the A’s lineup, striking out two and inducing one groundout to third base.
When the Yankees took their first turns at the dish, a familiar story unfolded. The inning started with a walk by Andrew McCutchen, setting the table for Aaron Judge.
Boom. Aaron Judge. 2-0 Yankees. pic.twitter.com/e3EeQceGK9
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) October 4, 2018
Judge may have obliterated the opener strategy with one swing of his bat, crushing a 116-mph bomb 427 feet to left off of Liam Hendriks.
Severino allowed his first base runner in the top of the second, a walk to Matt Olson. The Yankees ace struck out the side to eliminate the threat.
The home half of the second started well for the Bombers. Miguel Andujar followed up a Didi Gregorius infield single with a walk, but Gary Sanchez grounded into a double play to kill the inning.
After an uneventful third inning, Andujar’s sub-par defense came into play, as the third baseman made a nice play to get to a grounder but bounced the throw to first. Severino then walked the bases loaded with two outs.
A huge strikeout of Marcus Semien ended the top of the fourth and earned Severino a chance to start the fifth inning.
7 K's in 4 IP, and he just got out of a bases-loaded jam.
Luis Severino is coming up big for the Yankees. pic.twitter.com/D5OE8DKPo7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 4, 2018
However, Severino surrendered back-to-back singles to Jonathan Lucroy and Nick Martini to open the frame. Dellin Betances relieved Severino and induced two fly balls before getting Khris Davis to swing and miss at a breaking ball.
Betances dominated the top of the sixth inning, a great sign for the Yankees going forward. The Bombers tacked on four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
It all started with a seeing-eye double down the first-base line from Aaron Judge off of Fernando Rodney, Oakland’s fourth pitcher of the game. Aaron Hicks followed with a double of his own, driving in Judge.
Aaron Hicks makes it 3-0. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/BFPLklUvll
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) October 4, 2018
Following a Giancarlo Stanton walk, a Luke Voit triple and a Gregorius sac fly finished off the damage against the A’s best reliever, Blake Treinen.
Luke freaking Voit. 6-0 #Yankees after six. pic.twitter.com/lxwpJiBIyV
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) October 4, 2018
Adeiny Hechavarria, who replaced Andujar at third in the sixth inning, made Aaron Boone look like a genius, making a brilliant leaping catch in the seventh.
Hech of a play. pic.twitter.com/XeHxumZHS3
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 4, 2018
A two-run home run into the short porch in right by Khris Davis got the A’s on the board against Zach Britton in the eighth. However, Stanton immediately got one of the runs back on a moonshot to left in the bottom of the inning.
Welcome to October baseball, G.
Giancarlo Stanton crushes his first career postseason home run!
A's 2, Yankees 7 ⚾ #WildCard pic.twitter.com/PGrSeyCYjg
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 4, 2018
Aroldis Chapman got final three outs in the ninth, punching the Yankees ticket to Boston.
Let the pursuit of the 28th championship begin.
