Up until Tuesday, the A's and Yankees had been coy about who would be their starting pitchers in the AL Wild Card Game.
But the secret had to come out of the bag during the mandatory press conference at Yankee Stadium.
New York manager Aaron Boone went first and announced that ace Luis Severino will start against Oakland on Wednesday night.
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“I think he's equipped in so many ways to handle this," Boone said. "Perhaps most importantly he's equipped with amazing stuff and the ability to dominate big league hitters because he's such a talented pitcher. I can't wait to see him go do it.”
“It means a lot knowing they trust me," Severino said. "They know I can be better (than last year's Wild Card Game)."
In 32 starts this season, Severino went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 191.1 innings. He made two starts against the A's this season and didn't fare well, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs in 8.2 innings over two starts.
“I think they have a good lineup," he said. "They have a lineup that can hit everywhere. They can go to right field or left field. I'm looking forward to commanding my fastball. If I can get my fastball inside and my slider is sharp, I think I can get through the lineup.”
Oakland Athletics
Severino also didn't fare well in last year's AL Wild Card Game against the Twins, allowing three runs on four hits in just one-third of an inning.
“I believe when he's pitching at his best, he'll be the best pitcher on the field tomorrow," Boone said. "I feel like he's ready for this opportunity and I think he's very much looking forward to it.”
A's manager Bob Melvin is expected to announce his starter later Tuesday morning.