Fansided

5 reasons the Yankees can come back and win ALDS

By Tre LyDay

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Aroldis Chapman
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Aroldis Chapman /
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 27: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on September 27, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 27: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on September 27, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

3. Luis Severino can’t get worse

Luis Severino got the start in the Yankees Wild Card game, and to say things didn’t go well would be an understatement. Brian Dozier ambushed him for a lead-off home run. Then, Eddie Rosario hit a two-run home run and Severino only lasted a third of an inning in the biggest game of his life.

Well, it doesn’t get much worse than that and that’s why he’s going to be ready for what will be the next biggest game of his life in a do-or-die Game 4.

Severino has been available in the bullpen the since Game 2, and that will probably help him going into this game. He’s been watching from the bullpen, so he’s seen the Indians, and their tendencies at the plate, and had time to think about what kind of pitches he would throw in each scenario.

It’s not like he’s just been sitting in the dugout in a hoodie cheering his team on. He’s been locked in to every at-bat and gone through every possible situation.

The Yankees desperately need him to be the Severino of the second half. From July 15 to the end of the regular season Severino had a 2.28 ERA and a .181 batting average against while having a 106/24 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Severino had 17 starts where he gave up two runs or fewer and struck out seven or more batters, which was the most in the American League.

The key tonight for him will be getting ahead of the Indians batters. From 2015-2017 his OPS against when he’s behind in the count is a whopping .926, but when he’s ahead it drops all the way down to .428, and he gets a strikeout 42 percent of the time.

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