Luis Severino threw four good innings for the Yankees in the Wild Card game, but he wants more against the Red Sox on Monday night.
It seems like forever ago that Luis Severino got the start for the Yankees against the Athletics in the Wild Card game. That night, he gave Aaron Boone four really good innings. He won’t be satisfied with a repeat of that performance against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS.
The Yankees ace is determined to do more against his team’s arch rivals. He still wants to hold the opposing offense down, but he wants to get much deeper into the game this time around. Specifically, Severino has set his goal at making it through seven innings against Boston’s star-studded lineup.
That might be too ambitious, but it’s just the kind of attitude the Yankees want to see out of their ace. He may have struggled down the stretch, but he’s enjoyed good success against the Red Sox all season long. His 2-2 record against Boston this year isn’t great, but his 3.56 ERA in five starts is pretty solid.
It’s also interesting to note that he threw the ball particularly well in his most recent outing against Alex Cora’s club. Severino threw seven innings and gave up one run against Boston back in September.
Among Luis Severino’s goals Monday night? Getting deep in Game 3 of the ALDS.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) October 7, 2018
“I only threw four innings in the wild-card. This time, I want to get to seven, and let the bullpen do their job.”
Boone would love for Severino to give his bullpen a rest, but he won’t hesitate to pull his starter if he runs into trouble. The strength of the Yankees pitching staff this season has clearly been the relieving corps. The group has pitched well in both games of the ALDS thus far, but Boone still should have all of his arms rested and ready to go on Monday.
No matter what, Yankees fans should expect to see Severino come out full of adrenaline in Game 3. He was clearly on fire to start the Wild Card game. That was obvious when you saw the velocity he featured against the A’s. The charged-up atmosphere that should be present at Yankee Stadium for this game could easily push his fastball even higher. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reach back and hit triple digits in the early innings against the Red Sox.
The key for Severino will be to channel all that adrenaline and emotion in a positive manner. There is such a thing as getting too hyped. The Yankees ace can’t afford to overthrow due to the emotion of the moment and lose his location. Finding the right balance between power and finesses may be the key to Severino reaching his lofty goals in Game 3.