3 keys to Yankees-Astros Game 3

1. Luis Severino must match Gerrit Cole

This is the second game in a row where the Yankees will walk into the ballpark with a decided disadvantage in terms of starting pitching. Gerrit Cole is a bona fide ace who may very well end up becoming the Yankees’ top target in free agency. Luis Severino has that kind of stuff, but injuries have derailed his 2019 campaign.

The good news for Severino is that he held the Twins scoreless in Game 3 of the Division Series. The bad news is that he only managed to survive four innings before his pitch count caused Boone to go to the bullpen. The Yankees will need slightly more from him on Tuesday. Severino doesn’t need to go as deep into the game as Cole, but he needs to match the 0’s the Astros right-hander can put on the scoreboard.

If Severino wants to go deep into this game, he’ll need to keep traffic off the base paths early. Boone showed his willingness to pull his starter early in the postseason when he took James Paxton off the mound against Houston on Sunday night. The team’s bullpen cannot afford another short outing from the starter.

In truth, the Yankees really only need five innings from Severino. If he can hand the bullpen the game with a lead in the sixth, then it will be a massive lift for fans in the Bronx. He just needs to shorten the game slightly to take some pressure off his teammates on the pitching staff.

To do all that, Severino will need to use his emotion to his advantage. He’ll need to find the fine line between fiery and overwhelmed. If he does, he can match Cole well enough to turn the series in his team’s favor.