SEE YA IN THE BRONX!
Yanks will host A’s Wednesday in wild-card game
The AL wild card game is coming back to the Bronx.
The Yankees clinched the top spot after beating the Red Sox, 11-6, Friday night and will host the Oakland Athletics next Wednesday for the do-ordie game.
J.A. Happ rewarded the Bombers' faith in him, going five scoreless innings before allow- ing a grand slam to Steve Pearce, who has become the newest Yankee killer this season. Happ struck out seven and continued his success against Boston, one of the reasons the Yankees went out and got the former Blue Jays lefty at the trade deadline.
“That's an exhale right there, for the moment,” manager Aaron Boone said of the home-field advantage. “Now we can start working on getting ready as best as we can for that Wednesday game. It's nice to finish that off.”
Happ is also now likely lined up to pitch that wild-card game at the Stadium next week, although manager Aaron Boone has not named a starter. Luis Severino is not the same pitcher as he was in the first half of the season, and Masahiro Tanaka did not do himself any favors by giving up four runs on six hits against the Rays on Wednesday.
“I'd love to get the nod,” Happ said. “But I think we're going to feel good with whoever is out there.”
Should Happ start the wild card game, though, he would only be available for one start in a potential ALDS series against the Red Sox.
Things seem to be clicking at the right time for the Bombers, who broke out the bats Friday at Fenway Park and tied the major league single-season home run record after going deep four times in the game. Aaron Hicks led the way and showed little sign of the tight hamstring that gave the Yankees a scare early this week. He went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a three-run home run, part of a six-run fourth inning.
Aaron Judge hit his first home run since returning from the disabled list with the fractured wrist, and Luke Voit also homered.
“We're getting a lot of production from a lot of guys,” Boone said.
Though he was dropped to eighth in the lineup, Gary Sanchez went deep for the second time in his past three games and appears to be a lock to start behind the plate in the wild-card game, despite his season-long struggles. Should he be batting that low against the Athletics, it would make the Yankees' lineup particularly dangerous from top to bottom.