Boone mum on starters to face Red Sox
The customary celebration was well underway in the Yankees’ clubhouse following a 7-2 win over the A’s in Wednesday night’s AL wild-card win at Yankee Stadium with the usual champagne and beer being poured over heads.
As bottles of Chandon and Budweiser vanished from ice coolers spread throughout the clubhouse, Aaron Boone headed to the postgame press conference.
The first question dealt with how well everything lined up for the Yankees. The next one was centered on the strategy of having Luis Severino throw fastballs early and breaking balls later in his four-plus inning stint.
With the Red Sox looming in the best-of-five ALDS that starts Friday night in Fenway Park, the third question was about Boone’s pitching plans for Games 1 and 2.
“We’ll give you that [later]. Let’s get through tonight,’’ Boone said.
Because the wild-card game is a one-and-done affair, a manager selects a starter and fills in around him. The ALDS is different and because he didn’t need J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka on Wednesday, they have a good chance of pitching in that order this weekend.
Happ threw five shutout innings at the Red Sox last Friday night at Fenway before giving up a grand slam to Steve Pearce in the sixth inning of an 11-6 win.
The veteran lefty was 1-1 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox this season and is 8-4 with a 2.98 in 21 career games (20 starts). In 10 games at Fenway, Happ is 5-2 with a 3.27 ERA.
Last week Boone said CC Sabathia would figure in the mix and likely will be the choice in Game 4, which will be played at Yankee Stadium next Tuesday.
Late Wednesday night as he prepared to leave the clubhouse, Sabathia said he hadn’t been told when he is going to pitch
Former Yankee great Bernie Williams was at the Stadium early for the wild-card game with something pressing on his mind.
“I hope I don’t bounce it,’’ Williams said of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
He didn’t.
Boone will leave it up to others to gauge his first year as the Yankees’ manager.
Asked if Wednesday night’s wild-card game against the A’s at Yankee Stadium would determine if a 100-win season was a failure or success, Boone deferred.
“As far as judging what all this means I didn’t get into it for that,’’ Boone said of taking over the Yankees, a team with World Series expectations every year. “That’s for your guys, respectfully.’’
The wild card was nothing new for outfielder Andrew McCutchen and utilityman Neil Walker. They entered Wednesday night’s game tied for the most wild-card games in history with three each. They both played to make it four. They did it as teammates with the Pirates from 2013 to 2015.
McCutchen started in left field and led off against the A’s on Wednesday night. Walker entered the game as a defensive replacement for Luke Voit at first base.