STRAIGHT A’S
Boone’s moves pay off in victory
Aaron Boone had plenty of decisions to make in his first postseason game as manager.
From starting Luis Severino on the mound, to going with Gary Sanchez behind the plate, to deciding when to pull his young corner infielders for defense, just about everything turned out well for Boone and the Yankees in a 7-2 victory over the Athletics in Wednesday’s AL wild-card game in The Bronx.
Boone and team brass made the decision to go with Severino when the team was in Boston over the weekend after at least weighing other options, such as J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka or even an opener, as they did at Tampa Bay when Jonathan Holder started a game.
Ultimately, Boone decided to go with his top starter and Severino didn’t allow a hit until Jonathan Lucroy led off the top of the fifth with a single.
“The fact that they went with me helped my confidence a lot,’’ Severino said. “When I knew I was starting, I wanted to prove they made a good choice.’’
After Nick Martini followed Lucroy with another single to put runners on first and second with no one out, Boone went to Dellin Betances, another move that could have been second-guessed, given the big right-hander’s occasional struggles with his command.
Instead, Betances retired all six batters he faced in his two innings.
Asked why he went with Betances in that situation, Boone said: “Because Dellin is a stud. I told him before the game, you may be who I go to in the fourth or the fifth inning potentially, if it’s a part of the lineup that I want you facing in that spot. I just felt he was the guy and so we got him ready for it and he was lights out.’’
Not only did Severino deliver, but Sanchez was excellent behind the plate, blocking a pitch in the dirt in the fourth that prevented Oakland from scoring a run.
And Boone’s move to use Andrew McCutchen, rather than Brett Gardner, in left field and as his leadoff hitter against Oakland opener Liam Hendriks also worked out. The right-handed McCutchen worked a leadoff walk before Aaron Judge’s two-run homer in the first.