New York Post

PENS LIKELY TO START AND FINISH GAME 6

- By DAN MARTIN

Aaron Boone and A.J. Hinch were both asked who might start Game 6 in Houston on Saturday night following the Yankees’ 4-1 win to extend the ALCS in Game 5. Both managers declined. It’s a fitting situation, given the state of bullpens, with the two best teams in the American League embracing — or being forced into — the strategy.

Boone said Luis Severino would start a potential Game 7 rather than come back on short rest and he would face Gerrit Cole.

“[Saturday], we’ll just figure it out,’’ Boone said. “We’ll kind of talk about it tonight on the plane which way we want to go. But it will probably be a little bit of everyone.’’

Hinch also said they would piece it together.

J.A. Happ, who figures to be a part of the game, said he hadn’t heard when he might pitch.

“I’m always available,’’ Happ said. “It depends what they want to do. I don’t know the expectatio­ns would be. I’ll pitch as long as I can. I feel fine. I don’t know how long I can go.’’

That underlines the uncertaint­y going into a game like this — and one pitcher being off could throw off the entire game.

Adam Ottavino has struggled throughout the playoffs and is hoping for one more opportunit­y.

“I’ve gotten in, failed real quick and got out,’’ Ottavino said. “The good news is, it can’t be this bad forever.”

And like everyone else in the bullpen — including Tommy Kahnle, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman, who pitched Friday — he said he’d be ready.

“This is what you want,’’ Ottavino said. “It doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Ottavino said much of the pen would be ready from the second inning on — and James Paxton’s six-inning outing on Friday helped set them up.

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