Girardi still has faith in Severino despite blowup
CLEVELAND — Joe Girardi hasn’t given up on Luis Severino.
Severino, who lasted just six batters — and retired only one — in Tuesday’s 8-4 wild card win over the Twins, likely will start Game 4 of the ALDS against the Indians, if the series goes that far, according to the Yankees manager.
“That’s our plan, yes,” Girardi said after the Yankees worked out at Progressive Field on Wednesday.
The Yankees lined up their rotation in the final week of the regular season to make sure Severino was ready for the wild-card game. That plan didn’t work out, as Girardi had to go to his bullpen down 3-0 with just one out in the first.
The quick hook by Girardi worked, as he got 8 2/3 innings of brilliant relief work.
“I was asked, ‘Could you bring him back Friday?’ ” Girardi said of a potential Game 2 start. “I just think, with his workload and what he’s done this season, it’s probably not in his best interests, and the full rest will probably do him some good.”
Girardi wouldn’t rule out using Severino out of the bullpen, if necessary — though he added Severino “definitely” would not be available Thursday, despite throwing just 29 pitches two days earlier.
“Our plans were not to use him out of the bullpen,” Girardi said. “But I didn’t plan on [Tuesday] night, either.” Either is fine with Severino. “He could use me out of the bullpen,” Severino said. “I’m ready. I want to get back out there. But if they want me to start, I’ll be ready for that, too. I was just too quick [Tuesday] night.”
After Sonny Gray starts Game 1, Girardi said he would go with CC Sabathia in Game 2 in Cleveland and Masahiro Tanaka in Game 3 in The Bronx.
“Tanaka, we don’t want him to go too long [without pitching],” Girardi said. “[With Severino], the extra rest isn’t going to hurt him that extra day, so that’s why we did it.”
It probably doesn’t hurt that Tanaka had significantly better numbers at home than on the road this season, with a 3.22 ERA at Yankee Stadium and a 6.48 ERA on the road.