WILD CARD 2018

Well, as most know by now, the 2018 season ended last week.  The Yankees achieved the second best record in the major leagues with 100 wins.  Only the Red Sox had more (108).  With their 100 wins, the Yankees gained/earned home-field advantage in the American League’s wild card game against the Oakland A’s (winners of 97 games). 

The Yankees then won the wild card game, defeating the Oakland A’s 7-2 a few days ago.  That win gave them back-to-back wild card triumphs (last year they defeated the Twins 8-4).  In this season’s game, there were 3 main decisions and consequential effects that resulted in the Yankees’ win: 

1)  The Yankees started Luis Severino…he pitched masterfully for 4 innings including 0 runs and 7 strikeouts.

2)  The A’s didn’t choose a typical starting pitcher and, instead, decided to setup the game for their relievers to pitch throughout it, with Liam Hendriks being the “opener” of the assemblage…Hendriks was not great, and some who followed him also ran into various dilemmas, especially Fernando Rodney who couldn’t even achieve an out.  (By the way, Rodney usually showboats by illustrating himself shooting an arrow into the sky when he succeeds; but, this time I guess he shot himself in the foot before he failed).

3)  Aaron Judge was healthy and in the lineup to bat second (as he’d done all year when healthy)…he delivered by hitting a monster shot in the first inning to left field at 116.1 mph, setting the crowd’s loud tone throughout the game.

The Yankees had some other key contributions towards their victory throughout the crucial wild card game besides including Dellin Betances (2 flawless and intimidating innings), Luke Voit (a clutch triple), Giancarlo Stanton (hit a crushing 443’ homerun, like most of his standard homeruns), and Adeiny Hechavarria (who prevented a double with an outstanding line-drive catch behind his body).

The Yankees’ wild card victory advanced them to face their number one nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, for the American League Division Series.  Here we go again!