Yankees hopes Luis Severino to deliver crack at Sox

The New York Yankees want another crack at the Boston Red Sox, and they're hoping Luis Severino will deliver it to them.

Manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday announced the right-handed 19-game winner will start for the Yankees against the Oakland A's on Wednesday in the American League wild-card game.

"I think he's ready for this. Hopefully, he can get us off to a good start tomorrow," Boone told the media Tuesday during workout day at Yankee Stadium.

It is believed the team was looking at three options -- Severino, J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka.

"We met Saturday night as a staff and [GM Brian Cashman] came up to Boston," Boone said, per NJ.com's Randy Miller. "We talked through it. A lot of guys had input in the decision with reasons one way or the other. I just took all that information and on it. I felt like at some point Sunday for sure that I wanted to go with Sevy in this game and that's where we're at with it."

There are no debating Severino's abilities, as evidenced by his 19-8 record, 220 strikeouts and 10.3 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratios. He made a career-high 32 starts in 2018, his second straight season as an All-Star. He is also going to pitch on seven days' rest.

But if there is the reason for concern, it would be in the team he is facing. Severino was 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA in two starts against Oakland this season. He surrendered six earned runs on 11 hits in 8 2/3 innings in the two starts combined.

The winner of the one-game playoff will face Boston in the American League Division Series. The Red Sox set a franchise record with 108 wins this season.

The Yankees won 100 games themselves, while Oakland won 97.