New York Yankees: AL Wild Card Game Preview and Prediction

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 20: Brett Gardner /

After a one year hiatus the New York Yankees are back in the playoffs. So let’s take a look at the Wild Card Game match-up.

AL Wild Card Game:

Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees 8:00 PM

Starting Pitchers:

Twins: Ervin Santana (16-8, 3.28 ERA)

Yankees: Luis Severino (14-6, 2.98 ERA)

Season Series:

July 17th-19th @ Minnesota

Yankees 2 Twins 4

Yankees 6 Twins 3

Yankees 1 Twins 6

September 18th-20th @ New York

Twins 1 Yankees 2

Twins 2 Yankees 5

Twins 3 Yankees 11

The Yankees won the season series against the Twins this season 4-2 with a three game sweep in mid September. Since that sweep of the Twins the Yankees have been playing some great baseball, they are 6-4 since then scoring 4.7 runs per game and letting up 3.5 and slugger Aaron Judge has found his rhythm in time for the postseason.

Luis Severino who will take the bump against the Twins tonight has been unreal in the last month. Of his five starts in September he has not lost a game and he has won three of them. Of his five games he has gone at least six innings in four of them and three innings in just one with a maximum of three runs in all five.

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The Yankees should definitely be able to handle the Twins tonight. When the Yankees and Twins faced off in mid-September the Yankees handled the Twins with ease and swept them. If this series meant anything, it shows us that the Yankees should have no problem winning tonight.

While Luis Severino was taken out after letting up three earned runs in three innings, against the Twins it should be no problem. Other than that one start Luis Severino has been lights out and very consistent. If he can manage to keep himself composed in his first postseason start the Yankees should be able to get a rhythm going and move onto the Divisional Series against the Indians.

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Prediction: Yankees win 5-3

Lead by Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez the Yankees will come out swinging against Ervin Santana tonight. Luis Severino will pitch seven strong innings before turning it over to Dellin Betances, Aroldis Chapman and the Yankees bullpen. All of this will lead to a Yankees 5-3 victory.

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