AL Wild Card Schedule 2018: TV Schedule and Prediction for Yankees vs. Athletics

The New York Yankees will host the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Game on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET in Yankee Stadium. TBS will provide coverage, with the MLB on Deck pregame show beginning at 7 p.m.        

Neither starting pitcher has been announced, but New York's best candidate may be left-hander J.A. Happ.

Since the Yankees acquired him in a midseason trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, Happ has twirled nine quality starts in 11 appearances, going 7-0 in that span. The 35-year-old would also be pitching on a normal four days rest, as he started Friday's 11-6 win over the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees' other top candidate, Luis Severino, is 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 220 strikeouts.

However, Severino struggled from July 7 to Sept. 5, allowing a .934 OPS alongside a 6.83 ERA. He was tagged for 13 home runs in 11 appearances and had just two quality starts.

Severino has settled down in his last three outing, giving up just four earned runs in 17.2 innings without allowing a home run, but Happ has a longer and more consistent track record in the second half of the year. He should get the ball.

As for the Oakland Athletics, Martin Gallegos of the Mercury News noted that there were three realistic starting options: Mike Fiers, Edwin Jackson and a bullpen game with Liam Hendriks as the opener.

General manager David Forst provided a little insight on the decision when speaking with MLB Network Radio earlier this week (h/t Gallegos):

"I don't know right now how we'll address it. In September we've gone with more bullpen games than just traditional starters. It will depend on their lineup, if we're definitely playing at Yankee Stadium and how some guys have performed there, there's a lot of factors. We probably will take as much time as we can over the next week to make those decisions."

Jane Lee of MLB.com quoted manager Bob Melvin on the topic Friday:

Fiers had done well since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers in August, going 5-1 with a 2.90 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. But he was tagged for six earned runs in 3.1 innings against the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim on Friday.

Jackson is 6-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 68 punchouts in 92 innings. Hendricks hasn't seen much action (just 23 innings pitched), but he's on a 10.1-inning scoreless streak dating back to Sept. 4.

Neither Fiers nor Jackson has averaged six innings per start with the A's, so the bullpen may start pitching in the middle innings at the latest.

The back end of the bullpen is the best in the business, with A's closer Blake Treinen sporting a 0.79 ERA, 37 saves and 98 strikeouts in 79.1 innings. If the A's have a lead going into the eighth frame, he'll likely get the ball for a two-inning save. (Melvin hasn't been shy about using Treinen for multiple innings, having done so 10 times this year.)

The key is the bridge to Treinen, and that's been hit-or-miss.

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Lou Trivino has done well in his rookie year (3.00 ERA), but he may be running out of gas (a 7.52 ERA from Aug. 4 to Sept. 21). He did pitch a scoreless inning as the opener against the Angels on Friday.

Yusmeiro Petit has been on a roll (1.08 ERA in his last 15 appearances) and could give two innings. On the other hand, ex-New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia hasn't done as well in Oakland. After 10 scoreless innings to start his A's tenure, Familia has a 5.31 ERA, including two appearances of three earned runs each. 

Left-hander Ryan Buchter has a 2.82 ERA, but he not see much action against what should be a right-handed heavy lineup outside of shortstop Didi Gregorius. Veteran Fernando Rodney has an 8.31 ERA in September while walking seven batters in 8.2 innings.

The Athletics' other problem is that the Yankees are getting healthy (and hot) at the right time.

Catcher Gary Sanchez returned at the beginning of September and may have finally broken out of his yearlong slump with two homers and a couple of two-hit games in his last three appearances.

Right fielder Aaron Judge returned in mid-September after suffering a broken wrist in late July. He's hit .333 in his last 18 at-bats, and on Friday, he hit his first home run since coming off the disabled list. Gregorius and center fielder Aaron Hicks also returned to the team after missing a few games.

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

The Yankees have hit 264 home runs this year, which ties the league record set by the 1997 Seattle Mariners. At home in one of the most hitter-friendly parks, the Yankees could have a monstrous offensive night.

But the Athletics can go toe-to-toe with the Yankees at the plate, as they have five players with 22 or more home runs. Of note, Khris Davis is the best slugger on either side thanks to his 47 dingers despite playing half the time in a giant baseball cavern (Oakland Coliseum), where long fly balls go to die in the vast outfield and night air.

But the A's aren't as good against lefties (.742 OPS) than they are against righties (.776 OPS), and Happ has decent numbers against the A's he would face Wednesday. Of note, Davis and Mark Canha are a combined 2-for-22. Shortstop Marcus Semien has had success (8-for-19 with two home runs), however.

Ultimately, the difference in this game is the starting pitching. Happ is better than anyone the A's can throw out there to open, and that will give the Yanks the edge.

Prediction: Yankees 6, Athletics 4