The Major League Baseball Postseason has arrived and the Vandy Boys are well represented. The American League Wild Card Game between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins is set for tonight at 7:00 on ESPN.
If you’re not familiar with how the Wild Card Game works, every team must submit a 25-man roster that morning. While Luis Severino will start for New York tonight, former Vanderbilt standout Sonny Gray is expected to be available out of the bullpen. New York would love to save him to start in the American League Division Series if they win, but if needed, Gray will pitch tonight.
The right-hander has pitched twice in the postseason both with Oakland in the 2013 ALDS against Detroit. In game two, Gray threw eight dominant innings in the A’s 1-0 win. He shutout the Tigers, limiting them to just four hits while racking up nine strikeouts. Gray then started the deciding fifth game and came up on the short end when Justin Verlander struck out 10 in Detroit’s 3-0 win to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Another former Vanderbilt pitcher is in the postseason again. David Price and the Boston Red Sox take on the Houston Astros in the other ALDS set to begin on Thursday.
Since returning from an elbow injury in mid-September, Price has been used out of the bullpen by Boston Manager John Farrell and has been lights out. In five games, he hasn’t allowed any runs in 8 2/3 innings while piling up 13 strikeouts. It’s unknown if Farrell is going to keep using the southpaw in relief when the series starts. Farrell could opt to start Price in game three or four, or use Price like Terry Francona used Andrew Miller in Cleveland last year.
Two other former Vandy Boys are with teams in the postseason Houston’s Tony Kemp and Los Angeles’ Walker Buehler. Kemp was not selected to be on Houston’s ALDS roster while the Dodgers have yet to release their 25-man roster for the NLDS against Arizona or Colorado.
