The Minnesota Twins, who were swept out of the Bronx in a three-game series last week, tabbed right-handed veteran Ervin Santana to toe the slab as they look to extend their season next October 2.
Santana pitched Thursday, scattering four hits over five scoreless innings in an afternoon match-up against the Indians, marking the final start of his excellent 2017 season. Santana finished the year with a 3.28 ERA, the second-lowest mark of his career, and earned his second All-Star game nod in 13 years this season.
The Yankees' dominance over the Twins in recent years has been well-documented, but how well has the team fared against Santana?
Santana has made 20 starts against the Yankees in his career, and has gone 6-10 with a less-than-sparkling 5.66 ERA. He's also had problems keeping the ball in the yard in those games, which bodes very well for the Yankees, who clinched home field advantage for the Wild-Card game next week.
Yankees hitters have taken Santana deep 28 times in those 20 games, the second-highest total by any team against Santana in his career trailing only the Texas Rangers, who have hit 39 homers in 32 games.
In 119 1/3 regular season innings against the Bombers, Santana has allowed 1.517 WHIP against the Bombers, the highest mark for any team that's seen him at least 20 times.
When it comes to control, Santana's had his issues with that as well when facing the Yankees. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.09 against New York (90 K/43 BB) is the sixth-worst mark against any team he's faced, and the third-worst for any AL club.
In six starts pitched at the current Yankee Stadium, Santana has allowed batters to slash .310/.379/.486 against him - basically Buster Posey - and has pitched to an even more inflated 6.43 ERA in the Bronx.
Santana has faced the Yankees five different times in the playoffs as well, all while he was a member of the Angels. As a 22-year-old rookie, Santana allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS, earning the win and helping the Angels advance to the ALCS.
He later faced New York over four relief appearances in the 2009 ALCS, going 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in those outings. The Yankees of course went on to win their 27th World Series title that season, and will be looking to leapfrog Santana en route to an extended playoff run again this year.
Of course, the Yankees are still mathematically capable of stealing the AL East crown away from the Red Sox, and by doing so would avoid the treachery of having their 162-game season come down to a single make-or-break game. The Sox enter Thursday with a 3.0-game lead with four games to play, but the Yankees still technically have a shot.
Boston has largely matched New York's red-hot play in the month of September, keeping the Yankees at arm's length from the top of the standings. Barring a major Boston collapse, the Yankees' postseason aspirations will hinge on their performance next Tuesday.
All indications point to a Luis Severino - Ervin Santana showdown in that Wild-Card game to determine which team moves on, and which team will close the book on their 2017 season. The Yankees are far and away the superior team on paper, but anything can happen in a win-or-go-home situation.
Tension will be palpable for that likely Wild-Card showdown in the Bronx, but the Yankees will be eager to take their shot at defeating Santana, and mounting a deep run into October.
