ATLANTA — Luis Severino is thrilled he didn’t have to pitch Monday.
“That would have been bad for us,” Severino said. “I wouldn’t say that was the worst-case scenario for us, there wasn’t a doubt we were going to go out there and compete and win the second game, but it would have been tough not to know who was going to pitch those [playoff games].”
The right-hander was slotted as the Mets starter for the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Braves.
But once his team won the first game, 8-7, to clinch a postseason berth, he was allowed to start concentrating on pitching Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.
Though manager Carlos Mendoza hasn’t announced a rotation to face the Brewers, he will have Severino on full rest and can start Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana behind him (both also on normal rest).
A workhorse this season, Severino, 30, has started 31 games and pitched to a 3.91 ERA over 182 innings.
It was money well-spent by the Mets, who signed Severino to a one-year deal worth $13 million last winter.
Severino last faced the Brewers on the opening weekend of the season at Citi Field in his first start wearing a Mets uniform.
“That probably was not my best stuff,” Severino said of the five-inning performance in which he allowed six runs (three of which were unearned). “My sweeper was not my sweeper, there was a lot of missed pitches out there.”
Severino allowed a two-run homer to Mets nemesis Rhys Hoskins in that start.
“I will try my best not to let that happen again,” Severino said.
It will be the 11th career postseason start for Severino, who went 1-4 with a 5.15 ERA over 10 postseason series with the Yankees.
His last playoff start came against the Astros in the 2022 ALCS, in which he allowed three earned runs over 5 ¹/₃ innings in a loss.
What does it mean to Severino to get the ball for Game 1?
“It means that I have been healthy all year and healthy to compete in the playoffs,” Severino said. “Hopefully to give this team a chance to win and face whatever team is next.”
