Yankees beat Mets, but Luis Severino stumbles again in Subway Series opener
After a lat strain delayed his 2023 debut, Luis Severino looked like a shot in the arm for an injury-riddled Yankees’ rotation after his first two starts of the season.
The right-hander tallied two earned runs and 10 strikeouts over 11.1 innings against the Reds and Padres on May 21 and 27, respectfully, a strong showing as he continued to build up at the major league level after two minor league starts. Since then, however, Severino’s performance has been more of a problem than a welcomed addition.
That remained the case Tuesday against the Mets, as the 29-year-old permitted five earned runs (six total) over 4.2 innings in a teeter-totter, 7-6 Yankees win that saw Max Scherzer pitch poorly, too. Severino also gave up seven hits and 10 hard-hit balls while walking three, striking out four and balking twice over 104 pitches.
While Aaron Boone said he saw progress in another “rough start” from Severino, the fireballer had a harsher take on his night.
“For me, I didn’t get better,” Severino said. “I need to be a better pitcher. I feel like every time they give me the ball, I’m not helping the team right now. So I just need to figure out what’s going on, and hopefully I can do that soon.”
Boone could’ve spared Severino a run, but the manager stuck with the starter with two outs in the fifth following a brief mound visit. The choice immediately came back to bite Severino and the Yankees, as Luis Guillorme knocked the hurler out with a single that tied the game at six.
“I just wanted to check on him,” Boone said of the visit. “I want to give him a chance to get through there. The biggest thing, I didn’t want him to overdo it and run into a mistake that way. Execute. He ends up getting ahead of him, and then Guillorme gets him. Disappointing there that he wasn’t able to get through that and probably ultimately claim the win, but I think something hopefully to catapult him a little bit.”
Added Severino: “I didn’t deliver. So I need to get better.”
Brandon Nimmo started the scoring off Severino when he hit a leadoff homer in the first. Severino only surrendered one other run in the initial frame — thanks in part to a running, leaping grab from Jake Bauers in right — but the Mets put up another two-spot in the second.
Severino’s three walks tied a season-high, and both of his balks came in the second. That made him the first Yankee with two balks in a game since Hideki Irabu in 1997 and the first with two balks in an inning since Rich Monteleone in 1992, per the YES Network’s James Smyth.
Severino’s ERA is now 6.48, and he’s allowed 16 earned runs and seven longballs over his last three starts. His fastball’s command and velocity have been issues at times, though he was right around his season average of 96.4 miles per hour on Tuesday.
“I don’t get enamored by the number,” Boone said of Severino’s velocity before Tuesday’s game. “More about what’s the life look like? What are the swings looking like off of it? And then is he putting it where he wants to? If he does, those things will be in a good spot.”
While Severino’s heater appeared up to speed on Tuesday, 18 sliders failed to yield a single whiff against the Mets. The power pitcher only compiled seven whiffs on the night, most of which came from his fastball.
“At least the fastball was there today,” Severino said. “I need to do a better job putting guys away.”
Boone noted that Severino had a hard time controlling counts early on, too.
Severino has generally had a tough time in the early going, giving up 12 runs over the first two innings in his last three starts. That includes a six-run first inning against the Dodgers on June 2.
With Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon and Frankie Montas all on the injured list, the Yankees need Severino to turn things around. He does on a personal level, too, as the career pinstiper is an impending free agent whose long injury history already served as an obstacle to securing a second major payday.
Severino has plenty of time to turn things around, and it’s worth noting that he’s playing catch-up after suffering his lat injury at the end of spring training. But his last few starts have been alarming, and Tuesday was no different.
Yet Boone believes the night can serve as a “springboard,” even if Severino is still in search of answers.
“I can’t put a finger right now on what’s going on,” he said. “So I just need to get a deep dive on all my outings and try to figure it out.”
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