If only the Yankees could fast-forward to the seventh inning with a tie or the lead, they could rely on Fireman’s Row: the bullpen trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. But for much of this season, they have had no relief from poor starting pitching.
It happened again last night at Yankee Stadium when they trotted out Luis Severino, who had yet to break his maiden in the win column this season, to oppose undefeated White Sox lefthander Chris Sale. Can you say mismatch?
From the moment Severino hit Chicago leadoff hitter Adam Eaton, he struggled with his control. The result was a sadly predictable outing in which Severino gave up seven earned runs in only 2 2/3 innings before being lifted to a chorus of boos from a crowd of 34,264 in a 7-1 loss to the White Sox and Sale, who pitched a six-hit complete game.
Before the game, manager Joe Girardi acknowledged Severino’s struggles but expressed hope that he was getting closer to finding his way out of the desert.
“We’d love to see him put it all together. Just for him,” Girardi said. “The biggest thing is you want to feel like you’re pulling your weight. I know he’s frustrated with where he’s at, but he’s closer and we’re pleased with the progress he’s making.”
Check that. After Severino’s performance against the White Sox, a demotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre seems a serious consideration. Severino faced only 20 batters, yielding seven runs and seven hits, including a two-run homer by Jimmy Rollins that made it 7-1 and ended his evening. In addition to the hit batsmen, Severino walked four and managed only 46 strikes out of 81 pitches.
Only a great diving stop by shortstop Ronald Torreyes for the third out of the first inning allowed Severino to escape any damage. But Brett Lawrie opened the second with a double and scored on a double by Alex Avila. Severino then walked No. 9 hitter Austin Jackson and gave up an infield single to Eaton to load the bases. With two outs, Jose Abreu delivered a two-run double for a 3-0 lead.
Severino appeared to settle down when he got the first two batters out in the third inning, but then he went haywire. Avila singled, and Jackson drew his second straight walk. That set the table for Eaton, who drove both home with a double that carried over the head of centerfielder Aaron Hicks, who appeared a little nonchalant until the ball sailed past him. Rollins was up next, and he pulled a 93 mile-per-hour fastball just inside the rightfield foul pole into the seats for a 7-1 lead.
As Rollins rounded the bases, Severino seemed to indicate a possible elbow problem. That brought a visit not only from Girardi but from trainer Steve Donohue, who accompanied Severino to the dugout. The team said Severino was suffering from soreness on the back of his right elbow and was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Friday night.
There was no hope of a comeback against Sale, who gave up a second-inning home run to Chase Headley, his second in as many games, but did indeed sail to his eighth victory without a loss this season. Sale struck out six, walked none and threw 99 pitches.
If there was a silver lining, it was provided by the work of relievers Nick Goody, Chasen Shreve and Kirby Yates, who combined to pitch 6 1/3 scoreless innings. If only the Yankees could start as well as they finish.
..... - Newsday