CHICAGO — By using an opener ahead of Luis Severino on Wednesday, the Yankees were hoping to help get the struggling right-hander back on track.
Instead, the plan only delayed the inevitable.
Severino, who began his night in the second inning, quickly put the Yankees in a three-run hole they could not climb out of, and they lost to the White Sox 9-2 to drop the series at Guaranteed Rate Field.
In the short-term, Severino lasted just two innings while giving up four runs, which raised his ERA to 8.06 through 14 outings this season.
It remains questionable, at best, whether the Yankees can possibly continue to pitch him as they battle for a playoff spot.
“I’m just having the worst year of my life in baseball,” Severino said. “I’m not sure [what else I can do], but right now, I’m willing to do anything to get better. … I love being a starter, but right now, this year has not been working.”
Following an opener didn’t help for Luis Severino, who allowed four runs in two innings in the Yankees’ 9-2 blowout loss to the White Sox. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesIn the bigger picture, the loss capped off a brutal three-game set in which the Yankees (59-56) failed to take advantage of the tanking White Sox (47-69).
They ended the series 5 ½ games back of the Blue Jays for the final AL wild-card spot.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s April or Aug. 9, every game is important and we know that,” Aaron Judge said. “There’s a sense of urgency. We gotta keep showing up every day. We lost this series, a big series, but the next series we got aren’t going to be any easier.”
The Yankees had a chance to get Severino off the hook in the seventh inning, when a solo home run from Giancarlo Stanton pulled them within 5-2 (Stanton had driven in their first run with a fourth-inning groundout).
The Yankees then loaded the bases with no outs, but could not score.
Oswaldo Cabrera, who was in the lineup after DJ LeMahieu was a late scratch with right calf tightness, struck out looking and Kyle Higashioka grounded into a double play.
After Ian Hamilton opened by tossing a quick 10-pitch first inning, the Yankees curiously opted not to extend him into a second inning — even with a day off looming on Thursday.
Manager Aaron Boone later said the plan was to only use Hamilton for one inning “no matter what.”
Tim Anderson forces out Harrison Bader and then throws out Kyle Higashioka to complete a double play and get the White Sox out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ loss. AP“No, because we were going with Sevy today,” Boone said. “I didn’t want to get into a situation where we were bringing Sevy in in the middle of the inning. … I also wanted to keep Hamilton potentially in play for this option [an opener] the first game [Friday] in Miami.”
So Boone called on Severino for the second inning.
Four batters later, the Yankees trailed 3-0.
Yoan Moncada greeted Severino with a double to the right-field wall that came off the bat at 97.2 mph.
It had the lowest exit velocity of the five hits that Severino allowed.
After a one-out RBI single from Yasmani Grandal, Oscar Colas clobbered a 2-2 slider from Severino 430 feet for a two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is tagged out by Elvis Andrus while attempting to steal second base during the second inning of the Yankees’ loss. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con“Just overall, the way that hitters are reacting to [his stuff], it seems like nobody’s really fooled by anything right now,” Higashioka said. “I don’t think it’s a tipping issue really.”
Part of the Yankees’ calculus in using an opener was to take some of the pressure off Severino in the first inning.
He came in with a 13.85 ERA in first innings this season.
“They were trying to just bring me out in the second inning to see if that was going to [help],” Severino said. “But it didn’t work. I gave up a two-run homer in the first inning again.”
Moncada’s RBI double gave Chicago another run in the third inning.
Severino then issued a four-pitch walk to start the fourth, at which point Boone finally pulled him.
While Boone said before the game that Severino was frustrated by the decision to use an opener ahead of him, the pending free agent later said he understood the Yankees were just trying to find ways to win.
The only problem was it did not work.
“We gotta win,” Boone said. “But we’re also having a little problem with enough bodies right now [in the rotation]. We’ve had some guys go down. We gotta find a way and that means unlocking some people that are going through scuffles. If that doesn’t happen on some level, it ain’t happening [for the team]. We need to get some guys turned around and contributors. Sevy’s part of that.”
